Young people are full of energy, ideas and an unwavering belief that tomorrow can be better than today. As the generation that will inherit the consequences of climate change, they are also among the best placed to develop solutions that make communities more resilient while creating new economic opportunities.

Kenya’s challenge is no longer whether young people have brilliant ideas. It is whether the country is willing to invest in them. That question came into sharp focus last week as the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) awarded Sh31.5 million to seven youth-led enterprises through the Young Environmentalist Innovation Challenge.

Drawn from more than 700 applications across the country, the winners are tackling some of Kenya’s most urgent environmental problems with practical, market-driven solutions.

One enterprise is transforming marine plastic waste into durable school furniture. Another is converting discarded banana stems into biodegradable paper packaging. Others are producing organic fertiliser for healthier soils, developing solar cooking technologies, harvesting drinking water from atmospheric moisture, turning hazardous mining waste into affordable building materials, and transforming discarded synthetic hair into fashionable products.

Collectively, these innovations tackle waste management, water scarcity, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, affordable housing and the transition to a circular economy. They demonstrate that environmental sustainability and economic growth are not competing priorities. The two can reinforce each other.

Kenya has earned global recognition as a climate leader through investments in renewable energy and active participation in international climate negotiations. However, real climate leadership will ultimately be measured by the country’s ability to nurture home-grown enterprises that generate jobs while solving environmental challenges.

The seven winners are a glimpse of the country’s untapped potential. Behind them are hundreds of other innovators whose ideas may never leave the drawing board because of limited access to finance, mentorship, markets and business development support.

The challenge is not a shortage of innovation but absence of a system that consistently helps turn promising ideas into thriving enterprises.

This is why partnerships such as the one between KCDF and the I&M Foundation deserve attention. By combining grants with mentorship, technical support and access to networks, they recognise that successful businesses require more than seed funding.

Vision 2030 aspires to transform Kenya into a globally competitive and prosperous nation. That ambition will not be achieved by policy alone. It will be realised by young innovators who see value where others see waste, opportunity where others see crisis, and who are building businesses that protect the environment while creating livelihoods.

Kenya already has the talent. It is time to give these innovators the platform they deserve.

The writer is a climate action enthusiast and a communications specialist at Windward Communications Consultancy. eric.kasinah@gmail.com