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I'm your host, Elise Hugh. How do we build tomorrow's workforce for the climate transition?

Climate advocate Joshua M. Ponsum says it won't work if young people in the global

South aren't leaders of this transition.

In his 2024 talk, he points out the need for a mindset shift to secure and support global

South leadership in the crucial transition to clean fuels.

At the Africa Climate Summit, I met with a group of young climate leaders from across the continent. As the strategy director for the Youth Climate Justice Fund, they were very eager to

talk to me about funding opportunities for their projects. And I was even more keen to talk to them as about 80% of all the applications we receive for grants come from Africa.

And I've been struck by the difference in their applications when compared to the ones we receive from North America or from Europe.

So I asked them, why did the majority of you apply to the fund to plant

trees or to collect waste in order to generate income? Why not become forest data analysts or

carbon market experts to support the existing initiatives that are already planting trees?

I've been wondering about this. How do we build tomorrow's workforce and talent for this transition

if some group of young people have the mindset of doing the hard work

and others making opportunities from it?

I believe this is deeply rooted in the trenches of colonialism,

and sadly, we still need global and odd partners to fundraise for our work

or even to be trusted. A very depressing reality. And this has affected most of our workforce

in Africa to believe that their role in this transition is doing the labor-intensive work,

like planting trees or artisanal mining for critical minerals,

yet very low income.

While others, look at the lucrative aspects.

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