More than 150 young climate leaders from around the world and across Brazil will gather in Brasília from 12-14 October for the Youth4Climate Flagship Event 2025, held alongside Pre-COP30. Organized by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition, in collaboration with the COP30 Youth Climate Champion Marcele Oliveira, the event will showcase youth-led climate solutions, foster intergenerational collaboration, and provide a global platform for young people to share ideas ahead of COP30. Italy’s Vice Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Vannia Gava, will also attend, demonstrating Italy’s commitment to youth-driven climate action.
Youth4Climate, launched at Pre-COP26 in Milan in 2021, has grown into a long-term initiative supporting youth engagement in climate action. Over the past four years, the initiative has backed hundreds of youth-led projects, engaged more than 30,000 young people, and become a central component of the UN climate process. Its continued work emphasizes the partnership between Italy and UNDP to ensure youth are not only represented but actively empowered to implement climate solutions.
As a member of the COP30 Action Agenda Activation Group on Education, Capacity-Building, and Job Creation, Youth4Climate contributes to mobilizing voluntary climate actions from civil society, businesses, cities, states, and countries. The initiative also presents its latest “Solutions Catalogue 100 Projects: From Ideas to Impact,” demonstrating the progression from its manifesto to actionable youth-led climate projects, offering a resource for the international community to learn about innovations worldwide.
At this year’s flagship event, 50 young climate innovators from 39 UNDP programme countries will be recognized, each receiving up to USD 30,000 through the Youth4Climate Call for Solutions to implement projects across six key areas: Sustainable Energy, Food and Agriculture, Climate and Health, Digital for the Planet, Nature for Climate Action, and Climate, Peace and Security. Beyond funding, awardees receive mentorship, institutional support, and networking opportunities to help scale their initiatives.
The event will feature pitching sessions, a high-level award ceremony, and dialogues on climate justice, Indigenous youth leadership, and ethical stocktaking. Workshops on design thinking and storytelling for local action will also be conducted, further equipping youth to drive climate solutions in their communities.
Youth4Climate is a flagship initiative co-led by the Government of Italy and UNDP, with its Secretariat at the UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition. Supported by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and the 8×1000 funds of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai, the initiative provides youth with resources, tools, partnerships, and networks to implement climate solutions and foster an inclusive environment where youth can actively lead and collaborate on global climate action.
