More than 300 cities are now part of the Youth Climate Action Fund, a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative helping city halls place young people at the centre of climate action.
Held as part of the Local4Action Track, Cities Shaping the Future of Youth Climate Action gathered mayors and city representatives from across regions to look back at the first cycle of the Fund and set ambitions for its next phase. Organised by Bloomberg Philanthropies and UCLG, the session focused on how local governments can respond to climate challenges while creating meaningful space for youth leadership.
The experiences shared in Tangier demonstrated that cities are increasingly treating young people as co-creators of climate solutions. Through the Fund, municipalities have supported youth-led projects ranging from urban greening and community gardens to waste reduction, biodiversity initiatives and climate resilience actions.
Since its launch, more than 300,000 young people across five continents have participated in the programme, contributing to over 1,600 green spaces, more than 235,000 trees, thousands of community gardens and other locally led environmental projects.
The message for the next phase was practical: climate action gains strength when young people are given resources, responsibility and a real place in local decision-making.