Number: MA/25/F4/0/016

Flagship: 4 - Environmental transitions

Faculty: FSV

Project leader: Soares Moura, Eva

This collaborative pilot project brings together early-career researchers from Charles University, the University of Milan, and the University of Warsaw to explore how youth voices are integrated into environmental governance in Europe. Emerging from the 2024 Geneva Study Trip on Environmental Governance, the initiative responds to the growing role of young people in climate action, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration, while recognizing that their perspectives remain underrepresented in policymaking. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, it bridges social sciences, environmental studies, cultural analysis, and youth studies, and is grounded in the principles of Environmental Humanities and the ethics of care framework.

The research will examine policy documents and governance strategies in Czechia, Italy, and Poland, assessing the extent to which they reflect youth perspectives and ensure inclusivity in environmental decision-making. Through comparative analysis, field visits, and workshops, the project will map existing research on youth in climate policy, identify best practices, and highlight structural barriers to participation. It aims to produce science-based recommendations for EU member states, supporting more equitable climate policies and advancing biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. Engagement with students and researchers from all three partner universities will foster knowledge exchange, networking, and potential long-term research partnerships.

Activities will include public seminars, in-person research meetings, and international workshops, culminating in an open-access report and a policy brief. Key milestones include a workshop at Charles University with students from Milan and Warsaw, a research visit to the University of Geneva’s Science-Policy Interface, and an international conference on “Narrative, Youth, Governance, and Social Justice in Environmental Transition.” By combining scholarly analysis with participatory events, the project seeks to strengthen youth engagement in environmental governance while building a sustainable transnational network of researchers and students. In doing so, it contributes to the 4EU+ Alliance’s commitment to interdisciplinary research, social justice, and student-led innovation in addressing environmental challenges.