Podcast
Partnering on Climate Action for Children, with Catherine Townson
2026-11-12 · By Catherine Townson, Corporate Partnerships Lead for Financial and Professional Services at Save the Children UK,
Catherine Townson of Save the Children UK explores how businesses can help put children at the heart of climate action. Drawing on examples from Bangladesh, the Philippines and Malawi, she highlights locally led adaptation, anticipatory action, climate finance and cross-sector partnerships that strengthen community resilience and enable children to help shape practical climate solutions.
How can business help put children at the heart of climate action? As the world marks the climate COP31, meet Social Impact Pioneer Catherine Townson as she explores how corporate partnerships can turn climate commitments into practical solutions for children and communities.
Catherine, Corporate Partnerships Lead for Financial and Professional Services at Save the Children UK, joins Katie Hyson to discuss climate resilience, locally led adaptation and the role of business in financing change. Drawing on nearly 15 years of partnership experience, she shares what it takes to bring businesses, charities, governments and communities together around a shared purpose.
From schools in the Philippines to children sharing weather forecasts in Bangladesh, Catherine brings climate action to life through examples of young people shaping solutions. Her message is clear: meaningful participation means sharing resources, involve children not in the evidence-based decision making, but also enabling them to help lead the response.
The conversation also explores anticipatory action: investing before disasters strike to protect lives, livelihoods and essential services. Catherine explains how businesses can contribute funding, expertise and influence, and how early support for project design can help unlock larger pools of climate finance. An example from Malawi illustrates the potential for corporate partnerships to support locally led programmes and mobilise funding from the Green Climate Fund.
For business leaders and social impact practitioners, this episode offers practical insights into building partnerships that move beyond transactions towards shared responsibility and lasting impact. It also asks what accountability should look like when global climate promises meet local realities.
Listen for a conversation about climate change and children, innovative climate finance and cross-sector collaboration. Discover why protecting children’s futures requires action today, and how businesses can help scale solutions shaped by the people closest to the challenge. Catherine offers an invitation to connect ambition with action, strengthen community resilience and build partnerships that deliver together.
Links:
Born into the Climate Crisis 2: An unprecedented life: Protecting children’s rights in a changing climate | Save the Children’s Resource Centre: https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/Born-into-the-Climate-Crisis-2.-An-Unprecedented-Life-Protecting-Childrens-Rights-in-A-Changing-Climate.pdf
Hosting a screening of the National Emergency Screening on Climate & Nature : https://www.nebriefing.org/host-the-film
Save the Children’s Green Climate Fund portfolio includes large-scale, locally led adaptation programmes developed with governments and supported through blended financing, bringing together GCF resources with multilateral, public, and private sector investment: https://www.greenclimate.fund/partners/accredited-entities/sca
The Comprehensive School Safety Framework, a tool to support countries across the world to strengthen their education systems against all hazards including climate change developed by an alliance of NGOs, UN agencies, governments and private sector partners: https://gadrrres.net/comprehensive-school-safety-framework
COP31: From LEGO Climate Cities to Mock UN Talks, Six Ways Children Are Taking Climate Action Into Their Own Hands | Save the Children International : https://www.savethechildren.net/news/cop31-lego-climate-cities-mock-un-talks-six-ways-children-are-taking-climate-action-their-own
Save the Children UK’s Young People Climate Fund (accepting applications until 7th December) : https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/how-you-can-help/emergencies/climate-crisis/young-people-climate-fund
Save the Children Global Ventures nature based solutions which generate high integrity carbon credits : https://scgv.org/climatefinance/
And if you would like to find out more and get involved with the Business Fights Poverty Climate Series, click here : https://businessfightspoverty.org/community-forum-people-centred-climate-action-building-resilience-and-shared-prosperity/