​Intergenerational Climate Circle: Big Questions, Big Bets Edition

​An Intergenerational Climate Circle at COP30

​Co-hosted by Youth Climate Collaborative & Oxfam Novib

​Event Overview

​How can philanthropy, civil society, government, the private sector, and technology best support youth leadership in the climate movement? At Big Questions, Big Bets, we will bring together 60 leaders across generations and sectors for an interactive dialogue on the questions shaping youth climate philanthropy—and the bold bets being made to meet this moment.

​Building on our first round at the Climate Justice Camp in Mexico this September, this gathering is a collaborative think-space where participants surface the big questions on their minds, exchange their boldest strategies, and build shared clarity on the future of youth climate finance and action.

​Why Now?

​With climate impacts intensifying and youth at the frontlines, philanthropy, business, and policy must evolve. Leaders are grappling with how to:

• ​Sustain youth engagement and well-being

• ​Measure and scale impact equitably

• ​Bridge divides across sectors, geographies, and generations

• ​Take risks on bold new approaches that blend philanthropic, public, and private capital

​This convening creates a trusted space to wrestle with these questions and spotlight the bets already in motion, and will operate under Chatham House Rule. 

​What to Expect

• ​Interactive format: Small group dialogues, big-picture synthesis, and candid exchange.

• ​Big Questions Roundtable: What’s keeping leaders up at night? What questions do funders have for youth leaders and vice versa to better understand each other?

• ​Big Bets Exchange: What bold actions are underway—and what can we learn from them? Where are funders and youth spending their time, resources, and energy? What are the areas of alignment and misalignment, and gaps?

• ​Collective Mapping: Aligning insights into a living agenda for youth climate philanthropy and investment.

​Outcomes

​Participants will walk away with:

• ​A clearer sense of the top questions shaping the field

• ​Exposure to bold experiments and models across philanthropy, private sector, government, civil society, and tech

• ​New intergenerational and cross-sector relationships for collaboration

• ​A summary brief capturing questions, bets, and opportunities shared during the session

​Legacy

​The outputs of Big Questions, Big Bets will live beyond COP30. We will circulate a collective insights brief and invite participants to help shape future conversations and collaborations that advance youth-centered climate philanthropy and action. This includes potentially hosting this session again at various convenings and online throughout 2026.