Young people's engagement with climate change through education and agency

The CATAPULT project, funded by JPI Solstice, investigated how climate education can foster youth agency to bridge the gap between concern and action. Led by the University of the West of England, with partners in Genoa (Italy), Tampere (Finland), and Galway (Ireland), it adopted an interdisciplinary approach, integrating political science, psychology, geography of education, and urban planning. The project’s core questions examined the roles of young people, teachers, and other actors in shaping learning environments and the barriers preventing young people from translating climate concerns into actions, such as recycling or collective advocacy.

Understanding young people’s climate priorities

Structured across five work packages, CATAPULT developed a conceptual framework, conducted empirical research, and derived policy implications. A standout feature was the Youth Action Partnership, where young people co-designed research tools, distributed surveys and interpreted findings, ensuring their voices shaped the project. The empirical centerpiece was an exploratory survey of 1,879 students aged 15-18, across the four cities. It revealed that 79% viewed climate change as important, although loss of natural habitats ranked higher. Respondents expressed frustration at inheriting the crisis, with 86% not trusting world leaders, showing widespread skepticism. While 69% reported interest in climate action, most favored individual actions like recycling (52%), energy saving (40%), and climate friendly transport (35%) over collective efforts, citing competing priorities and limited knowledge of advocacy mechanisms.

However, young people in Finland stood out from their peers. They showed less of a desire to engage with the topic in comparison to the other locations in the study. In Galway, young people emphasised the value of family-based discussions, seeking climate education that involves parents and grandparents sharing knowledge and encouraging action across generations. Whilst 64% felt personally impacted, almost all respondents believed that people in other countries are more affected by climate change.

Barriers to greater engagement with climate action

Dr. de Vito identified key barriers to greater engagement with climate action from young people: siloed school curricula, where climate education is confined to science and geography, and insufficient action-based learning resources. In Bristol, initiatives like the Black and Green Ambassadors linked climate action to inequality, but teachers reported a lack of cross-disciplinary integration. Narrative mapping revealed enthusiasm for outdoor education, with a majority of young people in Bristol favoring nature-based learning. Social norms emerged as critical, with peer and family engagement doubling the likelihood of action with 67% reporting that they would be more involved if friends were as well. In Genoa, experiences with extreme weather events heightened concern among young people, increasing their interest. Despite climate anxiety, young people also expressed hope. Of the participants, 67% noted that they were familiar with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 89% agreed that climate action is a priority.

Education’s role in fostering agency in young people

Challenges to the research process included COVID lockdowns, declining engagement during exam periods and a relatively small, homogenous sample. Despite these challenges, the project produced valuable toolkits for focus groups and policy workshops. Dr. de Vito emphasized that empowering young people requires moving beyond climate science to developing actionable skills to reduce climate anxiety, as only 45% of respondents reported a desire to act on a weekly or daily basis. In the follow-up discussion, Dr. de Vito noted gender differences with female respondents being more concerned and engaged with the climate crisis. A relatively narrow focus on the 15-18 age group was to allow for co-production which is more difficult with younger age groups. The discussion with policy fellows highlighted the disparity that corresponding surveys of young people in the Global South (who represent the majority of the global youth population) often aspire to carbon-intensive lifestyles (e.g. driving, flying, consumer goods), contrasting with the West’s focus on sustainability and complicating efforts to universalise climate education strategies.

Recommendations include embedding action-based learning in schools, scaling outdoor education, and hosting city-wide events to amplify climate programmes. Dr. de Vito suggested that local experiences, like floods, heighten engagement, but broader awareness of global inequities is more impactful. As the 2030 SDG deadline nears, CATAPULT underscores education’s role in fostering agency in young people.

Dr de Vito’s findings are available as a CSaP working paper here.

Image from Markus Spiske via Unsplash