In response to the rapid acceleration of biodiversity loss and the growing impacts of climate change, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will be launched on World Environment Day 2021 (5 June 2021). Led by FAO and UNEP, this decadal effort aims to catalyse a global #GenerationRestoration movement to conserve and restore ecosystems worldwide. 

The #GenerationRestoration Youth Challenge is a global call for youth-led solutions to conserve and restore ecosystems. In alignment with the UN Decade, the Challenge covers conservation and restoration of all types of intact and degraded terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, peat, etc. 

The Challenge calls for impactful and inspiring solutions by ecopreneurs and young change-makers, taking action in at least one of the following focus areas: 

• Successful Examples of Ecopreneurship: successful ecopreneurship start-ups, i.e. start-ups that have ecosystem conservation and restoration at the core of their business model and demonstrate how nature restoration and regeneration can go hand in hand with socio-economic benefits

• Capacity-building for Youth: initiatives, programmes and organisations that are championing inter-disciplinary and inclusive capacity building for ecosystem conservation and restoration, as well as the development of ecopreneurship skills and knowledge, with a focus on capacity-building for youth and young professionals.

• Advocacy, Inspiration, and Engagement: innovative campaigns, projects and organisations that inspire, build awareness and engage youth and individuals around the world for ecosystem restoration.

We are accepting submissions from 16 April 2021 – 15 June 2021. Please apply using this link.