CAF Publication - Final - Online Shareable

The 'Air Aware: A Journey of Youth-Led Action for Clean Air and Environmental Justice in Johannesburg' guide documents a campaign by Youth@SAIIA, part of the global Breathe Cities initiative. The program empowers young people aged 13–25 in South Africa to transition from awareness to advocacy through capacity-building workshops, the creation of 'Youth Air Champions' (YACs), and community-led campaigns. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between youth lived experiences and formal air quality governance, culminating in a Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution Policy and Implementation to influence the City of Johannesburg's air quality policies.

• The Air Aware campaign was launched in January 2025 to empower youth aged 13–25 in Johannesburg and other South African air quality priority areas to move from learning about pollution to becoming advocates capable of influencing policy.
• Eight 'Youth Air Champions' (YACs) were selected to lead grassroots campaigns in marginalized communities. These leaders received training in project management, budgeting, and facilitation, and were supported by the Vukani Environmental Movement (VEM) with insights into environmental issues in the Emalahleni region of Mpumalanga.
• Youth Air Champions implemented diverse, context-specific campaigns, including Suphile Majodina's work on smoking and vaping in Soweto, Lehlohonolo Jack's focus on ecosystem integrity in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, and Ntokozo Hlatshwayo's air quality mapping at Sebetsa O-Thole Mputso Secondary School.
• The campaign integrated broader environmental issues through a month-long 'Plastic-Free July' digital campaign and a clean air hike at Kloofendal Nature Reserve on 28 June 2025, highlighting the link between plastic pollution and air quality.
• The initiative achieved a cumulative reach of 657 people and involved 24 stakeholders across four air quality priority areas. Digital engagement included over 42,000 views and 12,000 accounts reached on Instagram, and over 10,000 impressions on LinkedIn.
• The campaign identified that while youth are capable of contributing to air quality solutions, they lack structured platforms for meaningful participation. To address this, the program is moving toward a 'Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution Policy and Implementation' to validate a youth statement for the City of Johannesburg.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). CAF Publication - Final - Online Shareable. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Air-Aware-Journey-Guide.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. CAF Publication - Final - Online Shareable. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Air-Aware-Journey-Guide.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=CAF Publication - Final - Online Shareable |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Air-Aware-Journey-Guide.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndcaf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{CAF Publication - Final - Online Shareable}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Air-Aware-Journey-Guide.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }