In reaction to the growing climate crisis, Europe has proposed a set of green policy initiatives, also known as the European Green Deal. Young people, however, often feel excluded from political decision-making. This sense of exclusion was frequently expressed during Buro EU, a 2018 climate-centered project initiated by Initiatives of Change The Netherlands (IofC). We are forced to wonder: How can we involve young people in Europe’s climate goals? And how can we further promote the European Green Deal to this group?

In our new program Go Green!, IofC and students set out to search for new perspectives on climate and sustainability. Inspired by the Dutch expression ‘a better world begins with you’, IofC aims to make young people reflect on these perspectives and encourage them to adopt sustainable lifestyle choices.

During visits to green citizens’ initiatives, organic/vegetarian cooking workshops, and other activities, students will have the opportunity to reflect upon their own ideas about sustainability. How can they translate these green perspectives into green behavior? Which tools for sustainable living do they need? What do they know about the Green Deal and the role of the EU? During this project, students will contemplate these questions by thinking green and going green.

This project is made possible by Initiatives of Change The Netherlands and the representation of the European Commission in the Netherlands