Generation Trust: A Global Climate Story in the Making

Swimmer in a dark wetsuit gliding on the water's surface.

Generation Trust:

A Global Climate Story in the Making

Full movie coming on November 25 at 16:00 Rome time:

Watch the movie

Trailer:

Watch the trailer

COP30 Pre-Premiere on the UN Hall Maloca and Zoom!

November 21 | 10:00 - 11:30 local Belém time | Event concluded

Exclusive Pre-Premiere on We Don't Have Time!

November 20 | 14:00 - 15:30 local Belém time | Event concluded

Person wearing teal headphones outdoors, with mountains and water in the background.

Group of men in blue shirts sit on the floor inside a simple shelter, talking.

Dark-skinned man with dreadlocks stands outdoors at night, with leafy trees behind.

Group of people posing for a photo outside a blue building with a parked tuk-tuk on the left.

Man stands in front of colorful auto-rickshaws on a busy street, with vibrant buildings in the background.

Photograph of diverse hands forming a circle with colorful ribbons in the center.

Synopsis

The future feels uncertain. The climate is changing. But across continents, a new generation is already in motion. Generation Trust follows five young climate leaders - in Pakistan, Liberia, Uganda, Colombia, and Bolivia - as they rebuild systems of food, energy, mobility, and education from the ground up. Their stories reveal both struggle and resilience, showing how trust, collaboration, and purpose can turn local action into global transformation.

These narratives are not presented as isolated heroic tales but as part of a larger, interconnected movement. The protagonists face real barriers, from bureaucracy to burnout, yet they persist, supported by networks such as Youth4Climate. Their stories illustrate how local innovation, when trusted and supported, can ripple outward into global systems change.

Produced by Youth4Climate, an initiative co-led by UNDP and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and supported by the 8x1000 funds of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai, the film is a raw, honest look at the power of trust, connection, and courage in the face of the climate crisis. It challenges how we view youth in climate leadership, and what’s possible when they’re not just heard, but trusted and supported.

Key dates:

20 November | 14:00 - 15:30 Belem time: Avant-première screening on We Don’t Have Time

21 November | 10:00 - 11:30 Belem time: virtual screening at the UN Hall Maloca, COP30

25 November | Official release on UNDP’s YouTube channel

Meet the protagonists:

Sundus Sohail

Leading coral reef restoration along Pakistan’s coastline by blending Indigenous knowledge with marine science, and mobilizing fishers, students, and divers.

Person with dreadlocks in a black shirt outdoors under a cloudy sky.

Elvis Thomas

Piloting the country’s first fleet of electric tuk-tuks with a team of female drivers to deliver safer, cleaner transport and women-led entrepreneurship in Monrovia.

Pablo Catellanos Ramelli

Bringing clean, circular energy to an Indigenous Community using second-life EV batteries and solar panels, powering education and health in remote Sierra Nevada.

Specioza Nakate

A youth- and women-led initiative in Kampala turning plastic pollution into green livelihoods through biodegradable innovation, climate tech, and circular economy skills.

Person in a white shirt indoors, soft lighting, brown curtains in background.

Luis Guillermo

Creating the country’s first smart school gardens in La Paz, blending hydroponics, traditional farming, and climate education to teach 300 students how to grow food sustainably.

Directors' Statement

Press and Media Resources

Link to:

Pitch deck
Press release
Communication kit (please contact malak.chabar@undp.org)
Write up
Concept note
Pictures and photographs
Contact email for media inquiries: malak.chabar@undp.org

Screen the film. Start the conversation. Inspire change.

If you’re an institution, school, university, or part of an educational, youth or climate network, you can host a screening of Generation Trust and follow it with a workshop or group discussion.

We’ve prepared a facilitation guide to help you lead these sessions. It’s designed to be adaptable, engaging, and accessible to all.

Let us know if you're planning a screening, we’d love to support or spotlight it!

(Workshop guidelines coming soon)

The story continues. Explore more youth-led climate projects:

The story continues beyond the screen. Explore over 100 youth-led climate projects across 52 countries featured in our Youth4Climate Solutions Catalogue—real initiatives driving change across energy, food, nature, education and more.

Download here