Our Approach
As the final generation that can solve climate change, FES empowers youth to create a more inclusive, fair, prosperous, and sustainable future. FES is youth-led, and youth-serving and fully believes that youth are the key to cultivating political will, shifting societal attitudes, and changing dominant culture that will enable so-called Canada to deploy meaningful and fair climate solutions.
FES is a registered charity (801430307 RR0001) and is an accredited organization by the United Nations and has special consultative status with the:
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC)
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCCD)
United Nation Framework and Covention on Climate Change(UNFCCC)
Our Mission
Our mission is to create a sustainable future by empowering youth, changing lifestyles, and telling powerful, effective stories through training, education, advocacy, and mentorship.
Our Vision
We envision every young person will grow to make their personal and professional choices to reflect the human impact on the environment for a sustainable future.
Our Intended Impact
Our intended impact is to see that by 2030, the Canadian climate movement will be successfully implementing mitigation and adaptation strategies needed for a climate-resilient and fair Canada, through the influence and action of youth leaders
Our Grounding Truths
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![Two youth sitting on the grass, looking at a flower]()
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Climate change will have the greatest impact on the future of young people, and with the most at stake and least ties to the status quo, youth have the most agency and motivation to create solutions that match the speed and scale of the climate crisis.
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![3 youth posing with sky behind them.]()
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Youth organizing is impactful and innovative, especially in fostering the political will, culture shift, and societal change needed to enable the deployment of meaningful climate solutions.
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![Line of youth standing beside each other, looking ahead into the distance.]()
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The nature of youth organizing is responsive, trust-based, and emergent and therefore the supports that enable youth action should complement the ways in which youth organize.
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![Two youth holding books and smiling.]()
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Youth voices are essential to include and have represented in climate decision-making spaces, and thus youth must be meaningfully consulted as equal partners.
Our Strategy
To operationalize the strategy, FES has developed three key areas to build until 2030.
Priority 1: Finance
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To enable youth initiatives to access an additional $80M by 2030, outside of FES giving.
Priority 2: Engage
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To enable the development of an ecosystem of co-conspirators and collaborators across climate, To enable exposure of climate action to the general public and moveable middle pressuring traditional and new media to cover climate action from 1.2% to 3.5% to re-balance narratives around climate change.
Priority 3: Sustain
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To enable the sustainability of youth and organizations, so that (youth) leaders continue to engage in climate-related work after 30.
Governance & Transparency
FES uses several strategies to ensure that adequate governance mechanisms are put in place. This includes having several committees on FES’ Board, utilizing committees for our granting streams and projects, and performing an annual audit.
Equity & Diversity
FES aspires to cultivate a youth climate movement that is well-sustained, which means honouring that the strength of the youth-led climate movement comes from its diversity of perspectives and identities.
Support Us
Give back to empower youth for a more inclusive, fair, prosperous, and sustainable future.