
Youth and climate
UNDP Rome Centre
Overview
There are 1.8 billion young people in the world, making up the largest generation in history. Despite being critical stakeholders in climate action, young people often face underrepresentation in decision-making processes due to inadequate technical, political, and financial support. They confront numerous challenges, including unemployment, poverty, discrimination based on age, gender, experience, and capabilities, and lack of access to information, opportunities, financing, education, healthcare, and social protection. Addressing these issues is crucial to ensure their full participation in society and decision-making processes, including on climate.
Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, ongoing conflicts, political instability, and economic crises profoundly affect children and youth. Despite these challenges, their knowledge, energy, and perseverance have sparked a global movement demanding bold climate measures from leaders while also leading initiatives within their countries and communities.
Meaningful youth participation
Meaningful youth participation in policymaking and youth empowerment is a fundamental human right, aligned with the right to a healthy environment. Ensuring youth-inclusive processes in climate negotiations, policymaking, implementation, monitoring, and accountability is essential. That is why stakeholders must support youth capacity development and youth-led climate initiatives to ensure their voices are heard and included in climate policies and decisions.

UNDP's commitment
UNDP recognises the urgent need to address the rights, needs, and aspirations of young people, particularly considering the disproportionate burdens the climate crisis places on them and future generations.
Within UNDP's extensive portfolio, climate action is integrated with peacebuilding efforts. Recognising the important role of youth leadership in addressing both peace and climate security challenges, UNDP invests in supporting partnerships between young peacebuilders and climate activists.
Moreover, UNDP actively promotes youth empowerment through various avenues, including social entrepreneurship, green job creation, facilitating participation in local decision-making processes, supporting youth-led climate projects, and providing safe spaces for young environmental defenders.

UNDP Rome Centre youth initiatives
The Youth4Climate initiative, co-led by the Government of Italy and UNDP, supports the implementation of youth-led and youth-inclusive solutions to environmental and climate challenges.
The Youth4Climate initiative works to achieve its goals through a range of actions. The Youth4Climate Call for Solutions is an innovation challenge that aims to support the work of young people and youth-led organizations in tackling climate change through funding and mentorship support. The first Youth4Climate Call for Solutions sourced more than 1,100 youth-led solutions from more than 120 countries. In 2023, 50 projects across 39 countries were allocated resources to power their vision. A new call was issued in 2024 seeking to provide additional support for youth-led solutions in five areas: climate and environmental literacy, sustainable energy, food and agriculture, nature assets, and sustainable production and consumption. The new call has increased the number of awarded youth-led projects to a total of 100 initiatives across 52 countries, with USD 2.5 million in funds disbursed to support these 100 youth-led initiatives globally.
In parallel, the Youth4Climate engagement platform provides a conduit for discussions and knowledge sharing on climate issues and solutions for young people. The platform currently has over 18,000 members from around the world who can use it to access innovative and co-shaped training programmes, webinars and networking opportunities.