Dubai Cares, Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens join hands to empower youth for climate action

Dubai: In its effort to champion education transformation for climate action, Dubai Cares, a civil society organisation formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC), has signed a new partnership with the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens (BKMC) to launch the ‘Green Jobs for Youth – Online Training and Mentoring’ programme. With the addition of this new programme, Dubai Cares has expanded its portfolio as a key step to place education at the heart of the global climate and development agenda.

The MoU was signed at the Dubai Cares offices by Ban Ki-Moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations and Co-Chair of the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens, and Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, in the presence of Monika Froehler, Chief Executive Officer of the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens. The announcement follows Dubai Cares’ recent partnership with the incoming COP28 UAE Presidency to collaborate on a suite of climate education outcomes for COP28, where the UAE-based global philanthropic organisation will host the second edition of its RewirEd Global Education Summit, to position education as a key solution for climate action, with youth being at the center of the transformation.

Showcasing both the organisations’ efforts to support the COP28 in making this year’s COP, a COP of Action, the partnership reflects Dubai Cares and the BKMC’s commitment to strengthening the integration of climate into education through a collaborative and action-oriented programmatic approach.

Positive climate actions

The new programme will work towards developing the potential of youth as leaders who are proactively contributing to climate action through a full understanding of the crisis, and their personal role in driving positive climate actions. The program will mentor and support young talent towards aligning their individual skills and aptitudes with career paths in the climate space that enables them to fulfill their true potential, while also contributing to innovative climate solutions that can accelerate the transition to a green economy.

Ban Ki-Moon said: “During my tenure as Secretary-General of the United Nations, in 2015, we adopted the Sustainable Development Goals and signed the Paris Climate Agreement among more than 190 countries. Under these two frameworks, universal education rights and the future of the planet were essential to my mandate. Today, as climate hazards such as extreme droughts and floods destroy the livelihoods of families around the world, education becomes increasingly inaccessible, unaffordable, and non-inclusive. As the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens we are looking forward to working with such a key partner as Dubai Cares to showcase how crucial education is to understand the global and personal implications of climate change, the potential that lies in green jobs while empowering youth towards climate action.”

Dr. Al Gurg said: “Youth are the biggest assets to solve the most complex issues facing humanity, especially climate change. By investing in the education, skilling and mentorship of youth as climate actors, our partnership with the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens aims to create meaningful opportunities for youth to engage with the climate sector more actively and purposefully, as well as prepare them to lead the transition to a greener economy. We look forward to working with the BKMC to unlock the untapped potential of youth in implementing new solutions, driving policy, and building the foundation of a green future for all.”

Who will the programme benefit?

Dubai Cares’ commitment will be directed towards the programme’s three main components, namely an online course that leverages the power of technology to empower students with green skills; a mentoring element that connects youth with relevant professionals in the green job sector, and a policy recommendation document that will provide decision-makers with access to information that can push policies focused on involving more youth in green jobs.

The programme aims to directly benefit a total of 10,000 young people (14-20 years of age) enrolled in the course. The program will also prepare a cadre of 45 mentees who will work on SDG Micro-Projects, which are initiatives created and implemented by BKMC fellows, mentees and scholars. These micro-projects aim to tackle one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals on a local, national, or international level. In addition, the program’s online course will also indirectly benefit 277,980 individuals, including parents of the enrolled youth, job providers, policy makers and the public.