PS Ng’eno: Unlock Climate Finance for Youth-Led Green Enterprises

Billions of shillings in climate finance will mean little if young people developing solutions to climate change cannot access the funding they need to turn their ideas into viable enterprises Environment and Climate Change, Principal Secretary, Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno, has said. 

“We are calling for a fundamental shift in climate financing to put young innovators at the centre of Kenya’s green transition, The challenge is not an absence of viable projects; it is an operating environment designed to exclude them,” he observed, arguing that conventional lending requirements, including substantial collateral and lengthy financial histories, often disadvantage promising youth-led businesses.

Speaking during the 5th National Sustainability Conference at a Nairobi hotel, Dr. Ng’eno challenged governments, development partners, private sector players and financial institutions to dismantle barriers preventing youth-led climate enterprises from accessing capital.

The conference, convened by Greenspace Action Network with support from The National Treasury and the World Bank Group, was held under the theme “Empowering Young People for a Sustainable Future,” and the motto “From Ideas to Action, Beyond Borders.”

Dr. Ng’eno commended Greenspace Action Network for championing meaningful participation by children and young people in climate action, noting that their involvement must extend beyond consultation to decision-making, implementation and financing.

He identified three priorities for advancing youth-led climate action: strengthening Kenya and Africa’s position ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), deepening youth participation in national climate policies, and expanding access to financing for young innovators.

As Kenya prepares for COP31, scheduled for November 9–20, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye, the Principal Secretary said the country would advocate for ambitious climate adaptation measures, predictable and accessible climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building.

He emphasised that young Africans must be recognised as active contributors to international climate negotiations challenging the conference participants to develop a communiqué containing practical, costed and actionable policy recommendations that could inform discussions at COP31.

The Principal Secretary also highlighted Kenya’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), covering 2031–2035, submitted in 2025 following consultations that included young people, and the Third National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP III), which identifies children and youth engagement as a priority in implementing the country’s climate commitments.

As the NCCAP III cycle approaches its conclusion in 2027, Dr. Ng’eno reaffirmed the State Department’s commitment to strengthening youth participation as preparations for NCCAP IV begin. He called for young people to be involved in county and ward planning, climate monitoring, reporting and the development of future national climate plans.

On climate finance, he proposed innovative mechanisms to reduce investment risks associated with youth-led green enterprises, including the use of public concessional capital and first-loss guarantees to encourage private and institutional investment. He further called on regional and national development banks to establish investment aggregation platforms that pool smaller youth-led projects into larger portfolios, making them more attractive to institutional investors while reducing due-diligence costs.

To ensure that young innovators can generate sustainable revenue, Dr. Ng’eno advocated for public procurement policies that create opportunities for verified youth-led green enterprises in areas such as public works, municipal waste management, school feeding programmes and infrastructure maintenance. He noted that predictable demand for goods and services would strengthen the financial viability of these enterprises, improve their creditworthiness and enable them to secure working capital from commercial banks.

The Principal Secretary urged development partners, private sector players and financial institutions to design financing products that match the scale, timelines and risk profiles of youth-led enterprises. He also challenged young innovators to present projects backed by clear financial projections, measurable environmental and social impact, and practical implementation plans.

Dr. Ng’eno observed that Africa’s climate narrative must increasingly shift from vulnerability to leadership, with young people taking a central role in building resilience, driving innovation and accelerating the transition to a green economy.

He called on delegates to conclude the three-day conference with actionable recommendations for international climate negotiations, investment-ready partnerships and measurable commitments against which governments and other stakeholders could be held accountable.