Ghana launches Youth Climate Council

Ghana has officially launched the Youth Climate Council (YCC), a unified climate youth movement to amplify youth voices and create opportunities for young climate activists in Ghana. The Youth Climate Council’s priority is to provide services to strengthen activism and the impact of its members.

The YCC was unveiled at the maiden edition of the Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change(LCOY) held at the British Council on 24th September 2021. The event was hosted by the Green Africa Youth Organization with support from UNICEF and key development partners.

UNICEF Representative in Ghana, Anne-Claire Dufay underscored the crucial role of the youth in addressing climate change. According to Anne-Claire Dufay, the establishment of the Youth Climate Council in Ghana is timely to facilitate youth participation in decision making and contribute to the global dialogue.

“We believe that the establishment today is timely endeavored to facilitate the youth dialogue. I encourage you to tell your stories, young people need a vision for the hope of the future, make yourselves heard” She emphasized.

Addressing the gathering, Coordinator for Youth Climate Council Ghana, Michael Appiah stressed that YCC will promote an inclusive and meaningful engagement of youth including grassroot youth in climate change policy formulation and implementation.
Executive Director for Green Africa Youth Organization, Joshua Amponsem admonished climate activists and youth groups to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the youth climate council.

Background of YCC
The Youth Climate Council (YCC) is an institutional mechanism to enhance inclusion and accessibility for the youth climate movement in climate and environmental decision-making processes. Implemented by the Green Africa Youth Organization, the YCC Ghana aims to provide an official avenue for youth-led organizations, individuals and civil society to participate in policy despite their geographic location or resource constraints. It aspires to be a hub to share resources and expertise and provide financial, technical and knowledge resources. It aims to contribute to building a unified and collaborative movement in Ghana that delivers a high positive impact for the collective across Africa and the Global South.