UPG Sustainability Leadership Programme 2025-2026
- Omran Aburayya
- Sep 23
- 3 min read
If you’re a passionate young adult (18-35) who believes that even small positive actions can transform your community — and maybe the world — this is for you. The United People Global (UPG) Sustainability Leadership Programme 2025 is now open for applications and offers free training, membership in a global community, and the chance for an immersive one-week experience in the USA (all costs covered).
🌐 Programme Summary
Location: Global / Online training + one-week immersive experience in the USA (Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership)
Organizer: United People Global (UPG)
Target Group: Young adults aged 18-35, from any region of the world; no prior experience required; passion and commitment to sustainability and positive action are key.
Fields of Focus: Sustainable Development broadly — this includes environmental issues (green issues like waste, recycling, energy, oceans) and social issues like education, health, gender equality, jobs, sustainable consumption/production etc. Programme aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Value & Coverage:
The online training is free for selected participants.
For those selected for the 1-week immersive experience in the USA, all costs are fully covered — includes training materials, accommodation, meals, local transportation, and round-trip international airfare.
Duration: The main training (virtual/online) spans approximately 9 weeks, followed by project / action commitments. The immersive one-week USA experience is in addition.
Application Deadline: December 31, 2024 for the Class of 2025
Start Date: Application opens 1 September 2025 for the Class of 2026. But for the 2025 cycle, the training and immersive components are timed around/after selections.
🎁 Programme Benefits
Free high-quality training in citizen leadership on sustainability, with curriculum covering management, stakeholder engagement, communication, digital tools, storytelling, sustainability in its many dimensions.
Immersive experience in the USA (for selected participants) — includes travel, lodging, meals, training materials, etc.
Certification: All participants who complete the online training become certified as UPG Sustainability Leaders.
Global community / network: Access to a cohort of young leaders from many countries & backgrounds; opportunity to learn from others, share projects, and amplify impact.
Post-training impact: After the training, participants are expected to design and lead a project in their local community or organisation, and also conduct a mini-training session to share what learned with others.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Age between 18 and 35 (with date cut-offs depending on the cycle).
Open to applicants from any country / region.
No requirement for prior experience; passion and motivation are highly valued.
Willingness to take action: be ready to plan and implement a local project, and also to share learning via mini-trainings.
In some cases, being a “Champions” or part of a supporting organisation can give advantage especially for nominations.
✍🏻 How to Apply
Applications are submitted online via UPG’s official platform
You may need to fill an application form with your personal details, motivation statement, project idea, etc. (specifics are on UPG website).
If you are from an organisation or nominating somebody, the organisation might also provide support (e.g. helping candidate implement mini-training, helping with project resources).
Make sure to meet the deadline: 31 December 2024 for the 2025 class.
ℹ️ Additional Useful Info
For Class of 2025, over 10,000 applications were submitted from 170 countries.
The programme is guided by the UN’s SDGs and emphasises that sustainability is both environmental and social (education, gender equality, jobs, health etc.).
