When it comes to combating the climate crisis, Africa has the potential to become a global leader, not just a participant. However, as Joshua Amponsem, climate visionary and entrepreneur, highlights in his impactful TED Talk, there is a fundamental challenge: the majority of Africa’s workforce sees their role in climate action as limited to labor-intensive, low-income jobs rather than in strategic, analytical, or leadership-based positions.
Amponsem’s message is both urgent and empowering. For Africa to effectively tackle the climate crisis, there must be a shift in how climate funding is allocated, with a greater focus on fostering local talent, innovation, and leadership. The continent’s youth – vibrant, capable, and brimming with ideas – hold the key to reimagining solutions that address both Africa’s unique challenges and the global climate agenda.
The Current Landscape: Labor-Intensive Roles Dominate
In many African economies, climate-related work is often viewed through a narrow lens. The workforce is typically employed in sectors like agriculture, manual reforestation, or waste collection. While these jobs are essential, they are predominantly low-paying, repetitive, and offer limited opportunities for upward mobility. As a result, many young people feel disempowered, failing to see their potential for strategic involvement in designing and implementing climate solutions.
Amponsem points out that this perception is reinforced by how international climate funding is structured. Resources often flow toward projects that prioritize short-term labor rather than long-term capacity building, education, and leadership training. Without access to funding that prioritizes innovation and skills development, African youth remain sidelined in roles that fail to leverage their full potential.
The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Climate Funding
“Climate funding must empower local leadership,” Amponsem argues. A significant portion of global climate finance currently bypasses grassroots organizations and young local innovators. Instead, it lands in large, international institutions that operate with limited understanding of local contexts. This leaves African leaders, especially youth, without the resources to experiment, innovate, and scale solutions tailored to the realities of their communities.
Amponsem’s vision calls for a paradigm shift: redirecting climate funds to support local climate entrepreneurs, community-based organizations, and skill-building programs that elevate Africa’s youth into leadership positions. Whether through investment in climate tech startups, renewable energy research, or community-led adaptation projects, funding must prioritize African-led initiatives that offer sustainable and scalable results.
African Youth as Innovators and Leaders
Africa’s youth population is one of the largest and fastest-growing in the world. This demographic advantage, coupled with Africa’s unique environmental challenges, creates an unparalleled opportunity for innovation. From solar-powered irrigation systems in East Africa to climate-smart agriculture technologies in West Africa, young African entrepreneurs are already proving their ability to drive change. Yet, to unlock their full potential, they need mentorship, access to resources, and opportunities to influence decision-making spaces.
Amponsem envisions a future where African youth are not only workers but also thought leaders and innovators in the climate space. They will design policies, create green technologies, and lead global conversations on climate action. This shift requires more than just funding; it demands intentional investment in education, innovation hubs, and platforms that amplify youth voices on both local and international stages.
A Call to Action: Investing in Africa’s Climate Leaders
To achieve this vision, stakeholders across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors must act. Governments need to prioritize climate education and provide incentives for youth-led green initiatives. International funders must shift toward inclusive models that recognize and empower local expertise. Businesses and investors should partner with African innovators to scale solutions that benefit both people and the planet.
As Amponsem passionately argues, Africa’s future depends on its ability to position its youth at the forefront of the climate movement. The next generation of African leaders must not inherit a world where climate action is synonymous with exploitation and stagnation. Instead, they must step into their roles as changemakers, equipped with the tools, funding, and vision to drive sustainable solutions.
The Time for Change is Now
The climate crisis is not a distant future; it is a present reality that demands urgent, inclusive, and innovative solutions. Africa’s youth represent a powerful, untapped force for progress. By fostering local talent, promoting leadership, and rethinking how climate funding is distributed, Africa can transition from being seen as vulnerable to being recognized as indispensable in the global fight against climate change.
As Joshua Amponsem reminds us, when we empower young Africans to lead, we don’t just tackle the climate crisis – we build a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable world for all.
