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The new generation program
The New Generation Program is a joint initiative between the Climate Leadership Initiative and the Loss and Damage Collaboration (L&DC). The aim of the program is to empower young negotiators from the global South to advocate for support for addressing loss and damage for their countries and the households and communities within them. The New Generation is an inclusive program which values diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
Effective engagement in loss and damage discussions
Based on our extensive experience working on Loss and Damage and supporting negotiators from vulnerable developing countries, we have identified three drivers of negotiation success:
In climate science and leadership, law, Loss and Damage, climate finance, political affairs, among others
Communication, confidence, networking and partnership-building
Progress in our
program framework
We deliver the programme through thematic workshops, coaching calls and mentorship. The fellows are also integrated into the L&DC where they are supported by a tribe of mentors and engage in the collective work on Loss and Damage. The first cohort of 12 fellows through the New Generation are all actively engaged in the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We are currently working with a second cohort of six fellows, all of whom follow Loss and Damage who are each paired with both a senior and a peer mentor.
The new generation: 2nd cohort
Meet our new generation Fellows
In late 2023 we welcomed a second cohort of six young negotiators to the New Generation program. All six of these individuals follow Loss and Damage and are representing their countries at COP 28.
Ana Nicolle Javier is a 22-year-old activist from the Dominican Republic. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business from Universidad APEC. She was a finalist in the COP Operation Program Dominican Republic 2023 by The Climate Reality Project and enhanced her skills through Climate Negotiation Training at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard University.
Farhana Shukor is a Malaysian climate advocate and a co-founder of bumii, a Malaysian youth-led startup focusing on facilitating climate action. Her experience in a hard-to-abate industry coupled with her background in risk management and insurance informs her approach to finding climate solutions and navigating stakeholder engagements. She tracks loss and damage finance-related negotiations and issues, having attended UNFCCC’s COP26, COP27, and SB58.
Malek is a young climate negotiator and Sustainability Consultant with a strong academic background. She holds a Master's degree in Sustainability Management and Innovation from the University of Westminster. Additionally, Malek is a graduate of the 60th Graduate Study Program (GSP60) of the United Nations office in Geneva, where she furthered her expertise in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Bruno is a proactive activist from Argentina with a passion for storytelling. He became interested in climate change and the environment at a very young age, and learnt how cruel the consequences of climate change can be in the worst possible way, when his city of La Plata flooded back in 2013, leaving dozens of deaths. In 2018 he started doing activism in the human rights agenda, focusing on sexual and reproductive rights and in 2021 he founded a chapter of Youth for Climate in his hometown. Since then, he's participated of several international and national events and campaigns on environment, climate and human rights such as the RCOY LAC 2021, The Escazú COP2, COP27, The global forum on human rights, the 7th workshop for the development of the GGA, and many other events. Besides this, he has a communication project on instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn and is part of Jóvenes por el Clima Argentina, the Global Youth Coalition and YOUNGO's Communication and Adaptation Working Groups.
Filimone, from the Fiji Islands, plays a pivotal role in Climate Change Policy development and multilateral negotiations for the Fiji Government. His work emphasises adaptation and resilience building, with a strong focus on nature-based solutions and sustainable development, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Filimone is also deeply invested in exploring innovative and enabling financing mechanisms to support these crucial initiatives. His efforts are key in mitigating climate impacts in Fiji, offering valuable insights and strategies that can be applied to similar island nations. Through his dedication, Filimone is helping to shape a resilient and sustainable future for SIDS in the face of the global climate crisis.
Hamira Kobusingye
Hamira Kobusingye, a Ugandan climate justice activist and founder of Climate Justice Africa, is a key figure in advocating for sustainable development and gender equality in the climate change space. She focuses on the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, especially in frontline communities. Hamira leverages her strong social media presence to foster discussions on climate change and action. Her initiatives include skill-sharing programs empowering women climate activists and promoting eco-friendly briquettes in Uganda, creating sustainable incomes and reducing fossil fuel reliance. She also leads educational campaigns on climate impacts and advocates for issues like loss and damage, and climate debt. Hamira's efforts have gained international recognition, amplifying African voices in the climate crisis.
