Youth4GreenPolicy
Engaging Youth Voices in Europe's Sustainable Future
Duration: March 2026 - February 2028
Coordinator: Emotic (Austria)
Partnership: 16 partners from 16 European countries
CERV-2025-CITIZENS-CIV
Summary:
Europe's green transition will shape the lives of today's young people more than anyone's, yet youth are often left out of the decisions behind it. Youth4GreenPolicy gives young people and youth workers the knowledge, tools and spaces they need to take part in sustainability policy at local, national and European level.
The project offers a constructive, democratic alternative to polarised climate debates. Instead of protest that divides, it builds on dialogue that connects. Young people learn to weigh the real trade-offs behind green measures, to recognise greenwashing, disinformation and eco-populist narratives, and to engage with decision-makers as informed and confident citizens. Youth workers, in turn, gain the skills to organise dialogues, run simulations and support local responses to European challenges in their own communities.
Gender equality is built into the project from the start, both in its content and in the way activities are run, with visible leadership roles for young women and non-binary young people.
How the project works:
At the heart of the project is a set of interactive, non-formal education tools. The SDGs Intelligence Cards invite young people to discuss the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through ecological, economic and social lenses, always starting from their own local reality. In the Green Quest simulation game, participants step into the roles of NGOs, developers, state agencies, tourism representatives and farmers as they negotiate a wind farm project, experiencing first-hand how complex green decisions can be. Critical Climate Debates ask participants to argue from the perspective of citizens, media, policymakers and scientists, helping them understand opinions different from their own.
Media literacy runs through every activity, supported by climate myth-busting quizzes that make fact-checking fun and fast.
Project journey:
The project started with research and co-design: a transnational working group met in Riga, and an online survey reached young people in more than 20 countries to find out how they engage with climate issues. Building on these results, youth workers from more than 16 countries take part in transnational trainings in Vienna, Ljubljana and Athens, including the multiplier training EcoDigital Citizens for Green Democracy, held in Vienna from 26 to 30 April 2026.
After each training, partners bring the tools home and run local activities with young people in every partner country. Throughout the project, an online community connects participants through webinars, recorded content, debate threads and exchanges with stakeholders. The journey culminates in an online conference and a youth bootcamp in Vienna for the most engaged young people.
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