Minister for Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman has approved funding to support 14 youth-led projects in the area of climate justice.

In line with the recommendations of a specially convened selection committee, funding of almost €400,000 is being allocated to projects involving 23 youth organisations, under the Youth Climate Justice Fund.

The aim of the fund is to raise climate justice awareness amongst young people and to empower them to influence and sustain local, regional and national climate justice change.

Launching this year’s fund allocations, Minister O’Gorman said that his department received applications for funding "from a range of youth-centred, innovative, participatory and impactful projects".

”Young people and youth organisations are leading the way when it comes to climate action and climate justice," the minister said.

All projects funded under the Youth Climate Justice Fund in 2021 and 2020 will be invited to participate in an Outcomes Conference to be convened by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth later this year.

Projects funded under the 2021 fund are being led by a national youth organisation funded under the Youth Services Grant Scheme of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

14 applications received by the department were reviewed by a selection committee made up of representatives from the Youth Affairs and Youth Participation Units of the department, a representative of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and a young person from the Comhairle na nÓg network.

The fund was announced in March 2021 with a closing date of May 4.

The fund total was just under €500,000 and was open to applications from all national youth organisations funded under the Youth Service Grant Scheme and from Gaisce – The President’s Award.

The total amount allocated is €397,339.42, divided amongst a number of organisations, including: