SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
united nations development program
The Climate Crisis Demands Youth Leadership—And We Must Provide It
The leaders of tomorrow are already here, working to solve the problems that older generations have failed to address. Now, it’s time to support them.
Mar 19, 2025
The stereotype that youth-led climate initiatives are too risky to fund is outdated and, in fact, severely limits the opportunities for talented young entrepreneurs and activists. It stifles the very innovation needed to create a sustainable future. As we grapple with the pressing realities of the climate crisis, it is no longer a matter of whether we should support young leaders; it’s a matter of urgency. To succeed in addressing our environmental challenges, we need to tap into the energy, creativity, and bold leadership that young people bring to the table.
When I was just 16 years old, I submitted a climate research paper to the United Nations Development Program in Pakistan. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with global organizations, speaking on CNN about the devastating impact of climate change in my home country, and leading the transformation of a college club into a full-fledged nonprofit. These experiences have shown me firsthand how young people are not just passionate about environmental change—they are driving it.
Yet, despite their passion and fresh ideas, youth-led environmental action remains massively underfunded. Less than 1% of institutional climate funding currently goes toward young people. Many, like myself, have struggled to secure the necessary resources to bring our ideas to life. As the next generation holds the key to solving the climate crisis, failing to support these leaders only exacerbates the problem. The global climate crisis is urgent, and so is the need to empower young people with the funding, mentorship, and platforms they need.
We know time is running out to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis. If we are to truly address it, we must fund and support young activists today.
I’ve seen this challenge play out in my own journey. As a student in London, I faced challenges from being a woman of color trying to secure funding and support for environmental initiatives. Back in Pakistan, while I’ve been able to push forward with awareness campaigns and advocacy, I’ve encountered plenty of hurdles—whether it’s dealing with politicians who don’t take me seriously or navigating security concerns because of my public activism. Despite these challenges, I remain convinced that the future of climate change solutions lies in the hands of young people—especially women.
Supporting youth-driven solutions is not just about giving young people opportunities—it’s about ensuring our movement is more inclusive, diverse, and effective. Young leaders have the ability to solve problems that older generations may not recognize. I founded the Climate Action Society at University College London, a project that eventually became an international nonprofit. The key to its success was understanding that leadership doesn’t come with age—it comes from a commitment to action and collaboration. The support we received, including recognition from the United Nations and the U.K. Government, was crucial in amplifying our impact.
One of many initiatives directly addressing the need to support youth-led climate solutions is The Iris Prize by The Iris Project, an international award that celebrates and funds young environmental stewards dedicated to catalyzing climate action in their communities. Fiscally hosted by the Global Fund for Children, The Iris Prize invites young people aged 16-24 who are actively protecting local ecosystems, restoring natural habitats, and driving community-based environmental efforts to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions for a sustainable future.
The awards aim to help close the funding gap by shining a light on the action young people are already taking to protect and restore nature, and the lives of those working to defend their environment. Beyond financial support, winners also receive climate communications training, organizational development training, and mentorship, equipping them with the resources they need to increase their impact and scale their projects.
The funds have supported a range of projects, such as revitalising ecosystems in Bolivia, training women in sustainable farming in Guatemala, and addressing pollution in Sierra Leone. These projects are having a real impact on communities, and supporting them through funding will go a long way in helping them scale that impact. At a time when global philanthropic funding has been cut, putting pressure on hundreds of organizations in the global South, funding grassroots initiatives is more important than ever.
As someone who has worked tirelessly in climate activism, I have seen how young people are already changing the world through their grassroots efforts. However, without the support of initiatives like The Iris Prize and others, many of these projects will struggle to scale and reach their full potential.
The global community must shift its mindset. If we are to make a real, lasting difference, we must embrace youth-led initiatives as central to our global strategy. The leaders of tomorrow are already here, working to solve the problems that older generations have failed to address. Now, it’s time to support them.
We know time is running out to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis. If we are to truly address it, we must fund and support young activists today. The future depends on it. Through initiatives like The Iris Prize and others, we can ensure that youth-led solutions not only thrive but are scaled for maximum impact. Let’s give these innovators the funding and resources to make the change we desperately need.
Keep ReadingShow Less
UN Report Finds 165 Million Were Pushed Into Poverty Over Past Three Years
The United Nations Development Program is calling for a pause in debt repayments to allow economies to mitigate shocks like pandemics and climate chaos.
Jul 14, 2023
Successive economic shocks over the past three years—including the Covid-19 pandemic, wars and other violence, and extreme weather disasters driven by human-caused climate change—have pushed around 165 million people into poverty around the world, leaving debt-saddled nations unable or poorly prepared to deliver vital social services, a United Nations report published Friday revealed.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) policy brief—entitled The Human Cost of Inaction: Poverty, Social Protection and Debt Servicing, 2020-2023—notes that "over the past decade, debt service payments have steadily been consuming a larger and larger share of public revenue and expenditure in developing economies," with "the latest data suggests that the average low-income country devotes between double and triple the share of revenue or expenditure to servicing interest payments" compared with wealthier nations.
According to the publication:
Twenty-five developing economies, the highest number since 2000, spent over 20% of their government revenues in 2022 on total external debt servicing. The average low-income country spends about 2.3 times more on interest payments than on social assistance. Due to the economic shocks during 2020-2023, we project that 165 million people fell into poverty using the $3.65-a-day poverty line—the entirety of those living in low- and lower-middle-income economies.
