Malden Joins Worldwide Youth Climate Fund Program

MALDEN, MA — The city will soon join Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund, Mayor Gary Christenson announced Tuesday. The fund will support local residents between the ages of 15 to 24 in designing and delivering climate solutions tied to the city’s Climate Action Plan. Malden is now one of the 300 communities throughout the world that is a part of what Bloomberg Philanthropies described as an expansion of the program launched in 2024.

As part of the program, Malden plans to host an innovation competition that will invite young people to submit ideas for climate solutions. The city will select proposals for funding through $50,000 provided with technical assistance from Bloomberg. Malden will also assign staff to support the young residents throughout the entirety of the process.

“The City of Malden is honored to be one of 300 municipalities around the world to join this prestigious and competitive program,” Christenson said. “The capital and capacity provided by the Youth Climate Action Fund will allow us to partner with our young people to make our collective climate goals a reality."

The announcement said projects could include work that creates public space, strengthens infrastructure, mitigates disasters, or builds resilience. Municipalities that move quickly to deploy their initial funding will receive an additional $50,000 to support more youth-driven projects and broaden participation.

Bloomberg Philanthropies said the expanded effort builds on earlier results across 34 countries, where 98 municipalities originally took part. Survey research cited in the announcement found trust in local government leadership among youth participants rose from 61 percent to 83 percent, while confidence in their own ability to address environmental challenges increased from 65 percent to 90 percent.

“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,” CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies Patricia E. Harris said. “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.”

Participating local governments have created youth councils, advisory boards and participatory budgeting processes to keep young people engaged. The organization said more than 300,000 young people across five continents have taken part so far, contributing to the establishment of green spaces, gardens, composting stations, and cleanup work in communities worldwide.

Further participation information is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

See Also:

New Car Wash Coming Soon To Malden

Car Walks Tightrope After Brake Failure In Malden

Malden Police Officers Respond To Suspected Fentanyl Overdose

Malden Resident Wins $1 Million Lottery Prize

State Leaders Gather At Malden River As Park Project Draws Closer To Completion