Young people deliver a Communique to Global Leaders at the GCA High-Level Intergenerational Dialogue in Nairobi
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airobi, Kenya, 9 July 2025 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) today convened a landmark High-Level Intergenerational Dialogue on Accelerating Adaptation, bringing together youth leaders, H.E. Macky Sall, Chair of the Board of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA); H.E. Ban Ki-moon, Honorary Chair of GCA’s Board and Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President and CEO of GCA. The event underscored the critical role of young people in designing and implementing locally led climate resilience solutions across Africa.
After an opening performance by the University of Nairobi drummers and choir, graduate voices from the Youth Academy on Adaptation and Leadership shared their communique. Young leaders called major emitters to stay true to the promises made under the Paris Agreement. They urged all high-emitting countries to urgently scale up action on mitigation, and deliver on their adaptation finance commitments” The communique includes recommendations on: 1. Education and Capacity Building, 2. Creation of Green and Resilient Jobs, 3. Nature-based Solutions, 4. Local and Indigenous Knowledge, 5. Meaningful Youth Participation, 6. Empowerment of Young Women, 7. Increased Finance for Adaptation, 8. Youth-Led, Locally-Led Adaptation.
In his keynote remarks, Ban Ki-moon praised the young people present and called for investment in adaptation education: “Education is at the heart of climate adaptation. It strengthens communities, empowers critical thinking, and prepares young people not only to survive the climate crisis—but to lead us out of it. Let us answer your call by investing in adaptation education—so that all young people, everywhere, can be empowered as agents of change”.
President Macky Sall reflected on Africa’s progress and the partnership model that underpins GCA’s work, noting that “Through our partnership with the African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation, we helped unlock US $1 billion in climate finance in Kenya through the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program. These investments are delivering real results—in agriculture, infrastructure, digital innovation, and youth entrepreneurship. When youth are equipped and supported, Africa doesn’t just adapt—it thrives” . He urged the assembled leaders and innovators to recognize that “Africa’s future is being written by its people—by the young people of Homa Bay, and by young leaders like you. You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the heartbeat of today.”
Reflecting on the critical role that young innovators play in forging climate-resilient economies, Professor Verkooijen emphasized the transformative power of youth-led solutions: “Empowering young people with the skills, opportunities, and leadership platforms they need is not just an investment in jobs—it’s an investment in resilient communities and a thriving green economy. When youth are equipped to innovate and lead, they transform challenges into employment, drive sustainable growth and become architects of our shared future.”
Participants agreed to scale the Youth Academy across Africa and to embed locally led adaptation as the foundation of climate resilience strategies. Gladys Wanga, Governor of Homa Bay said that working with young people and women is key for accelerating adaptation solutions. She presented her experience in developing “the People’s Adaptation Plan” highlighting community-driven initiatives in informal settlements. She encouraged the international community to enhance access to funding to implement it.
The Participants agreed to carry the voices of informal settlements and rural communities into international policy forums, ensuring that the next phase of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program builds on today’s momentum.
The Dialogue closed with a commitment by Mohamed Ali, Special Envoy for Climate Change in Kenya. He said he will bring the voices of young people to international conferences, including the Climate Change Summit, the United Nations General Assembly and COP30 in Belem”.
