Climate change is not only an environmental crisis—it is also a question of fairness between generations. Decisions made today about energy systems, resource use, and environmental protection will shape the world that today’s children and future generations inherit. The concept of intergenerational justice highlights this imbalance, calling attention to the responsibility of current decision-makers to consider the long-term consequences of their actions.
As the climate crisis intensifies, this idea has gained increasing attention in both research and policy debates. Young people are among those who will experience the most far-reaching impacts of climate change, yet many remain excluded from formal democratic processes such as voting. This tension has made youth participation a central issue in climate governance.
Across the world, younger generations are responding by engaging in climate politics in new ways—through activism, advocacy, legal action, and emerging institutional platforms. Understanding these forms of participation is essential for researchers and policymakers seeking to build more inclusive and forward-looking approaches to climate governance.
Youth climate movements as drivers of political mobilization
Over the past decade, youth-led climate movements have become some of the most visible actors in environmental politics. Movements such as Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, and the Sunrise Movement have mobilized millions of participants worldwide, including large numbers of school-aged children and young adults.
These movements operate largely outside traditional electoral politics. Through school strikes, street demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience, they provide alternative channels for political expression for individuals who may lack formal political power. Their messaging combines scientific evidence, moral urgency, and systemic critique, often questioning the effectiveness and legitimacy of existing political and economic institutions in addressing the climate crisis.
Youth climate movements have also played an important agenda-setting role. Large-scale protests—particularly the global climate strikes of 2019—helped place climate change at the center of political debate in many countries. By framing the crisis as an issue of generational injustice, these movements have challenged policymakers to confront the long-term consequences of short-term decision-making.
At the same time, there are several internal challenges within youth climate movements. Questions of inclusivity, representation, and strategic coherence remain important areas of debate. As movements grow transnationally, they encompass participants with diverse political ideologies, social backgrounds, and strategic priorities.
Bringing youth voices into climate governance
In parallel with grassroots mobilization, governments and international organizations have begun experimenting with new institutional mechanisms to incorporate youth perspectives into climate governance.
At the national level, several countries have introduced structured forms of youth engagement in policymaking. Examples include youth advisory councils, climate forums, and targeted funding schemes designed to support youth-led initiatives. These mechanisms aim to bridge the gap between activism and formal decision-making by creating institutional channels through which younger generations can contribute to policy discussions.
At the international level, multilateral organizations are increasingly integrating intergenerational equity into their policy frameworks. Initiatives within the United Nations system, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the European Union reflect a growing recognition that long-term sustainability requires governance models capable of accounting for future generations.
Legal strategies are also becoming more prominent. Young people and child-focused organizations are increasingly turning to strategic litigation to hold governments and corporations accountable for climate-related harms. These cases often invoke human rights frameworks, arguing that insufficient climate action violates the rights of children and future generations.
Intergenerational justice in the context of Trans4Demo
The Trans4Demo project investigates how different forms of contentious politics—such as social movements, protests, grassroots initiatives, and political mobilizations—interact with the twin challenges of climate change and democratic governance. The project examines how these forms of mobilization influence liberal democratic systems and contribute to, or contest, sustainability transitions.
Within this broader framework, one strand of research focuses on the role of pro-democratic mobilizations that emerge in response to perceived gaps in institutional participation. These mobilizations often arise when citizens feel that existing political channels do not adequately address urgent environmental or social concerns.
Intergenerational justice provides a particularly relevant lens for examining such dynamics. The issue highlights how younger generations are being socialized into political participation in the context of the climate crisis, while also raising questions about how democratic institutions respond to new forms of youth engagement. Mapping the actors, initiatives, and institutional developments associated with intergenerational climate justice is therefore a key step in understanding evolving forms of political participation in sustainability transitions.
What we still need to understand
Despite growing scholarly and policy attention, significant knowledge gaps remain in understanding the role of youth in climate politics.
One key challenge concerns the relationship between youth movements and institutional authority. Researchers have noted that activists sometimes draw legitimacy from alliances with scientists and other established actors. This raises important questions about how scientific expertise is mobilized within social movements and how such alliances shape perceptions of credibility and neutrality.
Another area requiring further research relates to the internal dynamics of youth climate movements. Studies suggest that movements such as Fridays for Future exhibit considerable ideological diversity, which may influence their strategies, alliances, and long-term political impact.
Geographical representation also remains uneven. Much of the existing research focuses on Europe and other Western contexts, while relatively little attention has been given to youth climate activism in the Global South. Considering that many countries in these regions are among the most vulnerable to climate change, expanding comparative research across different political and socio-economic contexts is particularly important.
Implications for democratic renewal
The growing visibility of youth climate activism and the increasing focus on intergenerational justice are beginning to reshape conversations about democracy and climate governance. Around the world, young people are not only raising awareness about the climate crisis—they are also experimenting with new ways of participating in political life.
At the same time, the relationship between young activists and political institutions is not always straightforward. Many young people express frustration with what they perceive as slow or insufficient responses from governments and international institutions. In some cases, this frustration is reflected in declining trust in traditional political processes. These developments highlight the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for youth participation that connect grassroots mobilization with formal decision-making structures.
This raise important questions. How can democratic systems respond to new forms of youth engagement? And how can institutions ensure that the interests of future generations are taken into account when decisions are made today?
Looking ahead, the role of younger generations in shaping climate debates is likely to grow even further. As sustainability transitions accelerate, understanding how young people participate in climate politics—and how institutions respond—will be crucial for strengthening democratic governance and building more inclusive approaches to climate and environmental policy.
More on this topic can be accessed here: Working paper on Intergenerational justice in environmental and climate justice, Deliverable D5.1
Photo: Children watch plant trees, hold in their hands. Selective focus. by yanadjana