UPG Sustainability Leadership mobilises people and organisations to support Positive Citizen Leadership on Sustainability. We bring together people who are committed to impact by taking positive actions. From 2019 until now, 2742 UPG Sustainability Leaders have already been trained and in 2025 UPG is training and certifying 500 new young leaders from all over the world and flying 60 of them to a FREE, complementary and immersive 1-week experience on an island in the USA: the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership.
To apply, head over to https://upg.live/UPGSustainability and click on APPLY. You will be directed to an online application form which you can complete.
• Applications must be completed online; applications that are mailed, faxed or emailed to UPG will not be accepted
• Questions that are marked with a red asterisk are mandatory and must be answered
• Individuals may only submit one application. If an applicant submits two applications using different email addresses, then the individual will be disqualified
• Candidates must be aged 18-35 between 1 March and 31 July 2025.
• Candidates must be self-motivated, capable of overcoming major challenges and able to think outside the box.
• Applicants from all nationalities are eligible to apply
• Candidates from all genders and candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Yes. All applicants to the UPG Sustainability Leadership program will need to have a good understanding of English to apply. Application forms, all training and all supporting materials will be in English so to get the most out of the program a strong English language capability is required.
Applications are welcome from all candidates who will be a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 35 years of age between 1 March and 31 July 2025. This ensures that all candidates are within this age group for the duration of the training and experiences that are planned.
Candidates outside that age range are not eligible for UPG Sustainability Leadership but are welcome to join the UPG Community for other opportunities: https://unitedpeople.global/join/
Applications are welcome from all candidates who will be a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 35 years of age between 1 March and 31 July 2025. This ensures that all candidates are within this age group for the duration of the training and experiences that are planned.
Candidates outside that age range are not eligible for UPG Sustainability Leadership but are welcome to join the UPG Community for other opportunities: https://unitedpeople.global/join/
UPG is looking for young determined people from all different paths of life and regions of the world. From well-experienced professionals to freshly graduated students. The selection process considers four factors:
A. Your Profile – this helps us to strive for diversity
B. Your Motivation – we select the most motivated
C. Your Capabilities and
D. The Potential for Impact
You can become a UPG Champion. Becoming a UPG Champion indicates to us that you are already doing your part to spread ideas of peace and sustainability wherever you are based. To learn more about becoming a UPG Champion, click the link here.
An Affiliate Institution is a School or University that commits to engage in sharing the news about the UPG Sustainability Leadership Program with its network. The first 50 Affiliate Institutions worldwide which mobilize at least 50 applications get at least 1 seat secured for the upcoming class (this means that at least one applicant from their network will be selected to become a UPG Sustainability Leader).
It is optional to nominate an Affiliate Institution, but applicants that do so have an advantage in the selection process.
You can nominate as many institutions as you want and our team will make contact with them, but nominating more institutions does not mean more additional bonus points.
There is no problem in having duplicated nominations, the bonus point is related to the engagement of the applicant into generating impact and it is not linked to if the institution becomes an Affiliate or not.
No, you just need to inform the name of the institution and, if available, the contact e-mail. The UPGS internal team will take care of getting in contact.
Yes, we would strongly advise you to include a video as part of your application. This is an opportunity to add personality to your application and for us to get to know you better. To upload a video, create a video up to 2 minutes, upload it to a drive or video sharing platform, as not listed, and include the link in the requested field at the application form. Please provide all details requested when uploading you video, specifically your name and the purpose of the upload: UPG Sustainability Leadership.
The UPG Sustainability Leadership program will be offered entirely online. This means you can participate from wherever you are in the world. From our 500 selected participants, 60 will be chosen to join a one week immersive trip to Hurricane Island to continue their learning at the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. Covid-19 restrictions allowing.
UPG Sustainability Leaders commit themselves to execute at least one SDG related local project and host one mini-training session in their community to share the knowledge they have gained as part of the program.
A mini-training session is a one-tie event where the UPG Sustainability Leader runs a training session in their local community, a school or organisation (usually between 1-2 hours) to raise awareness about the SDGs and/or about the sustainability-related project.
The project is something broader that will not only raise awareness but also impact your local community and it usually involves actions.
Sustainability Leaders will be provided with the tools to carry out this project and training as part of the program.
Applications close on the 31st December 2024. Applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their application by 14th February 2025.
Nothing. Participation in UPG Sustainability Leadership is FREE for selected participants. All 500 participants will receive online training free of charge and all will be certified as UPG Sustainability Leaders after completion of the course.
Participants selected for the 1 week immersive excursion will have the costs of the program covered – training material, accommodation, subsistence, local transportation, international flights (a round trip flight from participant’s home town to the US)
No. Visas are not included in the costs of the program, and selected applicants are entirely responsible for covering these expenses. UPG will send visa application letters to assist with the process (if necessary).
You can message us through the CONTACT US form and we will get back to you shortly.