The energy and passion of the youth has been one of the driving forces behind change since the beginning of history. Young people have been making waves for generations by defying the odds, standing up for their futures, and demanding action when no one else is.
In the spirit of this movement, Bloomberg Philanthropies launched the Youth Climate Action Fund to help 100 cities worldwide embrace the voices of people aged 15 to 24 to develop and enact climate-friendly policies.
As 84% of youth worldwide are worried about our planet's climate, the initiative believes now is the time to rely upon young people to make a change
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg created the nonprofit, which aims to bring new and innovative perspectives to climate advocacy. It focuses on cities and countries most in need of urgent climate solutions and where tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars can significantly impact them.
As Grist reported, selected cities receive initial $50,000 disbursements and then additional $100,000 grants to propel youth-led efforts forward.
Bloomberg's new fund stands out because it is a direct response to young people's feelings that the government is not doing enough to avoid climate-related catastrophes.
As Nozinhle Gumede, a 21-year-old climate activist from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, told Grist: "We are the custodians of the future. So, I believe that we have a right to be a part of some sort of leadership or advisory board to see how this money shapes our future."
Numerous Bloomberg-funded cities are now establishing youth-populated climate councils to address how rising temperatures and extreme weather events adversely impact their lives.
Many of today's youth want to create a brighter, cleaner tomorrow, and these councils are giving them a positive, productive, and meaningful outlet to spark change that will affect their future children and grandchildren.
The fund builds upon existing youth-led climate efforts — like when Colorado high school students campaigned for their buses and buildings to run on renewable energy, or when a 20-year-old rose to TikTok fame for her climate advocacy.
Tree planting, waste-reduction initiatives, and disaster preparedness programs are examples of youth-led climate initiatives being pursued. Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund already reaches over 62 million people in 38 countries.
"We want to help bring more and more powerful voices into climate activism," James Anderson, who leads Bloomberg's government innovation programs, shared with Grist. "And we also want to make sure and help local governments invite all of the people that want to make a difference in their city on climate into the effort in ways that are meaningful to them."
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