This climate activist began as a solo protester outside the Ugandan Parliament. Now, she speaks on global stages to bring African voices into the climate movement.
In 2019, Vanessa Nakate began a solitary strike outside the Parliament of Uganda for their inaction against the climate crisis. There she protested alone for months, and eventually gained support from other youth. She went on to found Youth for Future Africa and the Rise Up Movement, lifting up the voices of African youth. Since then, Vanessa was selected as the United Nations SDG 13 young leader in 2020, and has spoken on global stages urging world leaders to address the climate crisis.
Vanessa Nakate is an Environmentalist and Uganda's first Fridays For Future striker. She cofounded Tard Foundation, an organization working to support the work of grassroots activists. She holds a Business Administration degree from Makerere University Business School. She is the author of A Bigger Picture and the founder of the Rise Up climate movement, which works to amplify the voices of different activists from the African continent. She started the Vash Green Schools Project, which aims to install solar panels and clean cooking stoves in Uganda's schools. The United Nations named her a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals in 2020, and Time magazine added her to its Time100 Next list in 2021. She was appointed a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador in 2022 and sits on the Malala Fund Board.
FEMINIST sat down with Vanessa to learn more about clean tech, the intersections between gender and climate, and the need for greater inclusion in the climate movement:
What does feminism mean to you?
To me, feminism is Women's Empowerment.
We really admire all of the work you have done to advocate for the planet. What inspired you to become a climate activist?
In 2018, I found out a devastating fact. Climate change was ravaging communities in my country, Uganda, through droughts and floods, affecting many people's lives. Livelihoods were already being destroyed, farms and homes were being washed away, and I desperately wanted to do something about it. I learned about Fridays For Future, started by Greta Thunberg in Sweden, and realized I could raise awareness about what was happening in my country by joining the movement. I held my first climate strike with my cousins and siblings in the first week of January 2019.
You often speak about the intersectionality of gender and climate, so we were wondering—which women climate activists inspire you most?
I have had an excellent opportunity to work with different women climate activists, which makes it hard for me to mention everyone. However, I will mention a few on that list: Wawa Gatheru, Laurel Kivuyo, Ayisha Siddiqa, Dominique Palmer, Sophia Kianni, Aquila Alwy, and Colette Pichon Battle.
During your climate strike in 2019, you were the only protester outside the Ugandan parliament for several months. Reflecting on your journey since then, what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about climate activism?
I held one strike outside the Uganda parliament. I was never able to do it again. I have learned a lot of lessons. One of them is the power of working as a community. Someone once said we don't need individual heroes; we need collective heroes. This was a powerful way of showing how we work together and win together. I have also learned that not everyone will go to the street to protest. Some people will teach students about climate change in school; others fund grassroots movements; others support activists in courtrooms. There is a power in appreciating everyone’s efforts. There is no perfect way, and there is every possible way to improve this world. I have learned to appreciate those who went before me, those who walked so I could run, and those who ran so I could fly. Every new birth is a result of an old womb, as my spiritual father always says.
In 2020, you did an interview with Angelina Jolie for Time Magazine discussing the importance of including African voices in the climate movement. How do you think inclusion of more African voices could help shift the climate conversation in the right direction?
African countries are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, yet historically, Africa is responsible for less than 4% of global greenhouse emissions. This is a climate injustice. We cannot shift the climate conversation in the right direction without the voices and experiences of those devastated by cyclones, floods, and withering droughts. We can only truly define climate justice if the people suffering some of the most brutal impacts of the crisis are a part of this conversation. African activists still face challenges accessing accreditation and financial resources to participate in significant climate meetings. This needs to change to ensure that no one is left behind. Even when discussing the critical minerals required for the transition to renewable energy, a large percentage is found in Africa. African voices must be included to avoid transitioning to an extractive renewable energy industry.
You also started the Green Schools Project, which helps schools transition to renewable energy and eco-friendly appliances. Which climate solutions are you currently most excited about?
I am most excited about community grassroots projects led by young people, and this could bring cleaning cooking stoves to schools, bringing solar energy to communities, providing clean water to a community, educating girls, empowering women, planting trees, and providing climate education, among many others. These solutions truly transform lives and communities, one project at a time. This is why they deserve support in scaling up and reaching as many people as possible. People always ask me what gives me hope even when leaders break their promises, and these community-led solutions are the answer. They give me hope.
In your opinion, who is most responsible for climate change and how do we hold them accountable?
The IPCC has found that emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming. The burning of coal, oil, and gas by large corporations, governments that have failed to address the climate crisis, and historical emitters that are primarily countries in the Global North. Five Global North countries are responsible for a majority, that is, 51%, of planned expansion from new oil and gas fields through 2050: the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Holding them accountable will need everyone’s effort in mobilizing and organizing through climate education and awareness, legal action, protests, voting, and empowering the most vulnerable communities. We must continue to organize and mobilize. Another world is possible.
What are the most impactful ways that the FEMINIST community can take action to combat climate change?
If you can, participate in organizing a climate strike, campaign, and platforming marginalized communities. Sometimes, the action could be educating yourself about what is happening and using your voice to create awareness about climate change in the way that works best for you. You can also support youth-led climate initiatives, particularly in the Global South.
Follow along with Vanessa’s journey on Instagram. To learn more about Vanessa’s fight for climate justice, read her book, “A Bigger Picture”.
