Inspiring the next generation of climate leaders

Dylan Chand

Dylan Chand’s social enterprise Youth Climate Collective empowers rangatahi to lead climate action in their communities and beyond.

It’s not surprising to learn that social entrepreneur Dylan Chand was an early devotee to all things sustainable. “During high school I was already actively involved in environmental causes, helping lead the Environmental Club and coordinating community projects such as tree-planting and beach clean-ups,” he recalls. What is surprising is that for the young founder of youth-led social enterprise Youth Climate Collective (YCC), sustainability was initially more of a hobby than a calling. “At the time, I didn’t think that working in the climate change space was a feasible career path,” he admits.

Everything changed when he secured a part-time role as a Youth Climate Catalyst at Auckland Council during his second year at university. The position proved pivotal, reigniting his passion for sustainability. “It helped me realise that I wanted to live a purpose-driven life focused on solving problems at the intersection of community and sustainability,” he says.

It also enabled him to crystallise his career path. He’s now in the fourth year of a Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Science conjoint at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. “Engineers play a pivotal role in solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges, particularly in addressing the climate crisis,” he explains. “The ability to design and implement innovative, community-focused solutions that promote environmental resilience is what excites me most about the field.”

Perhaps most critically, Dylan’s role at the Council saw him travel to the C40 World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires. As a youth delegate, he networked with the mayors of some of the largest cities in the world, spoke at a press conference about the importance of youth engagement on climate action and met other students fighting for change. It was a transformative experience. “I was inspired – and awed – by all the young people who were leading mass movements in their own countries,” he remembers. When his role at the Council was cut shortly afterwards, he was galvanised to act and launched his own initiative, the Climate Action Conference, four months later.

The aim of this two-day conference was to bring speakers, panel discussions and hands-on workshops to rangatahi, helping them to lead climate action in their schools, homes and communities. It was Dylan’s first significant project and the learning curve was steep. “It was complete chaos,” he recalls. “It was my first time planning an event and everything that could possibly have gone wrong, did!” The feedback, however, was overwhelmingly positive. “I knew then that there was a demand and need for initiatives like this,” he says. Determined to ensure that the voices of rangatahi were heard not only in decision-making processes, but also in communities and industries, he founded the Youth Climate Collective.

The enterprise empowers young people across Aotearoa New Zealand to take action, educating them through workshops, events and conferences on climate change. The team comprises 28 volunteers based across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Sydney. “Our goal has been to put funding, mentoring and resources directly into the hands of rangatahi,” explains Dylan. With a vision of creating a new generation of climate leaders, the organisation also works to encourage young people towards “green” career pathways.

Hosting the second Climate Action Conference in July has been one of YCC’s key initiatives this year. Alongside climate action workshops and panel discussions, the conference featured keynote presentations from Dr Dan Hikuroa, Associate Professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland, and environmentalist and entrepreneur Brianne West. The event was a huge success, attracting an impressive 265 attendees. “Everything this time went perfectly smoothly, thanks to our incredible organising team. The atmosphere and vibes of the event had elevated ten-fold,” enthuses Dylan.

The highlight was the Climate Careers Panel, at which industry experts from companies like Mercury NZ, Russell McVeagh, Ecotricity and Futureful shared their experiences of working in the climate change space. “This was a huge hit with our audience,” notes Dylan. “It showed that you don’t have to study environmental science to work in ‘green’ jobs – you can pursue careers in accounting, engineering, law and more and still help the movement.”

The enthusiastic involvement of public and private organisations like Auckland Council and Russell McVeagh in YCC initiatives is testament to the time Dylan has invested in building critical relationships with industry partners. “It’s been an incredible experience to network and connect with organisations and individuals that truly care about climate action,” he says. “I’m so thankful for all their support.”

Programmes delivered by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) have also played a significant part in Dylan’s entrepreneurial journey. “I had always been interested in creating impactful change, so entrepreneurship seemed like the natural route to head down,” he reflects. “I’ve been fortunate to have access to so many resources at University through CIE and the Startup Club. My key takeaway has been that your organisation’s purpose has to be solving problems for people, planet and communities.” His recent win in the Service and Leadership category of the University of Auckland Blues Awards, which recognise students who have performed at the highest level, suggests he is achieving exactly that.

Although Dylan claims he’s looking forward to some downtime over summer, it seems unlikely that the enthusiastic young changemaker will be sitting back for long. He’s already planning an inspiring line-up of projects and events for 2025, including leading a YCC youth delegation to the Conference of Parties (COP) – an international event at which governments assess global efforts to advance the Paris Agreement – which will be held in Brazil.

Global conferences on climate change may seem a long way from the Environmental Club at Avondale College, but Dylan’s high school experiences delivered an essential early lesson that continues to inform his approach: never underestimate the power of people united behind a purpose. “No matter the kaupapa, bring people with you on the journey,” he advises. “That is why our organisation is a ‘collective’. Individually, our power may be limited, but when we come together, we have the potential to make a significant impact.”