British Council YCAs showcase 24 projects to alleviate climate change

The British Council in Sri Lanka’s longstanding commitment to youth climate action has yielded the data to demonstrate their impact. Over the last three years alone, the organisation has engaged 770 young people across 114 climate action projects. 

Participants in its latest programme- University Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA)- recently showcased their projects at ‘The Climate Spark: Connecting Stories for Change’ held at BMICH on 19 March.

The latest YCA programme, launched in August 2025, engaged 204 undergraduate-level students and their peers in six universities; University of Sri Jayawardenepura, University of Jaffna, the Open University of Sri Lanka, Ocean University, NSBM Green University and the University of Ruhuna.  

At ‘The Climate Spark’, Youth Climate Ambassadors mingled with representatives from government, non-profits and the private sector invited by British Council as well as counterparts from other universities. They shared stories from their project implementation, showcased early results, and built professional connections to continue their climate journeys beyond the programme.  

Through the programme, these youth received practical training on climate action, project management, networking, leadership, and more delivered by British Council facilitators. Following the workshops 154 youth -working in groups- implemented 24 climate action projects across Sri Lanka between November 2025 and March 2026. They were supported by 38 mentors as well as YCA implementation partners EarthLanka Youth Network and the Sevanatha Urban Resource Center. 

The projects highlight the many ways in which citizens can take their own meaningful steps to address the causes and impact of climate change.