The African Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge (YouthADAPT Challenge) is an annual competition and awards program that supports youth-led enterprises with innovative climate adaptation and resilience solutions. The program aims to empower young innovators by equipping them with customized business skills and resources to scale their climate adaptation innovations and promote creation of adaptation jobs.  The Challenge targets youth-led and youth-owned enterprises (ages 18-35) with a goal of achieving a 50% gender mainstreaming representation. 

Selected enterprises are awarded grants of up to $100,000 to fund their scaling efforts, accompanied by comprehensive business and technical support though a 12-month accelerator and mentorship program. Two cycles have been successfully held to date, providing support to 33 enterprises from 19 countries across Africa.

The YouthADAPT winners are at the forefront of leading adaptation solutions in various sectors including, including agriculture, waste management, digital solutions, energy. The range of adaptation solutions developed by these entrepreneurs exemplifies the potential of youth-led entrepreneurship in creating adaptation jobs and safeguarding communities against the severe impacts of climate change.

GCA focuses on mainstreaming climate adaptation into the job creation and agriculture projects of international financial institutions through labor market assessments, adaptation curriculum design, and capacity building. GCA’s interventions also equip young people with the knowledge and skills required to pursue job opportunities and develop climate adaptation solutions.

GCA is connecting and empowering young people to lead the youth adaptation movement and make the case for adaptation.

Youth Adaptation Forums

Young people can accelerate adaptation actions and enable effective and just adaptation policies. In 2024, GCA and the CEO’s Youth Advisory Panel are organizing six Youth Adaptation Forums based upon thematic priorities identified by young people to build the global adaptation movement, raise awareness on adaptation and foster knowledge transfer on adaptation solutions. 

Youth Adaptation Network

The Youth Adaptation Network (YAN) is an umbrella platform to engage, empower, and amplify the role of young people in the adaptation agenda. The network brings together young people from around the world to connect young leaders, translate knowledge into action, and advocate for accelerated adaptation from the local to the international level. The YAN involves more than 11,000 people in 144 countries from all global regions.

Online Executive Training – Young Women Leadership on Climate Adaptation

The Online Executive Training – Young Women Leadership on Climate Adaptation is a virtual educational and capacity-building program that responds to the climate crisis by elevating the leadership of young African women. The 20-week long comprehensive training program is tailored to young African women in influential roles leading and advocating for sustainable solutions, and building resilience to the changing climate, in Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia, Senegal, Cameroon, and Morocco.