Announcing the LEF-CYP Climate Justice Fund

The climate crisis is reshaping our world with an unforgiving hand, deepening inequality and threatening lives. But the communities who are most affected by it are also leading the charge to develop innovative solutions. 

While no one is untouched by the climate crisis, some of the world’s most vulnerable people are bearing the severe impacts. For them, climate change is not just an environmental crisis—it’s an injustice. Those least responsible for the crisis are paying the highest price, compounding existing inequalities and deepening divides. As coastlines erode, ecosystems collapse, and extreme weather events grow more erratic and severe, the world’s poorest people and nations find themselves the least equipped to respond or adapt.  

In Africa, the effects of climate change are particularly dire. Vulnerable communities find themselves on the front lines of an environmental crisis for which they are the least responsible. And the disappointing government-led responses to these local and regional impacts often fall short of the just, effective solutions needed.  

In response to the gaps left by state inaction, young people have taken matters into their own hands. Youth leaders are raising awareness, organizing, and demanding change to address the urgent challenges posed by the climate crisis. From leading resilience projects to holding governments and corporations accountable, African youth are stepping up as advocates and bridging the gap where institutional support is lacking.  

Yet dedicated funding for this work remains scarce. Studies have found that just 0.76 percent of global climate funding goes to youth-led efforts; in Africa, that number is likely much lower. With little funding and limited capacity, many promising projects remain unrealized. 

Too often, young climate activists lack the resources they need to sustain their work. That’s why the Legal Empowerment Fund (LEF)—a program hosted by the Fund for Global Human Rights—and the Fund for Global Human Rights’ Children and Youth’s Rights Program (CYP) are stepping in to launch the LEF-CYP Climate Justice Fund. Together, we are delivering $1 million to resource and sustain youth-led climate justice activism in Africa. Specifically, our focus is on youth activists using legal empowerment strategies to advance climate justice in their communities. 

What Does Legal Empowerment Have to Do With Climate Justice? 

Our decision to focus on youth-led legal empowerment stems from a key assumption: that young people are increasingly using innovative legal empowerment strategies to advance climate justice. By leveraging the combined expertise of the LEF—which resources grassroots groups to know, use, and shape the law to secure their rights—and CYP—which connects and resources community-based organizations and children/youth-led groups—we sought to test this assumption, uncover new insights, and identify ways to forge stronger, more impactful partnerships with young activists.  

Most importantly, however, this work recognizes the transformative potential of both legal empowerment and youth activism. Legal empowerment gives communities the tools to challenge injustice. At the same time, young people, who stand to inherit the brunt of the climate crisis, are uniquely positioned to drive innovative community-led solutions. So, ultimately, our goal in focusing on legal empowerment and youth activism is not only to validate their critical roles in climate action but also to ensure that our support is attuned to the realities and aspirations of young people on the front lines of the fight against climate change. 

Phase One: Understanding Youth-Led Climate Justice in Africa

Building on this commitment to understanding and supporting the intersection of youth activism, legal empowerment, and climate justice, we took a proactive step by commissioning scoping studies across six African countries—Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. In conversation with activists, we sought to better understand the youth-led climate justice ecosystem, how youth activists are using legal empowerment strategies, and the pressing needs of young activists on the ground. 

[READ: Empowering Africa’s Youth for Climate Justice Activism]

We recognized the importance of ensuring that our scoping was as inclusive and representative as possible. To capture the diverse realities of young people across the continent, we chose to pilot the study in two French-speaking countries (Senegal and Benin), three English-speaking countries (Liberia, Uganda, and Sierra Leone), and one Portuguese-speaking country (Guinea-Bissau). We focused on piloting in countries where the Fund already had a strong presence or deep connections, with the aim of leveraging existing relationships to facilitate meaningful engagement. 

The response was eye-opening. More than 300 young activists shared their experiences with us—their resistance, innovation, and power-building. We witnessed the passion, resilience, and ingenuity of young leaders on full display. But they also shared their frustrations: the lack of available funding, challenging legal or regulatory hurdles, and ongoing capacity constraints.  

Phase Two: Meet the LEF-CYP Climate Justice Fund Grantee Partners 

For the next phase of the LEF-CYP Climate Justice Fund, the LEF has earmarked $1 million to support the initiatives of 41 youth-led groups and organizations working at the intersection of legal empowerment and climate justice across the six countries. These groups are driving real change in the communities, and we’re proud to stand with them. With our funding and accompaniment, we’re excited to see how their impact will grow.