Youth Communiqué to COP30 Demands Urgent Scale-Up of Adaptation Finance
N
airobi, Kenya, 5 September 2025 — Youth leaders from across Africa and 50 countries worldwide have issued a Pan-African Youth Communiqué on climate adaptation to be presented to global decision-makers at COP30, calling for an urgent scaling up of adaptation finance.
The communiqué was received by senior officials and partners, including Professor Nura Mohamed, Director General of the Kenya School of Government; Hon. Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku, Cabinet Secretary, Kenyan State Department for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management; Mr. Hans Olav Ibekk, Special Envoy for Climate and Security, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Dr. Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Director for Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems, Gates Foundation.
The statement concludes the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Youth Academy on Climate Adaptation and Leadership, a training-of-trainers program designed to equip young delegates to replicate national-level initiatives in their home countries—creating a multiplying “ripple effect” that strengthens community resilience worldwide. Co-organized by GCA, the University of Nairobi, the University of Groningen, and the Kenya School of Government, the Academy brought together participants from 50 countries.
Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President and CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation said: “The Global Center on Adaptation is committed to strengthening the adaptive capacity of youth-led organizations across Africa. The true success of this Academy will not be measured only in what is learned here—it will be measured in how this knowledge is carried forward. Each representative will return home ready to train thousands more, ensuring that the reach of this Academy extends far beyond these walls.”
Professor Nura Mohamed, Director General of the Kenya School of Government, which hosted the Academy said: “At the Kenya School of Government, we are committed to providing and supporting the highest quality education and training in Africa. We are delighted to host the Global Center on Adaptation’s Youth Academy on Climate Adaptation and Leadership. It is an example of the importance of fostering Pan-Africanism in the face of climate change.”
The Academy opened on 1 August and concluded on 5 September with the Pan-African Youth Adaptation Forum, where delegates consolidated their needs and recommendations for a climate-resilient future into the communiqué for COP30.
