Billy M. Lombe is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Youth Environment Network Zambia while also serving as a Southern Africa Regional Coordinator for the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, one of the largest youth climate change networks. He has worked for various youth-oriented organizations in Zambia and Kenya and at development organizations such as the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, Cosmos Education, and the Green Warriors Movement, in other African countries. While in the U.S., Lombe worked with the Institute for Local Self Reliance in Washington, DC, where he gained an understanding of U.S. practices in composting and plastic bag ordinances. He attended metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Recycling Committee meetings, visited composting facilities, trained in urban agriculture and composting, and identified best practices around the U.S. and developing countries in compiling a plastic bag report. Upon his return from the Community Solutions Program, Lombe advocated for a ban or associated fee on plastic bags as a remedial tool in reducing the impacts of plastic bags on both the environment and health of citizens. Billy Lombe is currently developing the Zero Waste Centre for Africa (ZWCA), which seeks to engage the general public, private sector organizations, policy makers, and local government in sustainable Zero Waste strategies that will urgently address the challenges faced by the waste management systems in Africa.

Email: bilzdown2@gmail.com