Article by Asociación Biodiversa
Across Europe, youth are stepping up to lead environmental change — but they can’t do it alone. The LOCALY project, co-funded by the EU and implemented across Spain, Italy, Germany, and Greece, has demonstrated that youth-led environmental action is not only effective, but essential. Drawing on real-world project evaluations and multi-country survey data, LOCALY has issued a powerful Call to Action directed at local and European policy-makers.
Why Youth Environmental Action Matters
The LOCALY Call to Action highlights a dual opportunity: addressing urgent environmental challenges while boosting youth employability. Youth-led environmental initiatives have been shown to:
- Deliver high-impact local ecological results
- Strengthen teamwork, confidence, and civic participation among young people
- Generate community partnerships and awareness
- Offer a cost-effective strategy for sustainable development
At a time of rising climate risks and persistent youth unemployment, investing in young people’s environmental engagement delivers a double return — for society and for the future workforce.
Insights from LOCALY: What We Learned
Community-Based Environmental Pilots
LOCALY supported youth workers and young people in designing and running environmental projects in their local communities. These pilots demonstrated that:
- Clear guidelines and support networks are essential
- Local adaptation matters — no two communities are the same
- Safe, inclusive environments fuel meaningful participation
- Cultural tools like art and creativity are powerful engagement drivers
Surveying the Ecosystem
In parallel, LOCALY surveyed organizations across the consortium countries to map their environmental engagement and youth involvement. Key findings:
- Most participating organizations are NGOs, civil society groups, or social enterprises
- Common activities include educational programs, awareness campaigns, and community events
- Top challenges include lack of funding, staff shortages, and insufficient institutional support
- 63% of organizations find accessing funding “difficult” or “very difficult”
- Despite this, over 65% are ready to collaborate with youth groups
Key Barriers to Youth Participation
While willingness to involve youth is high, practical barriers persist:
- Limited resources to engage youth meaningfully
- Difficulty reaching youth networks and platforms
- Competing interests (e.g. education, sports)
- Low awareness of available policy tools and EU programs
Many organizations — especially in sectors like community development and civic engagement — struggle to identify and connect with motivated young people. At the same time, nearly 30% of organizations are unaware of national or EU policy tools that could help them.
What Works: Promising Project Types
LOCALY identified several youth-led project models with strong community impact and development outcomes:
- Environmental education and awareness campaigns
- Climate action initiatives
- Urban sustainability efforts like greening interventions and community gardens
Regionally, Mediterranean countries face acute challenges like water and air pollution and waste management, while climate change and biodiversity loss are cross-cutting issues across Europe. These findings point to the need for tailored, local approaches supported by broader EU frameworks.
The Way Forward: Structural Support for Youth-Led Action
To mobilize and retain young people in environmental work, organizations need reliable, long-term support. LOCALY’s findings underscore the urgency of:
- Simplifying access to EU and national funds
- Providing capacity-building support for youth-serving organizations
- Employing trained youth workers to guide and coordinate efforts
- Funding civic service schemes that compensate youth for their time and impact
Importantly, many organizations facing staffing shortages or financial constraints view youth engagement as a strategic solution — not just a moral imperative. Civic service programs, in particular, stand out as a practical, cross-sectoral mechanism to both empower youth and fill critical gaps.
Alignment with EU Priorities
The LOCALY Call to Action is deeply aligned with existing European frameworks, including:
- The European Green Deal and EU Climate Pact
- The EU Youth Strategy (2019–2027)
- The European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ Programmes
However, uptake remains low due to a lack of awareness and application capacity. Addressing this gap is key to unlocking the potential of these resources.
Our Call to Action to Policy-Makers
We call on local and European decision-makers to recognize, fund, and institutionalize youth-led environmental action. Specifically, we urge:
- Formal recognition of youth organizations as strategic partners in climate action and environmental education
- Increased investment in local youth-led environmental initiatives that drive both ecological and social impact
- Simplified access to funding programs through streamlined procedures and entry-level grants
- Employment of youth workers to mentor and manage youth participation at the local level
- Creation of civic service schemes to train and compensate youth contributing to community-based environmental projects
Conclusion: When, if not now?
Youth-led environmental action is already happening — but without structural support, its impact will remain limited and fragmented. The LOCALY project shows that with the right tools, training, and funding, youth can lead Europe’s green transition from the ground up.
Let’s turn this momentum into long-term transformation.
Join us in making youth a central pillar of Europe’s sustainable future.
