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16 pages, 275 KiB

Open AccessReview

Broadening the Meanings of Youth Climate Activism: A Review of the Literature from Asia

by Therese Boje Mortensen and Timisha Dadhich

Youth 2025, 5(3), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth5030067 - 5 Jul 2025

Viewed by 672

It is by now a common trope that youth climate activism has become a ‘global phenomenon’. Yet, it also has significant regional variations. This literature review analyses eighteen academic articles on the topic of youth climate activism in Asia. We found that the [...] Read more.

It is by now a common trope that youth climate activism has become a ‘global phenomenon’. Yet, it also has significant regional variations. This literature review analyses eighteen academic articles on the topic of youth climate activism in Asia. We found that the literature from Asia overall had ambitions to contextualise and nuance international scholarship on youth climate activism. This was achieved by emphasising social and cultural constructions of youth in different Asian contexts; by exploring inequality-related barriers for young people to enter into climate activism; by emphasising solidarity across classes and ages as a particular aspect of much Asian youth climate activism; and by showcasing the political restrictions in many Asian states, which inhibit (scholarship on) activism. We conclude that Asian avatars of youth climate activism have evolved in response to their distinct social, cultural, and political contexts, and that they challenge not easily transferable concepts such as ‘school strike’ and ‘future generations’. At the end, we offer suggestions for future research, including the need for going beyond desk studies when documenting discrete movements and for conceptualisations of youth climate activism that are inclusive of diverse contexts. Full article

17 pages, 311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationships Between Activist Groups and Political Parties Shaping the Portuguese Climate Movement: Dynamics of Resistance and Collaboration

by Juliana Diógenes-Lima, Ana Garcia, Dora Rebelo, Maria Fernandes-Jesus and Carla Malafaia

Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(4), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14040217 - 31 Mar 2025

Viewed by 761

Abstract

Aiming to better understand the relationship between youth activism and institutional politics, this article analyzes young climate activists’ interactions with political parties and how they shape the dynamics of the School Strike for Climate. Through a multi-sited ethnography in Portugal’s two major cities, [...] Read more.

Aiming to better understand the relationship between youth activism and institutional politics, this article analyzes young climate activists’ interactions with political parties and how they shape the dynamics of the School Strike for Climate. Through a multi-sited ethnography in Portugal’s two major cities, we examined the participation experiences of young climate strikers from both chapters of the movement, revealing the contingent and complex development of their relationships with party politics, which ultimately influences the dynamics of Portuguese youth climate activism. The ethnographic data uncovered ambivalent and tensional relationship patterns with political parties in the two local groups. While closeness and collaboration with actors linked to institutional politics aimed at strengthening the climate movement’s broader political representation, it also prompted resistance, leading to internal conflicts within the movement. Our findings highlight differing political strategies and ideological stands among local groups, as well as tensions and ambivalences in the interactions with political parties. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges of sustaining the School Strike for Climate movement over time and the ways in which activist movements negotiate political affiliations and internal cohesion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Contemporary Politics and Society)

12 pages, 700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations between Mental Health, Lifestyle Factors and Worries about Climate Change in Norwegian Adolescents

by Marja Leonhardt, Marie Dahlen Granrud, Tore Bonsaksen and Lars Lien

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12826; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912826 - 7 Oct 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4582

Abstract

Climate change is a serious global health threat that has an impact on young people’s lives and may influence their mental health. Since the global climate strike movement, many adolescents have expressed worries about climate change. Thus, the aim of this study is [...] Read more.

