Young People With Disabilities Seek Fair Share On Climate Finance

Young persons with disabilities in Nigeria have demanded a fair share of global climate finance, insisting that funding must reach the grassroots organisations and innovators most affected by climate change as COP31 convenes in Antalya, Türkiye.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the communications officer of Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative (HAPI), Kesley Nwosu, said climate finance remains largely inaccessible to disability-led initiatives despite growing global commitments to inclusion.

According to the statement, many grassroots organisations of persons with disabilities face institutional and administrative barriers, including complex application processes, rigid reporting requirements and lack of technical support, which shut them out of funding opportunities.

The campaigners therefore called on multilateral climate funds, bilateral financing institutions, national climate funds and development partners to integrate disability inclusion into eligibility criteria, funding assessments, investment frameworks and monitoring requirements.

They also demanded accessible, targeted funding mechanisms for disability-led climate initiatives, supported by simplified application and reporting procedures, and technical assistance for grassroots organisations and young innovators with disabilities.

The group further urged funders to require adequate budget allocations for accessibility and reasonable accommodation in all climate programmes, and to publicly report on allocations and disbursements reaching disability-led organisations.

Beyond finance, the young climate leaders called for investment in disability-inclusive climate innovation and research, including accessible funding, mentorship, incubation and market linkages to develop, scale and sustain climate innovations led or co-developed by young persons with disabilities.

The group added that publicly supported climate technologies, including renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, water and sanitation solutions and early-warning systems, must meet universal design and accessibility standards.

The advocates also linked finance to accountability, demanding disability-disaggregated data, measurable inclusion indicators, accessible climate information and periodic progress reports open to independent monitoring by organisations of persons with disabilities.

Reaffirming their commitment, the young persons said the group is ready to contribute knowledge, innovations and leadership to a just and resilient future, stressing that there can be no meaningful climate justice without disability justice.

The statement was issued under the “disability-inclusive climate justice” initiative, supported by the Disability Rights Fund and the Youth Empowerment Fund, and implemented by HAPI.