Youth networks: key but overlooked players in environmental governance

Young people constitute a major demographic group but are underrepresented in decision-making processes. A new article, published in the journal People and Nature, sheds light on the key roles of youth networks in connecting different stakeholders. It describes some of their successes, the barriers they have encountered and offers recommendations.

Drawing on the experiences of twelve youth networks engaged in environmental governance, the researchers, including Centre associate Axel Eriksson, highlight the bridging role these networks play in environmental governance.

They connect young people with one another and across generations, facilitate interactions between local movements and decision-makers from the local to the international level, and between different decision-making spheres.

Youth networks also achieve tangible successes, according to the article: they empower young people to take action to transform certain aspects of society, contribute to the recognition of young people as key actors, and influence certain political processes.

“The study confirms what we as youth networks already knew: young people are actors, not only beneficiaries, in shaping the future we want, for people and the planet. It is time to remove the barriers," says Centre associate Axel Eriksson, one of the co-authors.

A shared challenge

However, youth networks face significant obstacles.

Some hinder their access to governance forums: a lack of structures for youth engagement, a lack of resources – particularly funding – and significant inequalities in access to environmental governance. Others are systemic, meaning they are rooted in the very functioning of institutions: a lack of recognition of young people and their contributions, insufficient support for local initiatives that transform societal practices, and power imbalances among stakeholders.

These findings call on stakeholders and institutions involved in environmental governance to pay greater attention to youth participation processes, particularly by recognizing young people’s right to participate in decision-making, implementing best practices for youth engagement, supporting local initiatives aimed at transforming societies, and critically rethinking environmental governance to avoid power imbalances. This is a collective challenge that requires the collaboration of all generations to ensure meaningful youth participation, which is essential for achieving the necessary societal transformations.