Youth-led climate justice movements are essential to achieving climate and environmental justice. Their intersectional voices hold a unique and critical moral authority that drives ambitious, fair, and sustainable transitions worldwide. These movements have already made history, leading the socio-environmental movement since 2018 and holding policy-makers accountable for their promises. They are the heartbeat of an ecosystem of social movements that remind us of the urgency and gravity of the climate crisis, which is ultimately a poll crisis.
Yet, according to the Youth Climate Justice Study (2022), youth-led climate justice initiatives represent only 0.76% of climate grants from the largest climate foundations (on average between 2019-21). They lack support, connections, capacity development, flexible funding, and trusted relationships with funders and donors. This is even more difficult for locally-led, Indigenous Peoples, women, and queer-led organizers who face structural inequalities.
The Youth Climate Justice Fund aims to support climate justice young leaders with trust-based funding, resources, and youth-to-youth capacity development, enabling them to amplify their voices and to keep their vision and influence alive.
Collectively, we have the power to ignite meaningful change and build equitable and sustainable futures. Despite the challenges posed by the current crisis, youth climate justice organizers remain determined to challenge the status quo and push boundaries.
The Youth Climate Justice Fund supports with core flexible funding to emerging youth climate justice collectives. Groups can apply for a grant of up to USD 10,000, which can be used for a period of 12 months.
Eligibility Criteria
Your group or collective is led by young people aged 35 years and below. In order to be eligible for a YCJF grant, the majority of your leadership must be young people or the individuals with decision-making power should be aged 35 years and below.
Your group, network, or collective is based in Africa; the Middle East; Asia-Pacific, South Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Central, and Eastern Europe.
Your group, network, or collective is based in North America or Western Europe but is led by young people who are discriminated against and/or marginalized based on class, ethnicity, background, etc.
Non-partisan, non-violent, and legal movements.
They specifically, look for groups who are:
Cultivating diverse leadership rooted in fair and equitable climate action with community power
Raising ambitions and commitments on climate & socio-environmental justice
Holding policymakers accountable to their promises and strengthening community power
