In its 2nd call for applications, the African Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge (YouthADAPT) is looking for innovations and technological solutions that can strengthen climate adaptation and resilience in Africa. The competition is jointly organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Global Centre for Adaptation (GCA) and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).
The competition is open to young project developers aged 18-35, local start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based in Africa. For this 2nd edition, the competition will focus on gender equality in order to promote the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5. The twenty successful applicants will each receive USD 100,000 plus training and coaching to support their climate innovations.
Interested candidates have until 4 October 2022 to submit their applications. According to the AfDB, the competition is part of one of the pillars of the African Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP), which is also supported by the GCA. The initiative aims to address the triple impact of Covid-19, the economy and climate change in Africa.
Two months ago, a $250,000 grant from the Global Warming Mitigation Project (GWMP) benefited ten African start-ups for their green solutions in sustainable mobility, finance and energy as part of the Keeling Curve Climate Innovation Award. Among the winners was “Koko Fuel”, a clean bioethanol-based cooking solution developed by Koko Networks. The company, co-led by Sagun Saxena and Gray Murray, provides an alternative to the use of charcoal and wood for cooking that causes deforestation and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in East Africa.
For more information on the call for applications, click here.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi