As COP30 continues in Belém, Brazil, young Rwandans back home are demonstrating why the next generation must be more centrally involved in climate action.
Their innovations from waste recycling to climate-smart agriculture highlight the critical role youth can play in driving sustainable, community-based solutions.
Across the country, young Rwandans are proving that climate action is not an abstract global debate. It is a practical, daily commitment to solving problems in their own communities.
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From turning kitchen scraps and milk waste into organic fertilisers and animal feed, to designing carbon-neutral mushroom production systems, to planting avocado trees that strengthen both nutrition and resilience, these young leaders are showing what a climate-smart future can look like.
Their efforts illustrate why youth engagement must move from the periphery to the centre of climate policy. Young people are not just beneficiaries of climate solutions but are creators of them. They bring fresh thinking, technological fluency, and a willingness to experiment with bold ideas.
Their enterprises demonstrate how environmental protection and economic opportunity can reinforce each other, especially when innovation is rooted in community needs.
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Programmes like UNEP’s Restoration Factory have shown the transformative potential of structured support. With mentorship, business development, and access to finance, young entrepreneurs have turned waste into wealth, built cooperatives, cut emissions, and created jobs while contributing directly to Rwanda’s green growth and Vision 2050 goals.
But for every youth-led initiative that succeeds, many more struggle without the visibility, resources, or policy backing they need to scale.
If Rwanda is to achieve its climate ambitions, this must change. Government, private sector, and development partners should deepen investment in youth-centered climate programmes, integrate youth voices into decision-making platforms, and expand opportunities for green entrepreneurship.
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Schools and universities should embed climate innovation into curricula, preparing young people not only to understand climate challenges, but to design solutions.
The energy, creativity, and resilience of Rwanda’s youth are among the country’s most powerful assets.
Empowering them is not merely an investment in climate action but an investment in Rwanda’s future prosperity, stability, and sustainability. The evidence is already clear: when young people lead, climate solutions flourish.