Not Waiting for Permission: How Youth Are Rewriting the Global Playbook
The Role of Youth in Sustainable Development
by Natalia de León Tello
Youth are driving global change today. From your perspective, what are some unique and innovative ways that youth-led initiatives can advance the SDGs, particularly in areas like health, the environment, and economic growth? How can young leaders bring fresh ideas to address these global challenges?
Youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow—they’re changemakers today. From my work with youth networks and FP2030, I’ve seen how young people are creating bold, intersectional solutions that advance the SDGs in powerful ways.
In health, for example, youth-led initiatives are innovating through digital platforms to expand access to sexual and reproductive health information—especially in rural and underserved communities. Some of these youth initiatives include the use of AI to translate information on SRHR to local Indigenous languages, which is extremely important when discussing access.
On the environmental front, youth are linking climate justice with reproductive justice, advocating for policies that recognize the environmental dimensions of health and rights and that acknowledge that climate change is a barrier to accessing health services.
Economically, young leaders are pushing for inclusive entrepreneurship and digital skill-building that empowers marginalized communities, particularly young women and LGBTQ+ youth.
“Youth are linking climate justice with reproductive justice, advocating for policies that recognize the environmental dimensions of health and rights and that acknowledge that climate change is a barrier to accessing health services.”
What makes youth leadership unique is our creativity, our networks, and our lived experience. We don't wait for permission—we build movements, launch campaigns on social media, and turn personal challenges into collective action.
To truly accelerate progress on the SDGs, we need more spaces where young voices are not just heard but trusted to co-lead, design, and transform systems from the ground up.