Restoring Land, Scaling Impact: Youth Ecopreneurs at COP17 in Mongolia
This August, 11 Youth Ecopreneurs from the 2023–2025 cohorts of the Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) are heading to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for the 17th session of the Congress of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
Taking place from 17–27 August 2026 under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.”, COP17 will bring together governments, businesses, young people, development organizations and other stakeholders to advance global action on land restoration, drought resilience and sustainable land management.
Youth Ecopreneurs at COP17
Our youth ecopreneurs will take the global stage at COP17, contributing their experiences, solutions and perspectives across a wide range of high-level discussions, side events and interactive sessions focused on land restoration and the restoration economy.
The entrepreneurs will also take centre stage during four dedicated YECO sessions covering youth innovation, the business case for land restoration, and access to finance and scale:
- 21 August, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM – Youth Innovation Panel: Building Careers that Restore the Planet, Action Dome
- 22 August, 2:30–4:00 PM – From Challenge to Change: The Business of Land Restoration, Action Dome
- 22 August, 4:30–5:30 PM– Restoring the Land, Reclaiming the Future, 2050 Starts Now, UNCCD Youth Pavilion
- 24 August, 2:30–4:00 PM – From Capital to Scale: Global Business Perspectives on Land Restoration, B4L Pavilion
Meet the Youth Ecopreneurs:
- W. Leif Van Grinsven, Small Cities Farm Africa, YECO 2025
- Daniel Halman, Fero, YECO 2025
- Lydia Akua Konadu, AgriMercarb, YECO 2025
- Carlos Gonzalez, Pacchar, YECO 2025
- Joshua Forte, Red Diamond Compost, YECO 2025
- Mashrur Shurid, Aunkur AI, YECO 2023
- Yovindra Kanezin, Reclimate, YECO 2025
- Ritkatmun Lenka Bwena, Green Eden Farms, YECO 2025
- Lilan Dayananda, Elzian Agro, YECO 2024
- Chimegsaikhan Munkhbayar, Nomads Agritech Innovations, YECO 2024
- Oyungerel Munkhbat, Airee, YECO 2023
You can find out more about their businesses below.
From the YECO Accelerator to the global stage
Earlier this year, 25 youth entrepreneurs with innovative green business ideas were selected to join the Accelerator stage of the Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO).
From September to March 2026, the programme provided customized support to refine their ventures and position them for success.
Their journey led to the Youth Ecopreneur Awards Ceremony at ChangeNow in Paris in March 2026, where finalists showcased their solutions to an international audience, connected with investors and forged partnerships.
Now, at COP17, Youth Ecopreneurs from across several YECO cohorts will continue that journey, bringing the voice of young entrepreneurs directly into global conversations on how restoring land can also restore livelihoods, create opportunities and build more resilient economies.
If you are a young ecopreneur who missed this year's call for application, register your interest to be notified for the 2026 intake via this survey.