The new generation: 1st cohort
Meet our 1st generation Fellows
In early 2020 we began working with a small cohort of five young negotiators which has grown to a cohort of 11 negotiators and one activist. These young climate leaders follow a range of issues from Action for Climate Empowerment, adaptation, agriculture, Article 6, climate finance, Loss and Damage, mitigation and transparency. They have all gone on to assume leadership roles within their organisations with some now fully integrated into the core teams of negotiating groups. Many are now peer mentors to the second cohort of fellows.
Honorine is a climate leader and actively involved in climate negotiations since 2021. She is a 2021 climate ambassador of Global Youth Climate Network; an Initiative of the World Bank Group’s Youth2Youth community. Honorine is a member of the first cohort of the New Generation and a co-coordinator of the second cohort. She is very driven and her commitment to finding and offering solutions to communities’ problems with a focus on environmental sustainability and youth empowerment.
Hyacinthe Niyitegeka is a climate negotiator and a member of the first cohort of the New Generation Program. In her role as a coordinator at the Loss and Damage Collaboration, she provides support to the current fellows of the New Generation and serves as a mentor to one of the fellows.
Brenda Mwale is a climate change advocate with vast knowledge and experience in international climate change action focusing on youth and gender mainstreaming. She is a Loss and Damage negotiator for Malawi and part of the Loss and Damage Collaboration as Finance Working Group Coordinator. She currently working with Green Girls Platform, a female-led organisation, established to address challenges that women and girls face due to climate-induced disasters.
Olivier Ishimwe is a young environmentalist from Rwanda, holding a bachelor's degree in Water and Environmental Engineering. Currently serving as a communications officer for the Green Protector, a youth-led NGO. He is actively engaged in climate advocacy and I attended my first COP as a junior negotiator in November 2021, following the negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (Carbon Markets). Since then, he has continued to represent my country and the Least Developed Countries Group, striving to enhance my climate diplomacy skills while advocating for the people most vulnerable to climate change impacts and working towards equitable climate justice.
Isingizwe Sandra is a Rwandan female holding a Bachelor's degree in Water and Environmental Engineering. She is part of a youth-led NGO, The Green Protector as the the coordinator of the environmental education office, involving communities especially youth in climate change issues; learning from each other, finding solutions adaptable to our lifestyles, and sharing the right fundamental keys to protect our common home, she is part of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition’s training working group sharing knowledge about loss and damage, know and understand what it is. She is a young negotiator following Action for Climate Empowerment(ACE) and transparency. She has been part of The New Generation since 2021, a group of young negotiators strengthening their skills and knowledge on climate change negotiations.
A climate action activist, Prakriti is working with the political leaders of Nepal with the aim of making the climate agenda a political and national priority. She is a researcher and a post-graduate environmental scientist. She is also a founding member of 'Land our Future' which is a youth-led movement to combat land degradation and climate change. Prakriti has been following the climate negotiations since 2021 and focuses on Loss and Damage.
Alpha is a mining engineer with a focus on environment and occupational health and safety in the workplace. He is certified in impact investment, public management, civic leadership and entrepreneurship. In his role managing projects focuses on environmental impact assessment and conservation. Currently he is Associate Partner and Project Manager for Greendeveeve Sarl and is also the Executive Director of Greentransformation2050, which focuses on ensuring environmental integrity and sustainable development in light of climate change. Alpha began following the UNFCCC process in 2022 and focuses on Loss and Damage.
Chief Operating Officer (COO) at The Green Protector and coordinator of storytelling working group of the LDYC, Adeline is driven by change and aspires to achieve climate justice by raising her voice and advocating for frontline communities. She has followed the climate negotiations since 2022 and focuses on climate finance.
Justina coordinates the New Generation group at the Climate Leadership Initiative and is deeply involved in UNFCCC negotiations, supporting the Least Developed Countries Group (LDC Group) on Loss and Damage issues. She also oversees national programs under the Montreal Protocol, working closely with UNEP and UNDP to enforce policies for environmental sustainability. With over five years of experience, Justina's efforts focus on phasing out harmful substances and promoting climate action.