Youth & Green Transition
Youth responses to the climate crisis and the role of youth workers
Youth & Green Transition – Coolvoyage Destinations
Youth responses to the climate crisis and the role of youth workers
Climate change and the green transition are not abstract challenges for young people. They are lived realities that shape daily choices, mobility, work opportunities and relationships with place.
Coolvoyage Destinations approaches the green transition through a place-based perspective, focusing on how young people respond to environmental change in the territories where they live, study, work and create.
Rather than promoting generic solutions, we document and support real practices, local responses and community-driven initiatives that emerge in different geographical and cultural contexts.
A place-based approach to the green transition
Youth responses to the climate crisis vary significantly depending on context. Island territories, global tourism destinations and major urban centres face different challenges — and generate different forms of resilience.
Through our network, we explore how young people:
adapt to environmental fragility
negotiate sustainability and economic survival
reclaim local identity and cultural heritage
transform eco-anxiety into action and agency
Territories and perspectives
Sardinia – Environmental fragility and identity
In island contexts like Sardinia, young people respond to the climate crisis by reconnecting with land, sea and cultural heritage. Sustainable tourism, local production and community-based initiatives become tools to resist depopulation and environmental degradation.
London – Urban transition and inequality
In metropolitan contexts, climate challenges intersect with housing, inequality and social justice. Young people use creativity, culture and digital tools to reimagine sustainable urban futures and build collective responses to environmental anxiety.
Phuket – Tourism and environmental responsibility
In global tourism destinations, youth responses focus on balancing economic opportunity with environmental protection. Sustainable tourism practices, ecological awareness and responsible professional choices play a central role.
The role of youth workers
Youth workers are key actors in the green transition. Their role is not to provide ready-made answers, but to support young people in navigating complexity.
Within Coolvoyage Destinations, youth workers act as:
facilitators of learning through experience
mediators between young people and their territories
supporters of youth-led initiatives
connectors between local practices and European dialogue
They help transform environmental awareness into concrete pathways for participation, learning and sustainable livelihoods.
Connecting local responses at European level
Coolvoyage Destinations functions as a European platform for dialogue,
connecting youth responses to the green transition across different territories.
By sharing stories, practices and reflections, we:
strengthen transnational cooperation
promote mutual learning between youth workers
amplify youth voices in the climate transition
contribute to a more inclusive and realistic vision of sustainable futures
Our commitment
We are committed to:
avoiding greenwashing and abstract narratives
centring youth voices and lived experiences
supporting long-term, community-based responses
fostering European cooperation grounded in real contexts
The green transition is already happening in the everyday choices of young people.
Our role is to listen, connect and support those responses — locally and across Europe.