The policy brief recommends a "pause in debt payments" to "allow developing economies weighed down by debt to mitigate some social effects of these shocks, using resources earmarked for debt servicing."
According to the report, it would cost just over $14 billion—approximately 0.009% of global gross domestic product in 2022—to "mitigate the current surge of poverty and lift out of poverty the 165 million people living on less than $3.65 a day."
"This is little less, on average, than 4% of low- and middle-income countries' public external debt service payments in 2022—which reached $370 billion," the paper added.
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said in a statement that "countries that could invest in safety nets over the last three years have prevented a significant number of people from falling into poverty."
"In highly indebted countries, there is a correlation between high levels of debt, insufficient social spending, and an alarming increase in poverty rates," he continued. "Today, 46 countries pay more than 10% of their general government revenue on net interest payments."
"Debt servicing is making it increasingly harder for countries to support their populations through investments in health, education, and social protection," Steiner added. "There is a human cost of inaction in not restructuring developing countries' sovereign debt. We need new mechanisms to anticipate and absorb shocks and make the financial architecture work for the most vulnerable."
The UNDP brief comes after a pair of U.N. reports from Wednesday that detailed how debt is burdening the developing works and revealed the climate emergency, conflicts, and the Covid-19 pandemic have pushed an additional 122 million people into hunger worldwide since 2019.
Keep ReadingShow Less
'A Decade of Stagnation': UN Report Shows 9 in 10 People Still Hold Biases Against Women
"This is truly alarming and explains why the world is completely off track in achieving gender equality by 2030," an Oxfam Great Britain researcher said.
Jun 12, 2023
A United Nations report revealed Monday that despite "powerful" global movements such as #MeToo, Ni Una Menos, Time's Up, and Un Violador en Tu Camino, about 9 in 10 people worldwide still hold biases against women.
The new Gender Social Norms Index report covers 85% of the world's population and incorporates data from 2017-22. It follows the 2020 edition, which covered over 80% of the global population and relied on data through 2014.
According to the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), which produced both publications, the latest report shows "a decade of stagnation" across four dimensions explored by researchers: political, educational, economic, and physical integrity.
\u201cNew @UNDP report shows no progress in level of bias against women:\n\n\u27a1\ufe0f 50% believe men make better political leaders\n\u27a1\ufe0f 40% believe men make better business executives\n\u27a1\ufe0f 25% believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife\n\n\ud83d\udcf0 Read our full story here: https://t.co/HkjWhoEm0q\u201d— UN News (@UN News) 1686542700
"Nearly half the world's people believe that men make better political leaders than women do, and two of five people believe that men make better business executives than women do," the publication states, highlighting how few women hold roles in both areas.
"Only 11% of heads of state and 9% of heads of government are women, and women hold only 22% of ministerial posts," while "in the paid economy women hold only 28% of managerial positions," the document details. "Even when women reach leadership positions, gender biases lead to unequal treatment and judgment."
"All biased gender social norms are potentially harmful, but perhaps none has a more direct impact on women's agency and well-being than those leading to violence against women and girls," the report stresses. Over a quarter of people "believe that it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife," and a similar share of women and girls over age 15 have endured intimate partner violence.
The document also warns that "the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030," which is among the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the U.N. in 2015. Targets of the gender equality goal include ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls, including violence and harmful practices such as forced marriage, ensuring access to economic resources and reproductive healthcare, recognizing underpaid domestic work, and boosting female leadership in politics and beyond.
Anam Parvez, head of research at Oxfam Great Britain, responded with alarm to the new UNDP report's key figures.
"This is truly alarming and explains why the world is completely off track in achieving gender equality by 2030," she told The Guardian. "In 2021, 1 in 5 women were married before they turn 18, 1.7 billion women and girls live on less than $5.50 a day, and women continue to take on three times as much unpaid care and domestic work as men around the world."
"At the current rate of progress it will take 186 years to close gaps in legal protections," Parvez pointed out. "It also explains why, while there has been some progress on enacting laws that advance women's rights, social norms continue to be deeply entrenched and pervasive."
\u201c.@UNDP's new Gender Social Norms Index shows that there has been no improvement in biases against women in a decade.\n\nAlmost 9 out of 10 men and women worldwide still hold biases against women.\n\n#CheckYourBias now: https://t.co/VxVcfcUqCu\u201d— Human Development (@Human Development) 1686542465
The report says that "the gender-based biases we carry into voting booths, board meetings, interview panels, and assemblies present barriers to women's ability to fulfill their full potential. Policies to achieve comprehensive gender equality have to be designed and implemented to address biased gender social norms."
Raquel Lagunas, director of UNDP's Gender Team, explained that "an important place to start is recognizing the economic value of unpaid care work. This can be a very effective way of challenging gender norms around how care work is viewed."
"In countries with the highest levels of gender biases against women," Lagunas noted, "it is estimated that women spend over six times as much time as men on unpaid care work."
Pedro Conceição, head of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, emphasized that "social norms that impair women's rights are also detrimental to society more broadly, dampening the expansion of human development."
"In fact, lack of progress on gender social norms is unfolding against a human development crisis: The global Human Development Index (HDI) declined in 2020 for the first time on record—and again the following year," he said. "Everyone stands to gain from ensuring freedom and agency for women."
The U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), by texting "START" to 88788, or through chat at thehotline.org. It offers 24/7, free, and confidential support. DomesticShelters.org has a list of global and national resources.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular