Across the environmental movement we are entering a moment of generational transition. For decades, the sector has been shaped by extraordinary individuals whose courage and persistence changed how the world understands and protects nature. Figures like Dr Jane Goodall have inspired generations through their lifelong commitment to conservation, while leaders closer to home, such as Professor Emma Johnston, have left a powerful legacy within Australia’s environmental community. They will be dearly missed. Their extraordinary work has helped build the movement we know today, but it also raises an important question: who will lead the next chapter? 

At the AEGN, we have been hearing a growing interest from our members in how philanthropy can better support youth leadership for the environment. The need is clear. Globally, more than half the world’s population is under the age of thirty and in Australia around 38 per cent of people are under thirty. Yet young people rarely hold positions of influence in the institutions and organisations shaping environmental priorities and funding. The gap between those who will live with the consequences of environmental decisions and those making them is stark. Without pathways for emerging leadership, the environmental movement risks a complete lack of succession planning, significant loss of momentum and becoming out of step with those who need it most.  

Young people are not simply future leaders; they are already leading. Across Australia, emerging young champions are engaging their peers in environmental action, building movements and developing new approaches to some of the most complex challenges of our time. Recognising both the opportunity and the gap, AEGN recently hosted a youth-led environmental NGO showcase in Naarm/Melbourne, connecting AEGN members and seven inspiring member-picked organisations: Intrepid Landcare, Just Futures Collab, Blue Minds, Tomorrow Movement, ECOMIND, Co-Exist Australia and Project Planet. The evening offered a glimpse into the creativity, determination and leadership already emerging among young environmental changemakers. 

These conversations are part of a broader effort to understand how philanthropy can best support the next generation of leaders. The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF), which launched its Backing Young People grantmaking strategy in 2021, has learnt a great deal about what effective support for young leaders looks like. Speaking at the showcase, Lynn Anderson, Senior Program Manager at VFFF, emphasised that when the foundation looks for partners, “a key factor is that young people must be front and centre of the work – not as a token gesture, but with a genuine seat at the table, where their input is listened to, acted on and their perspectives inform the work”. VFFF reflects this belief in their own foundation through their Youth Advisory Group, who shortlist the applications for their Backing the Future Program. 

These insights were echoed in a recent roundtable hosted in Sydney by VFFF, where young leaders Kurt Jones, Co-Exist Australia, and Kal Glanznig, Blue Minds, shared their experiences with AEGN members in a conversation led by landscape architect, TV presenter and lover of nature, Costa Georgiadis. As Lynn explains, “Young leaders know what passes the pub test with other young people. They are the ones who are best placed to engage and communicate effectively with other young people and create this ripple effect across their generation”. 

What’s more, ensuring young First Nations leaders have the support, resources and agency to shape their own futures is essential – both for justice and for the strength of environmental solutions grounded in care for Country and community. For more than 65,000 years, First Nations peoples have cared for land and sea Country through deep knowledge, cultural responsibility and connection. Today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders continue to drive critical work at the intersections of climate justice, cultural knowledge, and environmental stewardship.

The youth-led organisations showcased in Naarm/Melbourne are part of a broader ecosystem of emerging leadership that is engaging new audiences, building networks, and creating pathways for environmental action. For philanthropy, the opportunity is significant. Supporting youth leadership is not only about funding youth-led organisations, but about creating the conditions in which young leaders can thrive – through long-term support, mentorship, networks and opportunities to shape decisions that affect their future. 

If the environmental movement is to remain strong and enduring, it must invest in the leaders who will carry it forward. The next generation is already stepping up. The question is whether philanthropy will back them.