AAAP in the Media
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Global Center on Adaptation and African Development Bank call for applications for the African Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the African Development Bank have launched a call for applications for the first edition of the African Youth Adaptation Solutions (YouthAdapt) Challenge.
The call encourages young entrepreneurs, innovators from micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and other youth-led and youth-owned enterprises in Africa, to implement solutions for building resilience and adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change. Young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 are invited to respond to the call for the expression of interest and submit their business plan through the official submission portal.
With a strong focus on youth and gender, winners of the YouthAdapt Challenge will be awarded business grants of up to $100,000 each and the opportunity to participate in a 12-month business accelerator program to help them scale up their businesses, deepen their impact and create decent jobs. In addition, the winning youth-led enterprises will be provided with mentorship and support to expand partnerships, knowledge sharing and learning through a network of young entrepreneurs in climate adaptation.
The African Youth Adaptations Solutions Challenge is part of the ‘Empowering Youth through Jobs and Entrepreneurship’ pillar of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), a strategic partnership between the GCA and the African Development Bank aimed at galvanizing climate-resilient actions through a triple win approach to address the impacts of Covid-19, climate change and the economy.
The competition aims to leverage the resources, complementary expertise and networks of both organizations to support the ‘missing-middle’ of mid-sized companies in the areas of funding, thereby promoting sustainable climate adaptation and resilience practices on the African continent.
Announcing the YouthAdapt Challenge to a group of global leaders at the High-Level Dialogue: The Adaptation Acceleration Imperative for COP26 held in Rotterdam, Netherlands on Monday 6th September 2021, Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation said: “Our vision is to empower one million young people in Africa with the financing and skills they need to pursue jobs and careers in climate adaptation. With this new challenge we aim to unlock the business opportunities in adaptation action by innovative youth-owned enterprises and prepare a new generation of African youth for the transition towards green and climate-resilient development.”
“The YouthAdapt Challenge will unleash the entrepreneurial drive and capacities of African youth to grow their businesses, address the continent’s pressing climate challenge and create decent jobs, building a more climate-resilient Africa”, said Akinwumi Adesina, African Development Bank’s President, affirming the Bank’s commitment to invest in the youth.
Twenty youth-led enterprises will be shortlisted at the end of the application window on 6th October 2021 and invited to submit videos for a jury panel review ahead of the finals and an award ceremony at COP26 in Glasgow on November 8, 2021. At this event, ten winners will be selected, 50% of which will be women-led enterprises.
African Development Bank participates in the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)
What: African Development Bank participates in the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)
Who: African Development Bank, Nordic Innovation and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners
When: 30 May - 2 June 2023
Where: Helsinki, Finland and online
A delegation led by African Development Bank Director of Climate Change and Green Growth Anthony Nyong, is at the 2023 World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF2023) in the Finnish capital Helsinki.
WCEF2023 is the seventh edition of the annual forum co-organised by Nordic Innovation and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners, including the African Development Bank. The forum brings together business leaders, policymakers and experts from around the world to present the best circular economy solutions. WCEF examines how societies and businesses can seize new opportunities to accelerate the global transition towards a circular economy to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. WCEF is the world’s best known neutral global circular economy event and platform for the global circularity movement.
To leverage and build on the results of last year’s WCEF and showcase circular economy ambition in Africa, a strong engagement of the African Development Bank is planned at WCEF2023. This includes speaker roles at plenary sessions, side events and hosting an African delegation of six participants from member countries of the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) and African organisations to participate and speak at the event alongside the Bank’s mission team.
African Development Bank Director of Climate Change and Green Growth Anthony Nyong will participate in a guided dialogue during a session titled “Unlocking Finance for a circular and regenerative economy” organised by Circle Economy together with European Investment Bank (EIB). ACEA, whose secretariat is based at the African Development Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, will join in a session titled “Circular strategies and road maps,” organised by The Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency.
The African Development Bank will host a stand at the WCEF Exhibition Area. This will give the opportunity to African Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), ACEA and its partners to showcase solutions to a global audience to attract partners and financiers for scaleup.
The Bank organises / has interventions in the following sessions:
TUESDAY, 30 MAY
Plenary Sessions at Helsinki Fair Centre
9:30-10:30
IFI CEN high-level working meeting
13:30 - 14:45
Unlocking finance for a circular and regenerative economy
THURSDAY, 1 JUNE
Accelerator Sessions, venues across Helsinki
8:30-13:00 (UTC+3)
Place: Messukeskus conference centre, Messuaukio 1, Helsinki and online
Accelerator session: African Voices to circular Economy
10:00 – 13:00
Accelerator session: International Financing and Funding for World Circular Economy Business Opportunities
16:00 – 17:30
Accelerator session: A circular economy that works for everyone: ensuring a just and jobs-rich transition to a sustainable future for all
Official WCEF2023 website: https://wcef2023.com/about/
Accelerator Session: https://wcef2023.com/sessions/african-voices-showcasing-circular-economy-ambition-in-africa/
Confirm your live attendance as soon as possible by registering through this link
Livestream on the WCEF2023 website and YouTube channel.
Media contact: Sonia Borrini, Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist, Climate Change and Green Growth Department | email : s.borrini@afdb.org