Brokering justice in a changing climate: Amplifying African youth voices as pathways for transformation On this International Youth Day, we celebrate African youth across the continent that are stepping forward to advocate for transformative climate justice through storytelling, creative media, and community-led projects. From mental health awareness in Ghana to Indigenous gardening in South Africa and eco-feminist art in Uganda, these 12 young leaders are helping reshape policy, culture, and practice. The following blog, authored by Zizipho Royi and Nadia Sitas, demonstrates that resilient and equitable climate futures become possible when youth are treated as active agents of change.

Advancing sustainable food systems and enhancing water security through supporting ecosystem-based approaches: Insights from the Step Change initiative Last month CDKN had the pleasure of attending a learning review of the Step Change initiative which brought together multiple project partners to reflect on progress, surface synergies and outline pathways for collaboration between projects to amplify impacts across research, policy and practice.

Landmark science-policy assessment highlights the importance of integrated strategies in addressing interlinked global crises CDKN's EbA lead, Nadia Sitas, was a coordinating lead author and part of the negotiation team for the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Nexus Assessment. She reports on the latest global assessments, which were approved in December 2024.

Unlocking the potential of locally-led action: Anticipating the IPBES transformative and nexus assessments Two upcoming assessments by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) hold the promise of transformative ecosystem based solutions that are evidence-based and agreed on through multilateral science-policy processes.

New knowledge brief demonstrates the value of ecosystem-based adaptation across the Rio Conventions At the recent Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) COP16 in Cali, Colombia, the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) released a knowledge brief illustrating how EbA supports the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Advancing equitable ecosystem-based adaptation work: Reflections from COP16 Following a busy COP16, CDKN’s Thematic Leads on Ecosystem-based Adaptation and Finance reflect on what they see as the key outcomes, concerns and next steps for advancing more equitable ecosystem-based adaptation work from local to global levels.

Inclusive conversations: Pioneering a human rights-based approach to biodiversity and climate action CDKN is co-convening a 3-part dialogue series on pioneering a human-rights based approach (HRBA) to biodiversity and climate action together with BES-Net, Swedbio, Soka Gakkai International and the Forest, Climate, and Livelihood research network (Focali).

Strengthening connections between biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation in science-policy processes CDKN’s Nadia Sitas and Fatema Rajabali reflect on a recent Africa-focused training provided to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) national focal points. This learning continues to inform how CDKN will support and strengthen biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation to build resilience, protect life and foster sustainable land management which are priorities for countries and global frameworks alike.

Lecciones para el GST: aprender de las y los pioneros locales en adaptación para mejorar la acción climática transformadora Un hallazgo destacado de la primera Revisión Global (GST) de la CMNUCC es que los países deben respaldar "transformaciones sistémicas" que incorporen el desarrollo resiliente al clima para intensificar nuestra respuesta a la crisis climática. Pero, ¿cómo pueden los estados miembros de la ONU en la COP28 responder a este llamado sin tener una idea tangible de cómo se ve esto en la práctica?

Lessons for the GST: Learning from local adaptation pioneers to enhance transformational climate action A headline finding of the first-ever UNFCCC Global Stocktake (GST) is that countries need to support “systems transformations” that mainstream climate resilient development to step up our response to the climate crisis. But how can UN member states at COP28 respond to this call without a tangible sense of what this looks like in practice?

CDKN is a new member of Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation CDKN has recently joined as a member of the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) to advance our work on strengthening implementation of just and appropriate ecosystem-based adaptation. FEBA is a global collaborative network of organisations with a shared interest in advancing awareness, understanding and uptake of ecosystem-based solutions in adaptation and resilience efforts and planning processes around the world.