Nine Belgian municipalities were selected for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund and will each receive €34,000 to help young people aged 15 to 24 develop local climate and sustainability projects.
The selected Belgian municipalities are the Brussels municipalities of Etterbeek, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and Saint-Gilles, along with Liège, Ghent, Charleroi, Namur and Mons.
They join a global network of 300 cities taking part in the fund, which supports local climate micro-projects and helps young people turn their ideas into practical action against climate change.
Other participating cities include Copenhagen, Budapest, Turin and Kyiv, as well as municipalities across South America, the United States, Canada, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East.
The funding is intended to allow young people to develop and deliver projects that contribute to the climate transition.
Calls for projects in Etterbeek
In Etterbeek, the call for projects aimed at 15 to 24-year-olds will open on 1 September 2026. To apply, young people must submit their project through associations, youth groups, schools, libraries or museums active in the municipality.
Projects must also align with the goals of Etterbeek’s Climate Plan, which focuses on sustainable mobility, food, circular resource management, biodiversity, sustainable water management and climate resilience.
Selected projects will receive between €860 and €4,300 to cover their costs. Etterbeek said these amounts are indicative and may vary depending on the exchange rate at the time the funding is awarded.
Etterbeek mayor Vincent De Wolf (MR), who is also responsible for Climate, Youth and Civic Participation, emphasised that young people can play an important role in local climate policy this way.
"During previous initiatives, such as the youth conference, I have seen for myself that young people want to champion their ideas for the environment," said De Wolf. "I am therefore delighted to be able to provide them with the resources to work towards sustainable development and to give them the opportunity to gain experience that will shape them as citizens."
