750+

Member organizations

23

Regional and national networks

127

Countries involved

2600

Program members

Our History

Our North Star: The Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global vision to shape a more sustainable future. The SDGs call for systematic changes: to safeguard our planet, make societies more inclusive, make our economy more sustainable, and address social inequality.

Read more about the SDGs.

Why young people?
Young people make up nearly half the world’s population - the biggest generation we are yet to see - they are the most educated, charitable, and entrepreneurial amongst other age groups.

We believe that young people are the ideal agents to be at the forefront of the sustainable development movement: they are forward-thinking, creative, and come in large numbers.

SDSN Youth today
Thus, SDSN Youth was born to place young people at the forefront of achieving the SDGs.

SDSN Youth was launched in 2015 by Professor Sachs - at the 5th meeting of the SDSN Leadership Council in Paris. Over the past five years, we have expanded rapidly, with over 3000 program members worldwide.

Our Mission

Mobilize youth to shape a sustainable world for future generations.

Who we are

SDSN Youth is one of the world’s biggest networks of young leaders working together to accelerate solutions towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

We connect young people to pathways of understanding and action - to shape a sustainable world for future generations.

What we believe

Leveraging the work of partners in the UN, academia, civil society, business, and government - SDSN Youth provides training and resources to enable thousands of young people to drive change.

We lead several global and local initiatives on education advocacy for K-12; sustainable campuses; sustainable cities; and entrepreneurship.

We believe that young people can make a difference, and if we act now, we will create a better and more sustainable future for everyone.

Find out how you can help
“If you tap into the potential of young people - into their creativity, idealism, and numbers. You are going to start the biggest movement for sustainable development in history.”
- Sam Loni, Founder of SDSN Youth

Our theory of change

Young people understand how they can contribute to sustainability as an individual

1

Understand sustainable development

2

Understand challenges of their communities

3

Understand pathways of how to make change

Young people understand how to build strong, sustainable solutions

4

To take action in creating a scaling solution.

5

As part of our network of leading youth-led solutions for the SDGs

Partner

Leverage our global network to accelerate your impact. Work with one of the world’s largest youth-focused networks working on the SDGs.