Youth lead 15 climate change adaptation initiatives

Recently, the British Council in Viet Nam organized the closing ceremony of the Youth Dialogue Project and an exhibition of social action initiatives. The event was part of the Climate Skills - Seeds for Transition Programme, a global initiative jointly implemented by the British Council and HSBC.

The programme aims to equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to participate in the transition from a high-emissions economy to a low-carbon development model. Viet Nam is one of six participating countries, alongside Brazil, Mexico, India, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom.

In Viet Nam, the British Council has partnered with the Mekong Institute and Can Tho University to support youth in the Mekong Delta in “planting the seeds” for a green transition toward sustainable and inclusive development.

According to Ms. Isobel Cecil, Global Programme Manager for Climate Skills, these partnerships open up international opportunities for young people to develop practical skills, build confidence, and gain experience in sustainable entrepreneurship.

Climate change is currently one of the top priorities in cooperation between the Governments of the United Kingdom and Viet Nam, as well as in the strategic direction of the British Council and domestic education and research institutions.

The British Council’s report “The Next Generation Viet Nam,” along with a series of youth dialogues, has highlighted key concerns among young people, including civic engagement, gender equality, climate change response, entrepreneurship, and skills development.

Building on these findings, since 2023 the British Council has implemented the “Climate Skills - Seeds for Transition” Project, which focuses on empowering vulnerable youth to become active contributors to the green transition.

After three years of implementation (2023-2026), the project has trained 142 core trainers from 13 local organizations, equipping them with climate change knowledge and 21st-century skills through the British Council’s specialized toolkit.

This knowledge has been cascaded to more than 1,600 young people in the Mekong Delta, alongside support for 15 youth-led social action initiatives.

These initiatives address pressing issues such as saltwater intrusion, coastal flooding affecting agricultural production, waste management and environmental pollution, improving employment opportunities in the green economy, raising community awareness on climate adaptation, and developing small-scale renewable energy solutions.

In 2026, the programme will continue expanding youth empowerment activities in the Mekong Delta, with a particular focus on young women, vulnerable groups, and underserved communities.

Through co-creation scholarships, the project aims to strengthen entrepreneurial capacity and green skills, while fostering strategic partnerships between UK organizations and Vietnamese educational institutions, thereby sustaining long-term engagement and joint initiatives.