The toolkit draws on insights from the Futures Lab: Climate Patch Series, bringing together the perspectives of youth leaders, practitioners, and partners from across the Global South. It explores the barriers that limit access to climate finance and outlines practical recommendations for making funding systems more accessible, flexible, and responsive to youth-led organisations.
Inside the toolkit, readers will find:
An overview of the current youth climate finance landscape.
Insights from youth leaders on the challenges of accessing funding.
Practical approaches to strengthening youth-led climate action through more inclusive financing.
The toolkit is intended as a resource for anyone working to strengthen youth leadership in climate action from funders and civil society organisations to governments, researchers, and youth-led initiatives.
“The challenge is not only how much funding exists, but how it is structured. Many grants restrict overheads so tightly that youth organisations cannot offer competitive salaries, relying instead on stipends or volunteers. This leads to burnout and high turnover. If impact is the goal, funding must allow youth to be paid properly and sustain themselves through this work. There is also an opportunity to intentionally embed youth within larger funding streams. When major organisations receive grants, they should be required to include youth-led groups as implementation partners, creating pathways for experience, resourcing, and institutional growth.
Finally, funders need to move beyond rhetoric. There is widespread recognition of youth leadership in climate action, but limited direct investment. Even modest, targeted funding can be transformative for youth groups. The priority should be clear: stop talking about supporting youth, and start resourcing them directly.”
Pato Kelesitse
Board Member, Climate Justice Resilience Fund & Founder of Sustain267 Podcast