Green Rising Fund announced to unlock US$1 billion for youth climate action and green enterprise

ST JOHN’S, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, November 3, 2026 – UNICEF Generation Unlimited today announced the Green Rising Fund at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Antigua and Barbuda, setting out an ambition to mobilise more than US$1 billion by 2030 for youth climate action, green skills and enterprise development. 

The blended finance platform will bring together grants, catalytic capital and investment to help young people turn climate solutions into viable green enterprises, create decent livelihoods and strengthen climate resilience across the Global South. 

The Fund was announced during “A Billion Reasons to Rise,” convened on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting by the Commonwealth Youth Council with UNICEF Generation Unlimited and King’s Trust International. It brought young people together with government, philanthropy, business and development leaders to explore opportunities for young people to drive the green transition. 

Hon. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Global Chair of Green Rising, said: "Across the world, young people are already showing what leadership looks like. They are restoring mangroves, protecting coral reefs and building green and blue businesses that strengthen their communities and economies. They are doing their part. Now we must do ours.

"That is why we are launching the Green Rising Fund: to help young people gain skills, create jobs and turn their ideas into thriving enterprises. We owe them that opportunity. I call on governments, investors, philanthropists and development partners to match the determination of this generation with the support it deserves.

"To every young person, know this: your ideas matter, your leadership matters, and your future matters," said Hon. Mia Mottley.

The Green Rising Fund builds on the progress of Green Rising, a global youth climate action initiative launched by UNICEF Generation Unlimited and partners at COP28 in 2023, supported by Lead Partners the Government of Canada, the State of Qatar, and Capgemini. Green Rising has since mobilised more than 48 million young people across approximately 40 countries and aims to reach 100 million by 2030. 

Young people are already restoring ecosystems, developing green enterprises and strengthening community resilience. Yet many lack the skills, networks and financing needed to sustain their work or take promising solutions to scale. The Green Rising Fund will help close this gap by connecting youth climate action and entrepreneurship with the capital needed to create sustainable livelihoods and lasting environmental impact. 

Climate action and economic opportunity must advance together 

Between 2025 and 2035, an estimated 1.2 billion young people in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) will reach working age, representing the largest youth cohort in history. This generation will live longest with the effects of climate change and play a defining role in shaping the global response.  

Yet young people continue to face significant barriers to relevant skills, secure work and entrepreneurship. The global rate of young people not in education, employment or training increased from 19.7 per cent in 2023 to 20.0 per cent in 2025. This translated into 9 million more young people in NEET status since 2023.  

Climate change is making these pressures more severe. Environmental degradation, extreme weather and economic disruption are affecting the communities and sectors on which young people depend, particularly in Small Island Developing States, coastal communities and other climate-vulnerable settings. 

The transition to greener and more resilient economies also brings considerable opportunity. An estimated 100 million green jobs could be created by 2030 across renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, the blue economy, circularity, green construction, forestry, water and sanitation, and climate technology. Young people can lead, work and build businesses in these growing sectors, but less than one per cent of global climate finance currently reaches youth-led enterprises. 

Economic justice and climate justice must advance together. The Green Rising Fund responds to both the climate and livelihoods challenge. Investing in young people can protect and restore the environment while creating jobs, growing local businesses and strengthening the ability of communities to withstand climate shocks. 

Climate action and investment  

The Green Rising Fund will use blended finance to support young people and green enterprises at different stages of development.  

Grants and philanthropic capital will support youth climate action, green skills, employment and livelihoods while strengthening the local organisations and systems that enable young people to participate. Support will include enterprise development, technical assistance, learning and impact measurement, with a focus on young women and marginalised young people. 

Catalytic capital will bridge the gap between grants and commercial investment. By absorbing early-stage risk and offering patient or concessional financing, it can create the conditions for other investors to participate. 

Investment capital will finance viable green enterprises, helping scalable businesses expand their environmental impact, create jobs and strengthen local economies. 

Together, these forms of capital will create a continuum of support, from equipping a young person with relevant skills to helping a promising enterprise become ready for investment and growth. 

Partnership at the centre 

No single institution can close the youth climate finance gap alone. The Green Rising Fund will bring together governments, donors, philanthropies, development finance institutions, businesses, investors, civil society and youth-led organisations. 

Governments can strengthen green skills and employment pathways and create conditions in which youth-led enterprises can succeed. Philanthropic and development partners can provide flexible capital to test approaches and reduce early-stage risk, while private investors and businesses can contribute financing, expertise and market access. 

Civil society and youth organisations will help connect young people to opportunities, support locally led action and ensure that financing reflects different realities. Young people must be engaged as partners who shape priorities, develop solutions and lead implementation. 

A call to rise 

The announcement of the Green Rising Fund is an invitation to act. Governments can champion youth climate leadership and strengthen national pathways into green work and enterprise. Donors and philanthropies can provide the early resources that make innovation possible. Development finance institutions, investors and businesses can help viable enterprises move from potential to scale. 

Young people are invited to continue bringing forward their ideas, experience and leadership, helping to shape a green transition that is inclusive, locally grounded and responsive to their aspirations. 

Investing in young people can advance climate resilience and economic opportunity together. The Green Rising Fund offers partners a practical way to direct capital towards youth-led solutions and ensure that young people have the skills, resources and opportunities to build the future they will inherit.