Freetown Mayor launches Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund cohort

Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has launched the third cohort of the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund 2.0. The initiative, held on International Youth Day, is a partnership between the Freetown City Council, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).

The fund aims to empower young people aged 15 to 24 to develop and implement locally driven solutions to climate change. Selected youth-led organizations will receive microgrants between US$1,000 and US$5,000 to fund projects such as tree planting, recycling, and composting.

While the program has expanded to 300 cities globally, in Sierra Leone it includes Freetown, Kenema, Karene, Bombali, Pujehun, Bonthe, Kambia, and Kailahun. Mayor Aki-Sawyerr noted that although Africa contributes minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent faces some of the most severe consequences of the climate crisis.