Green lights for go-getters

Hey,

Welcome to Green Jobs Rising!

In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 13% of workers in green-skills roles such as environmental engineers, solar technicians, and energy auditors currently meet the required skill levels. This gap underscores the urgent need for youth upskilling and targeted career support.

From health leadership in East Africa to climate innovation on the global stage, a new wave of fellowships, forums, and funding calls is opening up for changemakers across disciplines.

• 2026 WomenLift Health East Africa Leadership Journey

  The fully funded, 12-month WomenLift Health East Africa Leadership Journey supports talented mid- to senior-career women leaders in health. The program offers:

  • A safe space to explore authentic leadership through vulnerability and reflection.

  • An inclusive, diverse network that fosters belonging.

  • Tools and strategies to enhance voice, presence, and influence.

  • Guidance from a powerful group of peers, mentors, and coaches.

  Participants gain contextualised tools and frameworks to address individual, organisational, and societal challenges facing women leaders in global health.

• 2026 AWARD Leadership Program for Emerging African Women in Agricultural Sciences

  The African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Leadership Program invites applications for its 2026 cohort. Competitively selected participants will benefit from:

  • Leadership skill development.

  • Enhanced capacity to communicate their work to diverse audiences.

  • Increased visibility and networking opportunities.

  The program aims to help women overcome institutional barriers to career progression, strengthen their commitment to agricultural science, and champion gender equality in agricultural professions.

• IRENA Youth Forum 2026

  The 8th IRENA Youth Forum will focus on “Youth Innovation and Digital Solutions: From AI to Access in Renewable Energy.” The Forum will explore how young leaders are using artificial intelligence, digitalization, and new business models to expand global access to renewable energy.

  It will convene youth leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and partners to co-create solutions for a just and inclusive energy transition.

• ClimAccelerator 2025

  ClimAccelerator is a global program helping climate-focused start-ups innovate, scale, and maximise impact. It supports cleantech entrepreneurs in turning ideas into successful businesses while driving progress toward a resilient, net-zero future.

• Next-Generation Water Intelligence Solutions

  This Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) will fund R&D services in three phases, from solution design to prototype development and field validation, targeting TRL 8 solutions.

  The goal: develop innovative Earth Observation-powered intelligence tools to monitor the Soil-Water-Vegetation system and improve prediction, prevention, and management of water crises such as floods, fires, and droughts.

• Commonwealth Foundation Annual open grants call

  The Foundation invites proposals that foster constructive engagement between civil society and decision-makers, particularly in policy development and implementation.

  Applications must integrate gender considerations and align with at least one of the three priority themes:

  • Health Justice

  • Freedom of Expression

  • Climate Justice

 Call for Proposals: Nature-Based Solutions (Kenya-UK PACT)

The Kenya-UK PACT Country Fund seeks applications for high-impact, demand-driven projects in the Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) sector, aligned with Kenya’s climate priorities.

Focus areas include: Commercial forestry: Promoting sustainable forestry to enhance carbon sequestration, improve land use, and create green jobs.

— Agroforestry: Scaling up smallholder agroforestry and nature-based enterprises to restore landscapes, improve livelihoods, and expand value chains.

Click to explore our job board.

Until next time, Cheers!