Climate change is a serious global health threat that has an impact on young people’s lives and may influence their mental health. Since the global climate strike movement, many adolescents have expressed worries about climate change. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of worries about climate change, and factors associated with worries about climate change, in a representative sample of Norwegian adolescents. Data were retrieved from Ungdata, an annual nationwide online youth survey. Adolescents (n = 128,484) from lower and upper secondary school participated in the study. Data were analysed descriptively and with logistic regression. Most of the adolescents were not worried or a little worried about climate change. Girls, pupils who had at least one parent with higher education and pupils from urban areas were more inclined to worry about the climate. Adolescents who worried about the climate had more symptoms of depression than those who were less worried. While worry about climate change may constitute an additional burden for adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms, such worry can also be seen to reflect climate-friendly values. Full article

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25 pages, 29950 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Youth Activism Initiatives: Motivations and Aims, and the Potential to Integrate Climate Activism into ESD and Transformative Learning

by Matthias Kowasch, Joana P. Cruz, Pedro Reis, Niklas Gericke and Katharina Kicker

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11581; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111581 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 10488

Abstract

For about two years, the climate youth activism initiative Fridays for Future has addressed climate emergency, receiving considerable attention because of their consistent protests every week in many different locations worldwide. Based on empirical studies in Austria and Portugal, this paper investigates the [...] Read more.

For about two years, the climate youth activism initiative Fridays for Future has addressed climate emergency, receiving considerable attention because of their consistent protests every week in many different locations worldwide. Based on empirical studies in Austria and Portugal, this paper investigates the motivations of students to participate in the movement and the solutions proposed by young activists to fight against climate emergency. Moreover, we discuss the integration of climate change activism into ESD (education for sustainable development) and transformative learning processes, and how this enables environmental citizenship. The results of the studies reveal that emotions and feelings of solidarity and collective aims are motives to participate in the strikes. The young activists sometimes propose innovative and sometimes radical solutions to climate emergency. Both demonstrations and exhibitions as forms of bottom-up climate activism initiatives contribute to engagement in political dialogue and scientific knowledge transfer. They can be seen as “triggers of change” for transformative learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Climate Activism and Sustainable Civic and Political Engagement)

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19 pages, 307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“These Are the Very Small Things That Lead Us to That Goal”: Youth Climate Strike Organizers Talk about Activism Empowering and Taxing Experiences

by Magdalena Budziszewska and Zuzanna Głód

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11119; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911119 - 8 Oct 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5930

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we face, and the Fridays for Future wave of protests is unique both in its youth character and global reach. However, still not enough is known about how young activists experience their involvement and [...] Read more.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we face, and the Fridays for Future wave of protests is unique both in its youth character and global reach. However, still not enough is known about how young activists experience their involvement and how the experience of climate activism connects to their personal development and psychological well-being. To gain an enhanced understanding of this issue, we conducted a qualitative study based on eight in-depth interviews with individuals deeply involved in the Youth Climate Strike in Poland. We analyzed the interviews using a rigorous multi-stage thematic analysis. Results showed that the empowering aspects of activism were associated with a heightened sense of agency, a sense of belonging to a community, a sense of duty and ethical integrity, of finding one’s voice and learning new skills, and a sense of personal growth. Activists also indicated aggravating aspects of involvement, such as involving the struggle for balance between activism and other spheres of life, overwork, and conflicts within a peer group. In conclusion, in contrast to the pressing nature of the climate change conundrum, climate activism is often experienced by its young participants as a mostly empowering experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Climate Activism and Sustainable Civic and Political Engagement)

19 pages, 697 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Issue Movements: Political Repertoires and Drivers of Participation among Belgian Youth in the Context of ‘School Strike for Climate’

by Cato Waeterloos, Peter Conradie, Michel Walrave and Koen Ponnet

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9892; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179892 - 2 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4820

Abstract

It often remains unclear how young citizens are combining various forms of political participation, as well as why they choose some over others, especially within a single-issue movement. Moreover, little is known about how social networking sites (SNS) fit into the political repertoires [...] Read more.

