Meet Vanessa Nakate.
Vanessa Nakate has emerged as one of Africa’s most influential voices on climate justice, transforming a solitary street protest in Uganda into a global movement that challenges world leaders to place the needs of vulnerable communities at the centre of climate action. Through her advocacy, she has consistently argued that climate change is not only an environmental issue but also one of justice, equity and human rights, particularly for communities in Africa that contribute the least to global greenhouse gas emissions yet bear some of the harshest consequences.
Born on November 15, 1996, in Kampala, Uganda, Nakate studied Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing at Makerere University Business School. Witnessing rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns in Uganda motivated her to act. Inspired by Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement, she launched Uganda’s first solo climate strike in January 2019 outside the country’s Parliament. At a time when climate activism had little visibility in much of Africa, Nakate stood alone with handwritten placards demanding urgent action. Her persistence eventually inspired other young Africans to join the movement, establishing her as Uganda’s first Fridays for Future climate striker.
Recognising that African perspectives were often missing from global climate conversations, Nakate founded the Rise Up Climate Movement to amplify the voices of African climate activists and frontline communities. She also established Youth for Future Africa, bringing together young campaigners across the continent to advocate for stronger climate policies and environmental protection. One of her notable campaigns focused on protecting the Congo Basin rainforest, one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, from deforestation.
Nakate gained worldwide recognition in January 2020 during the World Economic Forum in Davos after she was cropped out of a widely circulated photograph featuring Greta Thunberg and other white climate activists. Her powerful response, “You didn’t just erase a photo, you erased a continent”, sparked an international conversation about racial representation in environmental activism and highlighted the underrepresentation of African voices in global climate reporting. The incident ultimately elevated her profile and reinforced her message that climate justice must include those on the frontlines of the crisis.
Her achievements have continued to grow since then. Nakate has addressed world leaders at multiple United Nations climate conferences, including COP25 and subsequent climate summits, urging developed nations to fulfil their climate finance commitments and support vulnerable countries in adapting to climate impacts. She was named among the BBC 100 Women in 2020, featured in TIME100 Next, and appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in 2021. She is also the author of the book A Bigger Picture, in which she argues for a more inclusive global climate movement.
In 2022, Nakate was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, expanding her advocacy to focus on children whose education, health and livelihoods are increasingly threatened by climate change. Through field visits to drought-affected communities in northern Kenya and elsewhere, she has highlighted how climate change intensifies hunger, water scarcity and displacement, especially among children. She has pledged to ensure that the voices of young people and marginalised communities are included in global climate decision-making.
Beyond advocacy, Nakate has championed practical sustainability initiatives through the Vash Green Schools Project, which installs solar panels and energy-efficient cooking stoves in rural Ugandan schools. These projects reduce dependence on fossil fuels and firewood, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve learning conditions and demonstrate how renewable energy can support education and sustainable development simultaneously.
Today, Nakate continues to combine grassroots activism with global policy engagement. She remains active through the Rise Up Climate Movement, serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, collaborates with international organisations to strengthen climate policy, and has further developed her policy expertise through postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford Blavatnik School of Government. She also continues to advocate for greater climate finance for Africa, loss-and-damage funding, renewable energy access and the inclusion of women, children and frontline communities in climate decision-making.
Vanessa Nakate’s journey demonstrates how one determined individual can reshape global conversations. From standing alone on the streets of Kampala to addressing presidents, policymakers and international institutions, she has become a symbol of Africa’s growing leadership in climate action. Her work continues to remind the world that achieving sustainability requires not only reducing emissions but also ensuring that justice, equity and inclusion remain at the heart of every climate solution.
