Founder and CEO of The Green Protector
Co-founder and global coordinator of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition
Climate change is not just a planetary crisis—it is also a deep injustice. While wealthier countries tend to emit more greenhouse gas emissions, poorer countries that have contributed little to global warming are hit by the extreme weather and economic damage it causes. Women are disproportionately affected by climate change, and young people are expected to live most of their lives trying to cope with a problem passed down to them by older generations.
“We are living through a climate change crisis that is unjust but a daily reality for vulnerable communities who did little to contribute to its impacts,” said Ineza Grace, a climate justice advocate in Rwanda. “I am part of a generation that doesn’t want only to blame, but to engage in action too.”
Ineza has made it her mission to inspire other young people to demand climate justice and advocate for concrete climate action. She is the founder and executive officer of The Green Protector, a Rwandan organization dedicated to encouraging young people to get involved in environmental protection at national and international levels. She is also the co-founder and global coordinator of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, which aims to pressure decision-makers to take concrete action on loss and damage, through training programs and sharing youth perspectives and advocacy in the international political climate change process. The group has recently had success in working with partners to support an active decision-making process that helps direct funding to young people on the frontlines of climate impact who are engaged in action to address loss and damage in their own contexts.
A self-described eco-feminist, Ineza believes that women are essential in the fight against climate change, and can lead the concrete change needed to achieve climate justice. “Women remain the holders of natural history and embrace the protection of the environment,” she said. “As the generations pass and women claim their rightful place [in society], they hold an exciting opportunity in restoring our planet.”
