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In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gave us a comprehensive plan for a sustainable world by 2030. Although we have accumulated much knowledge about the climate crisis, poverty, public health, and other social ills communicated in the SDGs, we seem to lack the inner capacity to deal with our increasingly complex environment and challenges. What has been largely missing from current strategies is a keen insight into which abilities, qualities or skills we need to develop among individuals, groups and organizations that play crucial roles in working to fulfil the SDGs. Without a foundational shift in human values and leadership capacities, external solutions to our global challenges may be limited, too slow or short-lived.

The Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework, an open-source initiative committed to fostering inner development for more sustainable futures, guides this toolkit’s learning journey—moving from self-awareness to actionable, community-based climate leadership. This process follows an ‘inside-out’ approach, encouraging youth to first cultivate a foundation of inner climate consciousness. Through self-development activities, users explore personal values, develop critical thinking skills, and reflect on their individual role within the climate movement.

As the journey progresses, youth expand their awareness from personal growth to interpersonal engagement, strengthening empathy and fostering collaboration. Ultimately, this pathway culminates in a ‘bottom-up’ approach, empowering youth to design and implement community-level initiatives for climate justice.

Rooted in interdisciplinary research, the IDG framework consists of five dimensions (Being, Thinking, Relating, Collaborating and Acting) and 23 skills of human inner growth and development, which are reflected throughout the toolkit’s activities.

Across its chapters, the toolkit offers a progression from personal awareness to collective action. It begins with foundational concepts such as inner development and critical climate consciousness, then guides users through communication, collaboration, advocacy planning, and systems thinking. The later chapters focus on youth-led campaigns, policy engagement, and building inclusive partnerships for change. Each section combines practical tools, reflective prompts, and real-world case studies to inspire meaningful, transformative climate action.
The toolkit is organized in 7 chapters complemented by a library of additional resources.