By Siri Lijfering

We are happy to announce the start of a new project focusing on youth employment in low-carbon transitions in Africa.

“A Green and Inclusive Future for Youth in the Global South” is a collaborative research project between the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), INCLUDE, The Broker, the African Studies Centre Leiden, and the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC).

The project connects in synergy two of the main themes of INCLUDE’s recent work: the potential of green jobs for the future of work in Africa, and our research into decent employment for Africa’s youth.

The research will focus on how the transition to low-carbon economies can address Africa’s employment and climate change challenges, in a just and sustainable manner.

While the transition to a low-carbon economy provides opportunities for employment creation, it will also inevitably involve the destruction of other jobs, requiring investment in an inclusive transition that equips youth with the skills and knowledge for the future of work.

At the beginning of July, we organised a kick-off meeting for the project, bringing together experts in youth employment and clean energy transitions and representatives from youth networks, the private sector and policymakers. The project will include an evidence review of the existing literature and two case studies, in South Africa and Nigeria respectively.

Stay tuned on our website for more updates on this project after the summer.