Ten Youth Climate Projects funded with €500k investment

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has today (Wednesday) announced almost €500,000 in funding for ten youth-led climate justice projects taking place across Ireland in 2026, as part of Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting young people to lead on climate change within their own communities.

Projects include a mix of national and regional initiatives, including a programme of social innovation in the west of Ireland and a scouting programme centred on Lough Dan Scout and Eco Centre.

The Youth Climate Justice Fund helps young people aged 10 to 25 design and participate in projects that raise awareness, build skills and drive practical action on climate issues within their communities. This year’s projects include:

• A west of Ireland project strengthening climate literacy, youth leadership and civic engagement through workshops, digital storytelling and collaborative arts.
• A series of themed events marking Climate Justice Week, culminating in an Earth Gala.
• A Climate Justice residential for 50 young people led by the National Youth Council of Ireland.
• A hydrogen education programme delivering an inclusive, hands-on approach to renewable energy to 100 young people.
• A project focusing on UN Sustainable Development Goal 15(Life on Land), including activities such as bird-box building and conservation tasks.
• The development and distribution of Climate Justice toolkits for volunteers and youth workers.
• A sustainable theatre-making initiative promoting environmentally responsible practices in costumes, sets and design.
• The establishment and development of a Youth Climate Justice Innovation Team at Lough Dan in County Wicklow.

Together, these projects will support climate education, community engagement, awareness campaigns and practical hands-on environmental action across the country.

Since its establishment in 2020, the Youth Climate Justice Fund has provided almost €3.5 million in support to youth-led initiatives underpinned by Government’s continued investment in empowering young people to play an active role in climate action.

Minister Naughton said:

ENDS

The Youth Climate Justice Fund supports youth-led initiatives related to climate justice at community, regional and national level. The primary objective of the fund is to further the active engagement of young people in climate justice activities, initiatives and programmes that develop and support their knowledge, agency and empowerment in relation to climate justice.

Opportunities for Youth, the National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services was launched in September 2024. The strategy notes the priority placed by young people on climate issues and the second of its three strategic objectives is to ensure that ‘an equality and rights-based approach is embedded across all youth work services and supporting structures’. This objective means, among other things, that youth services and schemes should reflect and support Ireland’s commitments to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

All projects funded under the Youth Climate Justice Fund 2026 are being led by a national youth organisation funded under the Youth Services Grant Scheme of the Department of Education and Youth.

Grants are being awarded to the following two ‘consortium’ applications:

• ECO-UNESCO (lead) with Feachtas Óg-Ghluaiseacht Gaeilge, Poppintree Youth Project and Macra ne Feirme:
  ECO‑UNESCO’s proposal, in partnership with Feachtas, Poppintree Youth Project and Macra na Feirme, aims to empower young people across Ireland to engage meaningfully in climate justice education, advocacy and action.
• National Youth Council of Ireland (lead) with YMCA Ireland, Sphere 17 Regional Youth Service and Concern Worldwide
  This proposal is named the Future Generations Project 2026 and aims to build on multiple years of YCJF-funded work.

Funding has also been awarded to the following to the following organisations:

• Kinia
  Kinia’s proposal builds on the 2025 YCJF‑funded hydrogen project and aims to engage 100 young people
• Ógras
  This project focuses on SDG 15 – Life on Land, of the Global Goals framework.
• Localise Youth Volunteering
  This project aims to develop and nationally disseminate a climate‑justice volunteering toolkit integrated with their My VP portfolio system.
• Youth Work Ireland
  This project aims to deliver regional and national youth‑led climate justice assemblies, local action groups, global‑south peer learning, and youth‑worker capacity‑building initiatives.
• Scouting Ireland
  This project aims to enable and empower young people to act as co-designers, facilitators, and peer educators to create and deliver climate justice workshops, outdoor learning activities, and youth-led environmental action projects.
• Young Social Innovators
  This project aims to strengthen climate literacy, youth leadership, and civic engagement through workshops, digital storytelling, and collaborative arts.
• Foróige
  This project aims to review Foroige’s existing Future Proof programme; deliver a VR version of the programme; develop the Foróige Forest concept; expand and translate the Just Grow initiative; and run climate justice webinars.
• Youth Theatre Ireland
  This project aims to run up to 16 workshops nationwide and produce a freely-accessible Youth Theatre Climate Positive Toolkit.

Youth Climate Justice Fund Allocations 2026

The below table provides a summary of funding for the ten successful applications: