Call summary :

Y4C and its partners have launched the 2024 Call for Solutions!

Young people are increasingly acknowledged as vital contributors to transformative climate action, playing roles such as negotiators, innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, and agents of change. However, they face a significant shortfall in essential technical, financial, and political resources and support needed to fulfill their aspirations.

In response, the Government of Italy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with a range of knowledge partners and youth constituencies, have set out to identify, support and scale youth-led climate breakthroughs through the global Youth4Climate initiative.

Structured as an innovation challenge, this second edition of the Y4C Call for Solutions aims to support the work of young people and youth-led organisations in five thematic areas: Climate and Environment Literacy, Sustainable Energy, Food and Agriculture, Nature Assets, Sustainable Consumption and Production.

Successful applicants will be awarded:
- Up to US$ 30,000 to implement or scale the proposed innovations.
- The possibility to access technical support to strengthen their capacity on specific topics.
- The support from a mentor to develop their proposal.
- Storytelling opportunities during next events of the Youth4Climate initiative and through the Youth4Climate Platform and Website of UNDP and its partners.

Proposals, if successful, can be implemented over a maximum of 24 months. Proposals can be submitted in English, French or Spanish.

A look into this year’s thematic areas

The 2024 Call will fund youth-led solutions in five broad areas:
- Climate and Environmental Literacy
- Sustainable Energy
- Food and Agriculture
- Nature Assets
- Sustainable Consumption and Production

Solutions may naturally address more than one of these areas, though applicants will be asked to identify one primary focus area.

Climate and Environmental Literacy:

This area emphasizes the pivotal role of education and literacy in addressing the challenges posed by the climate crisis. The focus is on equipping individuals, communities and societies with the necessary knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes required for sharing and achieving the goals set by the Paris Agreement and crucial for both mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Solutions within this area include:

- comprehensive strategies that go beyond traditional classroom settings, spanning from formal education delivered through institutional channels, such as public organizations and recognized private bodies, to non-formal education providing structured content for lifelong learning.
- informal education, acknowledging learning activities that take place in family, workplace, local community, and daily life contexts.
- awareness-raising about climate issues, ensuring that individuals are not only informed but also actively engaged in disseminating knowledge within their communities, fostering a broader understanding and commitment to sustainable practices.

Food and Agriculture:

Food systems and agriculture are a key part of climate action. Agriculture and other land uses account for nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, and one third of global produce destined for human consumption is lost or goes to waste. Climate change is a major contributor to food insecurity, as food systems struggle to respond to shocks in weather patterns and continually increasing demand. Solutions to these challenges may include, among others, regenerative, resource- and climate-resilient food production practices, or interventions related to food processing, distribution and consumption.

Nature Assets:

Healthy ecosystems are our planet’s life support system. Forests, for example, absorb around one third of the carbon dioxide released annually through the burning of fossil fuels. The ocean is one of the largest carbon reservoirs, while mangrove forests and coral reefs protect our coastlines against rising sea-levels....