In Africa, young people make up the majority of the population and are the hardest hit by environmental crises. In Togo, these challenges manifest daily as recurring floods in Lomé, depleted agricultural soils, declining crop yields, biodiversity loss, and a mounting plastic waste crisis. In response, Climate YES Togo—with support from Climate YES—officially launched its operations through the Climate YES Togo Hub from May 30 to June 6, 2026, in Lomé. The mission is to mobilise Togolese and Christian youth around environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate justice.

The official launch featured three major milestones that brought young advocates together both online and on the ground.

• First, a seven-day digital advocacy campaign engaged young people on social media to share vital messages focused on biodiversity, climate change, climate justice, environmental protection, and the role of youth in safeguarding creation, significantly raising the profile of the hub

• Second, an official launch ceremony at the Martin Luther Parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Togo in Agoè Cacavéli brought together youth leaders from Lomé, Kara, and Tsévié. Their dialogue centered on Togo’s most pressing environmental threats, including urban flooding that destroys infrastructure, soil degradation from intensive farming and chemical use that fuels rural poverty, and deforestation driven by urbanization and illegal logging.

• Third, youth volunteers translated dialogue into action with a community beach clean-up in front of the ONOMO Hotel, where they collected plastic waste, educated beachgoers on marine ecosystems, and provided practical demonstrations on plastic recycling and upcycling.

This launch is just the beginning of a long-term roadmap. Moving forward, the Climate YES Togo Hub is scaling up its local impact by launching new public awareness campaigns, establishing environmental training programs, and implementing community reforestation initiatives. The hub will also develop pilot projects dedicated to plastic waste recycling and upcycling while partnering with local authorities and decision-makers to strictly enforce coastal protection laws.

Climate YES Togo extends its deepest gratitude to Climate YES, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Martin Luther Parish of Agoè Cacavéli), and every participant who made this launch a success.