Story by Eugene Nyarko Jnr. l UG, Accra l Thursday, October 1, 2026 —
The All Africa Students Union (AASU) and the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability have called for increased youth participation in climate action, policy development and green innovation across Africa.
They said young people possessed the ideas and energy required to contribute to tackling climate change but needed stronger platforms, skills, institutional support and opportunities to turn their ideas into practical solutions.
The call was made during the two-day 2026 Eco Ambassadors Training Workshop organised by the AASU in collaboration with Oxfam in Africa and other partners at the ISSER Conference Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon.
The workshop, which began yesterday and ends today, is on the theme: “Educate, Innovate and Accelerate: Youth and Students Powering Africa’s Green Economy and Sustainability Goals.”
The Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Technical) of AASU, Mr Samuel Sasu Adonteng, said the union represented more than 85 national student unions and over 300 million students across Africa, including students of African descent in the diaspora.
He said the Eco Ambassadors programme was intended to move young people beyond awareness creation and skills development to the actual implementation of climate and green-economy ideas.
“This edition is trying to look at how we can transition from just awareness and skills to actual implementation of the ideas that you would have garnered from this workshop,” he said.
Mr Adonteng said innovation was a major focus of the programme, noting that young Africans had already demonstrated their ability to develop solutions to challenges within their communities.
He said the challenge was to create the right platforms to nurture those ideas and enable young people to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s green economy.
He said climate change, while presenting serious challenges to the continent, could also create opportunities for employment, innovation and sustainable economic development.
Mr Adonteng stressed that climate action should not be left to governments alone, saying individuals, private-sector actors, students, young people and communities all had responsibilities in protecting the environment.
He urged governments and policy makers to support youth-led innovations and engage young people in climate policy and action.
For her part, the Head of Administration at the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability at the Office of the President, Ms Ruth Dzokoto, said young people should see themselves as current leaders in the fight against climate change.
She said climate change was a people-centred problem and required young people to take leadership in communities, policy spaces and innovation.
“Climate change is a people problem and we need these young people to move into the communities, lead policies and innovate so that we can handle climate change in Africa as an African problem, with African technologies,” she said.
Ms Dzokoto said participants at the workshop were being trained in areas including climate communication, community engagement and climate policies.
She said the Office of the Minister of State was also engaging metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to ensure that climate change was tackled from the community level.
According to her, the engagements had begun in the northern part of the country and would extend to the middle and southern belts.
She said climate change and sustainability units were being established as part of efforts to strengthen local-level responses, with young people expected to play a key role in engaging communities.
Ms Dzokoto urged young people not to wait until they acquired decades of experience before contributing to climate action.
“You don’t have to be old or get 50 years of experience to tackle climate change,” she said, adding that the effects of climate change were already affecting young people.
She encouraged the youth to learn widely, innovate boldly and take opportunities in policy, education and innovation spaces to promote climate solutions.
Both speakers called for collective action to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable future, with Mr Adonteng emphasising the need to reduce emissions and Ms Dzokoto urging young people to take ownership of climate action.
The workshop is expected to provide participants with knowledge and practical skills to promote climate awareness, innovation, community engagement and green-economy initiatives.
