Austrian Development Cooperation and YTJN collaborate in Youth Climate Action Project

January 13, 2025

Towards the end of August, Austrian Development Cooperation and YTJN signed a grant agreement to implement a project titled Youth Action for Climate Justice through Sustainable Financing. The project aims to enhance youth capacity to participate in climate finance mobilization and accountability discussions and to provide sustainable solutions to insufficient climate finance mobilization in Uganda. The project will be implemented using participants from eight (8) Universities based in central Uganda including Makerere University, Makerere University Business School, Uganda Christian University, Kyambogo University, Islamic University in Uganda, Cavendish University, Kampala International University and International University of East Africa. Today, it is unequivocal that climate change is occurring and its impacts are negatively impacting the achievement of long-term sustainable economic growth in Uganda. According to MWE 1 (2015), the estimated economic impacts of climate change in the agriculture, water, infrastructure and energy sectors collectively amount to 2-4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) between 2010 and 2050. In addition, the cost of inaction between the period 2010-2050 has been estimated between USD 273 - 437 billion. Such impacts are not only detrimental to the realization of the growth and development but also threaten livelihoods of the population. Whereas the Uganda government has come up with a number of policy initiatives to combat climate change such as the National Climate Change Act 2021, Climate Change Policy (2015) and the Nationally Determined Contribution, there still lies a problem of inadequate climate financing to achieve these policy targets. For example, to implement climate actions listed in the Climate Change Policy (2015), the Uganda government is expected to commit 30% of its national budget, whereas 70% is expected from international sources (mainly through loans and grants). The financing needed to respond to climate change by 2030 is approximately $258 million per annum. According to the 2024/25 budget, climate change and environment management was allocated a paltry Ugx 516.78 billion which translates to about 0.717% of the total budget which remains insignificant in combating the negative effects of climate change. The young people who constitute the majority population in Uganda (approximately 73%) stand a disproportionately higher risk of the negative effects of climate change such as homelessness, food insecurity, drought and loss of lives. The project is aligned to Uganda’s Third National Development Plan (2020/21 – 2024/25) which recognizes “the need to take advantage of the existing climate and environment financing opportunities” as means of promoting resource mobilisation for improved service delivery in Uganda. The recognition of youth engagement in climate finance advocacy is also rooted in the NDC Partnership’s Youth Engagement Plan (YEP) 6 , which presents opportunities for increased, meaningful engagement of young people in the NDC Partnership’s work. The project also aligns with YTJN strategic objective 3 “To strengthen youth participation in revenue mobilization and accountability processes at national and regional levels in the Eastern and Southern Africa regions”. The project will give youth in higher institutions of learning an opportunity to engage in discussions on climate focused resource mobilization and accountability to ensure sustainable climate justice.

Austrian Development Cooperation and YTJN collaborate in Youth Climate Action Project

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