Eric Njuguna

{{Short description|Kenyan climate activist}}{{Infobox person

| name = Eric Damien Njuguna

| image =

| birth_date = 2002

| birth_place = Kenya

| nationality = Kenyan

| occupation = Climate Justice Activist

}}

Eric Damien Njuguna (born circa 2002) is a climate activist from Kenya.{{Cite web |last=Ngcuka |first=Onke |date=2022-03-02 |title=UN ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY 5.2: UN official blames greed and politics for damage to environment, encourages youth to use their anger to make a difference |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-03-02-un-official-blames-greed-and-politics-for-damage-to-environment-encourages-youth-to-use-their-anger-to-make-a-difference/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=Rulli |first1=Maggie |last2=Agarwal |first2=Ayushi |date=2022-11-05 |title=Here's what young COP26 attendees have to say to world leaders about climate change |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/young-cop26-attendees-world-leaders-climate-change/story?id=80992503 |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=ABC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=One billion children at 'extremely high risk' of the impacts of the climate crisis - UNICEF |url=https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/one-billion-children-extremely-high-risk-impacts-climate-crisis-unicef |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=www.unicef.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Funes |first=Yessenia |date=2022-03-28 |title=Striking for Reparations |url=https://atmos.earth/global-climate-strike-youth-reparations/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Atmos |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Sengupta |first=Somini |date=2021-11-06 |title=Young Women Are Leading Climate Protests. Guess Who Runs Global Talks? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/06/climate/climate-activists-glasgow-summit.html |access-date=2022-05-16 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=2021-11-03 |title=Young climate activists meet with UN chief Antonio Guterres |url=https://www.africanews.com/2021/11/03/young-climate-activists-meet-with-un-chief-antonio-guterres/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Africanews |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Rowling |first=Megan |date=2020-04-24 |title=Young climate activists vow to #FightEveryCrisis in global online strike |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-youth-internet-trfn-idUSKCN2261YS |access-date=2022-05-16}}{{Cite web |last=Manishka |date=2021-10-18 |title=SWA's 2021 Focus on Climate Action |url=https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/news/swas-2021-focus-climate-action |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) |language=en}}

Njuguna started their climate activism in 2017 after severe droughts in Nairobi impacted their school's water supply.{{Cite web |date=2020-09-23 |title=Torka väckte Erics klimatkamp - skolstrejkar för planeten på fredag |url=https://tidningensyre.se/2020/23-september-2020/torka-vackte-erics-klimatkamp-skolstrejkar-for-planeten-pa-fredag/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Syre |language=sv}} by organizing with the group Zero Hour and then Fridays for Future Kenya.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-06 |title=Teenage Climate Activists Share Their Plans For The Planet In 2021 |url=https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/teenage-climate-activists-share-their-hopes-and-plans-for-2021 |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=mindbodygreen |language=en}} In August 2021, Njuguna co-authored an essay with Greta Thunberg, Adriana Calderón, and Farzana Faruk Jhumu that was published in The New York Times.{{Cite news |last1=Thunberg |first1=Greta |last2=Calderón |first2=Adriana |last3=Jhumu |first3=Farzana Faruk |last4=Njuguna |first4=Eric |date=2021-08-19 |title=Opinion {{!}} This Is the World Being Left to Us by Adults |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/19/opinion/climate-un-report-greta-thunberg.html |access-date=2022-05-16 |issn=0362-4331}} Their co-authored essay highlighted a 2021 UNICEF report that stated 2.2 billion children are at "extremely high-risk" of experiencing the consequences of climate change.{{Cite web |last=Castronuovo |first=Celine |date=2021-08-20 |title=UNICEF: Nearly half of world's children at 'extremely high risk' of climate change impacts |url=https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/568609-unicef-nearly-half-of-worlds-children-at-extremely-high-risk-of/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}} Later in 2021, Njuguna attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and represented Fridays for Future Kenya. At COP26, Njuguna, alongside Vanessa Nakate and Elizabeth Wathuti, met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss climate change.