It often remains unclear how young citizens are combining various forms of political participation, as well as why they choose some over others, especially within a single-issue movement. Moreover, little is known about how social networking sites (SNS) fit into the political repertoires of citizens. Therefore, this study explores youths’ political participation patterns in the context of the 2019 youth-led climate strikes. We rely on data from a paper and pencil survey among 498 high school students in Belgium. To identify different types of activists, the study used latent class analysis (LCA). In addition, a multinomial logistic regression was conducted to assess how identified participation types differ from each other. Four different participation repertoires regarding the climate issue were identified, each distinctive in the way they rely on different forms of political participation. In addition, membership to each of the different classes is associated with a unique set of characteristics (in terms of political efficacies, climate issue involvement, and online expression motives). The article shows how SNS make up a crucial part of youths’ issue-specific participation patterns and sheds light on the mechanisms underlying their participation choices within the climate movement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Climate Activism and Sustainable Civic and Political Engagement)

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17 pages, 278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Identity and Risk Perception Explain Participation in the Swiss Youth Climate Strikes

by Adrian Brügger, Moritz Gubler, Katharine Steentjes and Stuart B. Capstick

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10605; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410605 - 18 Dec 2020

Cited by 47 | Viewed by 8205

Abstract

Since late 2018, young people around the world have united to demand greater action on climate change. Aside from their stated concerns and demands, however, very little is known about why young people have been joining this growing movement. Using a large sample [...] Read more.

Since late 2018, young people around the world have united to demand greater action on climate change. Aside from their stated concerns and demands, however, very little is known about why young people have been joining this growing movement. Using a large sample (N = 4057) of people in Switzerland aged between 14 and 25, we show that social identity is most strongly associated with participation, followed by beliefs about the effectiveness of youth strikes, level of education, and worry about climate change. Our findings affirm the relevance of both climate change risk perceptions and social identity-related processes for collective climate change action, and pave the way for promising opportunities in theory development and integration. The study also provides lessons for those who seek to maintain and increase collective action on climate change: concern about climate change is an important motivating factor, but social identity processes are at least as relevant for young people’s participation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development)

15 pages, 1468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Twitter Indicating a Change in MP’s Views on Climate Change?

by Rhian Ebrey, Stephen Hall and Rebecca Willis

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10334; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410334 - 10 Dec 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3974

Abstract

Following the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 °C Special Report in October 2018, there has been a surge in public concern about climate change and demands for greater government action. We analyse the discourse of Members of Parliament [...] Read more.

Following the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 °C Special Report in October 2018, there has been a surge in public concern about climate change and demands for greater government action. We analyse the discourse of Members of Parliament (MPs) on climate change on Twitter to examine the extent to which these recent public climate-related events have influenced political agenda-setting. We argue that these events have had two, linked, effects: increased political discourse on climate change, and an increasing use of ‘urgent’ climate language. However, the language style used between political parties differs. Additionally, while the youth strikes and Greta Thunberg, who initiated these strikes, appear to have the greatest influence on MPs’ discourse, the overall relative impact is low, with responses predominately from left- and centrist-political parties. This indicates a clear difference between parties. However, Twitter may not be a suitable platform for investigating Conservative discourse. Further work to explore agenda-setting on Conservative policymaking is required. Full article

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23 pages, 417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Youth Mobilization to Stop Global Climate Change: Narratives and Impact

by Heejin Han and Sang Wuk Ahn

Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 4127; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104127 - 18 May 2020

Cited by 206 | Viewed by 49876

Abstract

Galvanized by Greta Thunberg’s idea for Friday school strikes, “climate strikes” emerged in 2018 and 2019 as a form of youth social movement demanding far-reaching action on climate change. Youths have taken various actions to combat climate change, but academics have not paid [...] Read more.

Galvanized by Greta Thunberg’s idea for Friday school strikes, “climate strikes” emerged in 2018 and 2019 as a form of youth social movement demanding far-reaching action on climate change. Youths have taken various actions to combat climate change, but academics have not paid sufficient attention to youth climate mobilization. This study thus examines the questions of what has motivated youth to mobilize and how they have shaped global climate politics and governance. This study focuses particularly on the narrative of youth activists to address their understanding of climate change and their ideas regarding how to respond to it. Youth collective action has succeeded in problematizing global climate inaction and inertia and in framing climate change from a justice perspective, but activists have faced limitations in converting their moral legitimacy into the power required for sweeping changes. Overall, this study demonstrates the emergence of young people as agents of change in the global climate change arena and the urgency of engaging them in climate change governance and policymaking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)

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