Bloomberg Philanthropies awards $50,000 to Honolulu to fund youth-led climate projects

HONOLULU — Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced today that the City and County of Honolulu will join Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund, which will provide capital and capacity to support municipalities in mobilizing young residents ages 15–24 in designing and delivering solutions aligned with citywide priorities. Honolulu joins the Youth Climate Action Fund alongside 300 new city halls. The scale-up—tripling the program’s reach since its launch in 2024—builds on results across 34 countries, where 98 municipalities delivered tangibly for residents and improved trust in city hall—helping a new generation believe in government again.

As part of this program, Honolulu will open innovation competitions, inviting young people’s ideas, selecting the strongest proposals, and funding them with $50,000 and technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Honolulu will assign staff to support implementation from start to finish, helping young residents lead in carrying their plans through to completion—creating public space, strengthening infrastructure, mitigating disasters, and building resilience.

The award will help address climate change, sustainability, and resiliency across Oʻahu’s communities through selected youth-led projects under $5,000. Honolulu joins a network of 300 cities across six continents that are committed to strengthening how local governments partner with young people to develop climate solutions.  Honolulu is the only city selected from Hawaiʻi and is one of seven municipalities to represent Oceania, one of the largest cultural and geographical regions on Earth.

“We could not be more excited to tap into the enthusiasm and creativity of the youth of Honolulu to address climate change — which impacts us all, either directly or indirectly,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “Our young people are full of great ideas and we cannot wait to see how this tremendous opportunity accelerates their innovation and leadership. Thanks to the incredible generosity and vision of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Honolulu will remain at the forefront of confronting climate change, and we will prioritize projects that make a real, tangible, and practical difference in our communities.”

“The Youth Climate Action Fund is helping city halls around the world work alongside hundreds of thousands of young people to take action on city climate challenges and improve their communities,” said Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “They are showing how local government can be a partner on issues youth and residents care deeply about – and they are building trust along the way. We look forward to expanding on these efforts and inspiring a new generation of civic leaders.”

At a time when participation in public life has thinned, the results from the first wave of Youth Climate Action Fund cities point to a new approach. Survey research of the program’s youth participants showed that their trust in local government leadership rose from 61% to 83%—a 22 percentage point increase—while confidence in their own ability to address environmental challenges increased from 65% to 90%. Nearly three in four youth said their city hall values their input on climate policy—one of the issues they care most about.

Participating local governments also changed how they work. More than half established new, formal structures—such as youth councils, advisory boards, and participatory budgeting processes—to sustain young people’s engagement. 43% embedded youth input into long-term strategies and policies, while roughly 40% created dedicated staff roles. Nearly all report plans to expand the effort.

As part of the Youth Climate Action Fund,  Mayor Blangiardi will launch an open call for new and ambitious climate projects led by young people. Additional details about the application process will be released in the coming weeks. The Mayor’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (CCSR) will be working in tandem with the Honolulu Youth Commission to activate this new program.

The City will support project implementation from start to finish, helping young residents lead in carrying their plans through to completion—creating public space, strengthening infrastructure, mitigating disasters, and building resilience. Participating youth must be between 15-24 years old. Eligible recipients include:

• Youth-led organizations (e.g. youth clubs or groups)
• Youth-serving organizations (adult-led organizations supporting young people)
• Sponsor organizations, such as city agencies, schools, or other educational institutions, museums, or community organizations

The Youth Climate Action Fund aims to:

• Equip cities to partner with youth in developing and implementing solutions to local climate challenges
• Create pathways for youth ideas to move from input to implementation, aligned with city priorities
• Build lasting city capacity and structures to engage with youth
• Increase trust between cities and young residents through visible collaboration and results

To date, more than 300,000 young people across five continents have taken part in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund—working with their city halls to create over 1,600 green spaces, plant over 1.8 million plants and 235,000 trees, develop nearly 5,000 gardens, launch 268 composting stations, and collect more than 405,000 pounds of trash and recyclables—producing visible improvements in their communities and bettering quality of life for residents worldwide. As part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ longstanding work to strengthen local state capacity through its Government Innovation program, the Fund also provides municipalities and their mayors with a model that extends beyond climate—galvanizing partnership with stakeholders citywide to advance progress on pressing problems—and opportunities—for the people they serve.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies:

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Media Contact:

Sam Fuld, sam@bloomberg.org