Youth for Earth (Y4E) is the International Conference on Sustainability Education’s flagship youth campaign, now in its 7th edition, empowering young leaders to design and deliver action-oriented, innovative projects that tackle urgent environmental and social challenges. Anchored by the theme “Educate. Innovate. Transform: Youth Leading Sustainability Solutions”, Y4E brings together changemakers from across India and South Asia to learn, collaborate, and build resilient, equitable futures.
Led jointly by the Mobius Foundation and The Climate Project Foundation, Youth for Earth 2026 builds on the campaign’s strong legacy of translating sustainability education into measurable impact. Over the years, Y4E has witnessed participation from hundreds of youth-led initiatives, reinforcing the role of education as a catalyst for climate action, innovation, and community leadership.
Aligned with the 8th ICSE 2026 theme, “Sustainability Education for Transformative Action”, Y4E 2026 shifts the focus from awareness to implementation. The campaign recognises that while young people are increasingly informed about sustainability challenges, there is an urgent need to enable them to design, implement, and scale solutions on the ground. Y4E 2026 responds to this need by encouraging projects that demonstrate tangible outcomes, systems thinking, and long-term community impact.
At a time when global and national sustainability goals demand accelerated action, Youth for Earth 2026 positions youth not as future stakeholders, but as present-day solution builders. By combining mentorship, peer learning, national recognition, and alignment with global sustainability priorities, the campaign empowers young leaders to move from learning to leadership, and from ideas to action.
Through Youth for Earth 2026, sustainability education becomes a living practice—one that equips young people with the skills, confidence, and platforms needed to lead meaningful change today, and shape a more sustainable tomorrow.
Join Us in Shaping the Future with Youth for Earth 2026 Campaign.
Objectives of Y4E 2026
The Youth for Earth 2026 campaign aims to:
- Translate sustainability education into measurable action on the ground
- Empower youth to lead climate, biodiversity, and sustainability solutions
- Strengthen youth leadership, innovation, and systems thinking
- Promote youth-led projects aligned with national and global sustainability priorities
- Create a strong network of young sustainability changemakers
How to Participate?
Y4E 2026 welcomes participation from young people from India and South Asian countries under the following project categories:
- School (Students of class 8th to 12th students)
- College (Undergraduate/postgraduate students)
Teams must consist of a minimum of five members and maximum of eight members, with a designated mentor appointed by the Principal or Head of the Department (HoD).
Note: Funded projects and NGOs are not eligible for Y4E 2026.
Participation Guidelines
- Project Focus: Projects should prioritise physical implementation, ground-level work, scalability, and positive social impact.
- Registration: Mandatory registration for all teams; no registration fee is applicable.
- Project Timeline: Projects undertaken between February 2026 and July 2026 will be considered. Ongoing projects initiated after October 2025 will also be eligible.
- Social-Media: Participating teams will be required to share project updates on social media using campaign-specific hashtags and tagging designated handles. A briefing session will be conducted for shortlisted teams.
Theme
Please keep in mind that projects should be centered around the overarching theme “Educate. Innovate. Transform: Youth Leading Sustainability Solution”. Y4E 2026 will encourage youth-led projects in areas including:
- Climate action and resilience
- Circular economy and responsible consumption
- Biodiversity conservation and nature-based solutions
- Water, waste, and local environmental stewardship
- Sustainable campuses, schools, and communities
- Education, awareness, and behavioural change initiatives
Note: These are suggested topics and are mentioned for ideation only.
Selection Criteria
Projects will be evaluated based on:
- Relevance to the theme and sustainability challenges
- Applicability and replicability
- Innovation and creativity
- Climate positive impact
- Future potential and scalability
- Social impact
- STEM integration
Important Dates
- Pre-Launch: 7 February, 2026
- Registration Open Date: 11 February, 2026
- Registration Deadline:15 March, 2026
- Project Submission Deadline:10 July, 2026
Recognition and Awards
- 5 winning change-makers each from Junior and Senior teams will be awarded cash prizes:
- 1st Prize – INR 50,000
- 2nd Prize – INR 30,000,
- Commendation Prize of INR 25,000 each will be awarded to the 3rd, 4th and 5th rank holders.
- A merit certificate and entry pass will be awarded to all the selected participants to
attend the
8th International Conference on Sustainability Education 2026. - Certificates will be provided to all the participating teams and their members.
- Winning teams' activities/projects will be highlighted and promoted by Mobius Foundation and The Climate Project Foundation India through its social media platforms and website.
Note: The copyright of winning projects shall lie with Y4E and the content can be used further by the Y4E team for promotion and other purposes.
SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
- The participating group must post & propagate their projects and timely progress of the same on social media platforms periodically.
- While posting online, tag the social media handles of both the Mobius Foundation and the Climate Project Foundation.
