Elias Ngalame. African climate stakeholders have called for more green technology training in specialized higher education institutions as a transformative opportunity to curb surging unemployment and empower African graduates to take over the relay in the climate change drive.
During a panel discussion as part of a Green Education side event at COP29, climate change actors pointed out that, across Africa, the youth has shown innovative potential through emerging green technologies in the tech start-up sector that present unique opportunities to tackle climate challenges. Harnessing these startups to fill the technology gap and curb youth unemployment will require targeted support because of existing barriers such as ill-equipped specialised training institutions, financing deficits, skills mismatches, gender disparities and regulatory hindrances.
The discussion, ‘Localising Green Technology Innovation: The role of the youth’, was held on 16 November 2024 and organised by the Africa Policy Research Institute, or APRI, and the Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND).
ALSO READ – China-Global South Agenda at FOCAC 2024: Climate, Connectivity & Coalitions
Priscilla Adogo Ahiada, head of the energy programme at the SYND, called on stakeholders to engage on pathways to bolster youth employment through green technology training in specialised higher education institutions.
Skills gap hinders progress. African governments were urged to invest in more green technology training at higher education institutions with specialisation in green technology for a climate-ready future.
“It is time to confront the fact that, [with] systemic poverty across Africa, the skills gap is limiting climate progress. Investing in green technology training is the way forward for Africa,” Ahiada said.
According to data from the African Development Institute, the youth population in Africa is expected to reach 850 million by 2050. However, despite policies aimed at youth employment such as the Africa Union Youth Charter and Agenda 2063, employment growth remains a challenge.
Investment in green technology training can offer promising avenues for young graduates to find employment in Africa, the climate experts say.
“Technology is evolving rapidly, and we need to adapt our higher education training institutions to these changing realities. Africa needs to tap its human resource potential, invest in technology training for job creation and economic progress,” Dr Augustine Njamnshi, executive director of the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access, or ACSEA, said in the panel discussion.
Universities should step up. Investment in renewable energy training alone could generate about four million jobs by 2030. Other sectors like sustainable agriculture and waste management also hold significant potential for job creation for graduates, he said, adding that there is an urgent need for the university community to step up as key players in the climate movement.
“Universities worldwide should commit to action, embedding climate-focused education into every discipline, from business and law to engineering and the arts. Universities must also commit to their net-zero pledges and sustainability plans, setting an example of climate leadership,” said Valery Salas Flores, a student on the MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment at the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment at the University of Oxford.
In the article, ‘Beyond COP29: How higher education can drive year-round climate action’, Flores emphasised the need for climate change training to permit higher education and academia to play their role better in the climate drive.
ALSO READ – INSIDE EAST AFRICA’S PRODUCTIVE USE OF OFF-GRID SOLAR
“Higher education is incredibly well-positioned to advise businesses and governments through its research. Many universities and business schools are pushing the climate agenda to a new level of ambition through working locally with Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, de-carbonisation strategies and research on the latest technologies. An example of this is the Oxford Net-Zero researchers who are attending COP29 this year.”
Students can lead. She said that, as agents of climate change, university students can lead change through campus-led climate initiatives, research opportunities and industry collaborations.
“They can be empowered to participate in the global climate dialogue, translating the principles of COP29 into action. Higher education can shape these brilliant minds through courses with an interdisciplinary approach considering both the Global North and Global South.”
Experts say, although examples of training efforts of young graduates to drive Africa’s green tech and other climate solutions exist on the continent, it is hindered by limited financing.
“Africa’s civil society network under the auspices of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), in collaboration with some Kenyan universities, provides the opportunity for young graduates selected from African countries to be trained annually to empower a new generation of climate actors for Africa’s future. However, our training capacity is limited by the lack of funding,” Dr Mithika Mwenda, executive director of PACJA, said during a climate education panel discussion at COP29.
ALSO READ – UGANDA: WHY FARMERS MUST EMBRACE CLIMATE-FRIENDLY & SMART FARMING & AGRICULTURE
The co-hosting universities in this training initiative are Meru University of Science and Technology, the University of Embu, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kirinyaga University, Tharaka University, and Karatina University.
For Africa to harness green tech for graduate employment, it is critical to address skills gaps, Mwenda emphasised.
Two transitions: green and AI. In her new paper, ‘Bridging the digital and green transitions through education’, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini explores the pivotal role of education in promoting and harmonising green and digital transitions. She notes that our world is undergoing two transformational and concurrent transitions: the green transition and the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transition.
“Education is the key to bringing these transitions into harmony and confluence. It can shape a new kind of citizenship, one that is committed to harnessing the power of digital technology to drive and accelerate the green transition,” she says. The paper explores how education might link the green and digital transitions to support a sustainable and prosperous future, with four concrete ideas that provide a roadmap to leverage technology in education. First, education in technology to help understand climate change through multimedia and interactive digital tools.
ALSO READ – Africa Most Affected as Climate Change & Growing Global Population Affect Food Security
“By providing a platform for both knowledge dissemination and dynamic engagement, digital technology can be an ally in building awareness about sustainability and equipping learners with the skills and understanding needed to take action to rebalance our relationship with the climate and natural environment,” Giannini said.
By using technology to facilitate hands-on experiences, schools and communities can deepen the understanding of sustainability and empower students to adopt environmentally responsible behaviours. Technology, in general, and AI, in particular, are instrumental in driving research and innovation to promote green energy solutions.
Mapping the future. Experts say that, with the renewable energy transition, Africa also has the huge task of preparing its future workforce for opportunities in green industries. “We have to map out for the future, train our young people because the transition in renewable will revolutionise Africa’s economy and potentially bring myriads of employment opportunities,” Njamnshi told University World News.
Speaking at the event, ‘Africa’s Green Momentum: Harnessing Renewables for Industrialisation’ during COP29 in Baku, UN Secretary General António Guterres urged world leaders to act decisively to support Africa’s clean energy transition.
READ – DROUGHT & DESERTIFICATION DAY 2024: Once-dry Lands in Parts of Africa Slowly Sprouting Back to Life
Citing the Nairobi Declaration and projects already under way on the continent as evidence of Africa’s commitment to clean energy, he highlighted the transformative power of renewable energy to drive industrialisation, economic growth, sustainable development and curb unemployment.
“From Cairo to Cape Town, renewable energy can revolutionise lives,” he said, noting its potential to deliver affordable electricity, improve health outcomes, and lower costs for millions. The benefits of renewables extend far beyond energy access, as they offer Africa a chance to spearhead a global clean energy revolution and secure economic prosperity for future generations, Guterres said.
READ – Is Uganda’s Kingfisher oil project bad for people, climate and the environment?
