Youth Climate Council Uganda

Yesterday, We celebrated Uganda's boldest youth-led green economy innovations at the Uganda Climate Innovation Challenge (UCIC) 2026! For our young people, climate action and youth employment are not two separate conversations, they are the exact same conversation. A massive congratulations to our 6 winners who shared a 37 million UGX grant pool, and to all 12 incredible finalists across Circular Economy, Clean Energy Innovation, Circular Regenerative Agriculture, and Climate Art and Storytelling. We also proudly witnessed the official launch of the National Waste Pickers Association. You have been doing critical circular economy work long before the rest of us learned the term, and your efforts keep our cities clean. You deserve occupational health and safety, full recognition, and a rightful seat at the table with Government, KCCA, NEMA, and recyclers. Achieving Uganda's Tenfold Growth Strategy target and lowering youth unemployment means actively backing our young innovators and frontline workers. To our banks and development partners, please design financial products that fit them without demanding land titles, and to the private sector, let your company be their first big customer. Our youth aren't just waiting for the jobs of tomorrow, they are creating them today!