On April 23, 2025, the Youth Climate Council Sierra Leone held a strategic engagement meeting with the Project Management Unit of the Promotion of Climate Adaptation Technology and Business Model Innovations and Entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone (CATBIE). The CATBIE project, implemented by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (SMEDA) with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), represents a major national effort to drive innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth in the face of climate change.

The meeting focused on building a formal partnership between the Youth Climate Council Sierra Leone and the CATBIE team to ensure that young people are centrally involved in both the policy and implementation aspects of the project. It also provided a platform to discuss how the Council can contribute to shaping inclusive policy frameworks, strengthening community outreach, and supporting the scale-up of adaptation technologies through youth entrepreneurship.

With climate change intensifying in Sierra Leone and vulnerable communities increasingly at risk, the CATBIE project aims to foster resilience by supporting MSME-driven innovation across water, agriculture, and energy sectors. A key component of the project involves improving institutional and policy frameworks to better integrate adaptation strategies and ensure the active involvement of young people and women in climate action.

During the meeting, the Youth Climate Council Sierra Leone emphasized its commitment to contributing in three core areas: integrating youth voices in climate adaptation policy and governance, building the capacity of youth-led enterprises and community actors, and promoting grassroots awareness and adoption of climate adaptation technologies. The Council will also support the review and development of policy and regulatory frameworks that incorporate the perspectives of young people, particularly in the design of the national adaptation innovation platform and inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms.

The CATBIE project will update four major national policies with a gender and youth inclusion lens, support the growth of up to 50 MSMEs, create at least 200 new jobs linked to climate adaptation technologies, and reach over 250,000 vulnerable individuals. A strong emphasis is placed on ensuring at least 20% youth and 40% women participation across all project components, including roadshows, training programs, and forums with policymakers.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Executive Officer of SMEDA, members of the CATBIE project team, and representatives from the Youth Climate Council Sierra Leone, including the National Coordinator and Secretariat staff. Both parties expressed a shared vision for inclusive climate governance and acknowledged the vital role that young people must play in achieving Sierra Leone’s adaptation and resilience goals.

The next step in this growing collaboration will be the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to institutionalize the Council’s role in supporting CATBIE implementation. This agreement will formalize the Council’s contributions to policy, innovation, and public engagement, further embedding youth perspectives in Sierra Leone’s climate response.

The Youth Climate Council Sierra Leone remains committed to driving bold, inclusive, and solutions-oriented action, ensuring that no climate policy or project moves forward without the voice and leadership of the nation’s young people.