NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 30 – Youth leadership and inclusion dominated the third day of the 2025 Climate Action Summit, as stakeholders underscored the role of young people in driving Kenya’s climate agenda through innovation, policy, and sustainable enterprise.
Held under the theme “Empowering the Next Generation for a Resilient Future,” the forum brought together government officials, legislators, youth organisations, and development partners in a call for stronger intergenerational collaboration on climate action.
The summit adopted an affirmative action framework to boost youth participation in climate programs, policymaking, and financing. The National Youth Council and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) pledged to ensure more climate resources reach young people and marginalised communities.
Nandi Hills MP Bernard Kitor, a member of Parliament’s Climate Caucus, said the inclusion of youth in decision-making must be anchored in law and budgeting.
“Every project—whether funded through CDF or partners—must show what share benefits youth,” said Kitor. “They are not secondary actors; they are the engine of Kenya’s climate future.”
Mohamed Almas of Youth Senate Kenya said the summit marked a shift in youth engagement.
“We are moving from protest to policy,” he said. “Young people are now co-creating and co-implementing climate solutions with government.”
Nairobi Rivers Commission’s Grace Mesopir cited the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Project as an example of inclusive climate action.
“We are deliberately involving communities and youth as co-owners of restoration efforts,” she said, adding that the participatory model enhances both ecological recovery and social resilience.
Delegates agreed that Kenya’s climate transition depends on meaningful youth participation—not just as beneficiaries but as key actors in shaping and implementing policies.
The Climate Action Summit, co-convened by the Nairobi Rivers Commission and the Kenya School of Government, continues Friday with sessions on climate financing, innovation, and private sector partnerships ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
