Taking youth power to COP28!

Young people are leading climate action globally – and we’re here to support them!

For Restless Development, climate justice is an urgent priority. And we are going beyond just talking about climate justice – we are taking action. Across the globe, Restless Developments’ impactful programmes use creative advocacy, youth-led research, accountability, innovative action, and capacity building to help communities combat climate change. While the unique solutions and perspectives of young people take centre stage to drive climate action at scale. Through global campaigns, gathering evidence, piloting projects and joining important discussions, we strive to address the greatest crises of our time by empowering the future custodians of our planet.

Explore the map below to know more about our work on climate justice.

PS. If you don’t spot us in your country yet – we’ll be there soon! Reach out to Shripathi Hadigal if you’d like to partner with us.

In addition to this, we’re a part of some incredible global initiatives and consortiums. Take a look!

Global Girls Creating Change

Girls are at the forefront of environmental challenges and Climate Change affects girls disproportionately, exacerbating existing inequalities and limiting their opportunities. But girls can be powerful agents of change with the right support, championing Climate Justice while developing new skills, training and innovations. Led by a consortium of Hivos, Restless Development and Yavasen Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial – Global Girls Creating Change will empower girls globally in climate action. Through an intersectional climate justice approach, Global Girls Creating Change focuses on marginalised girls disproportionately affected by climate change. The programme will span Brazil, Indonesia, Nepal, and Uganda, with additional coalition efforts in 25 countries. 

Restless Development is leading youth engagement in Nepal and Uganda, driving activities such as girl-led evidence-building, green entrepreneurship training, advocacy plans, and climate innovation co-creation. The interconnected approach empowers girls from research to advocacy, enabling them to lead impactful climate initiatives globally.

Climate Action Champions Network

Restless Development convenes a global network of 192 young people who are leading in the fight for climate justice. We share opportunities and actions for climate justice, and support, inspire and facilitate collaboration across geographies and backgrounds, with strong engagement globally.

Feminist Climate Justice

Our online Feminist Action Lab contains a core module on Feminist Climate Justice, supporting young leaders to learn more about climate change from a gender and sexual rights lens. The Feminist Action Lab, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation via the New Venture Fund, is a crash course on the tools and ideas needed for the future of gender advocacy. The platform includes video dialogues between senior and young feminists, advocacy tools and activities, and a youth-led support network to walk participants through how to attend, influence and campaign for gender equality at the Generation Equality Forum and other advocacy platforms.

The Big Idea

At the end of 2022, Restless Development began convening young people to think about how to make decision-makers sit up, listen and most importantly, act to tackle the climate crisis and transform education. For the young people we work with, education is crucial to tackling the climate crisis, by helping communities adapt to the impact of climate disasters and transition towards green livelihoods and economies. At the same time, climate change is already having a serious impact on children’s education and this will only get worse. Tackling the two crises together is crucial. Young people understand that action is needed now, but so far, those with power have failed the test. Time after time, summit after summit, it’s the same old approach; a mediocre, status quo outcome resulting from an unwillingness to approach these questions in new ways.

What’s the Big Idea?

The Big Idea started with regional conversations, where young people came together to discuss climate and education issues in their contexts. It also involved one-on-one conversations on social media between young people and experts, with the goal of facilitating as many conversations as possible. The culmination of this series was the Big Idea Relay. Read more about the regional Big Idea events here: Asia and Africa.