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

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  • Matthias Kowasch

    (Institute of Secondary Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Styria, 8010 Graz, Austria
    Faculty of Education, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2318 Hamar, Norway
    Geographisches Institut, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany)

  • Joana P. Cruz

    (Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal)

  • Pedro Reis

    (Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Niklas Gericke

    (Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Karlstad, 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden)

  • Katharina Kicker

    (Department of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria)

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 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Kowasch & Joana P. Cruz & Pedro Reis & Niklas Gericke & Katharina Kicker, 2021. "Climate Youth Activism Initiatives: Motivations and Aims, and the Potential to Integrate Climate Activism into ESD and Transformative Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:11581-:d:660577
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Teresa Berglund & Niklas Gericke, 2018. "Exploring the Role of the Economy in Young Adults’ Understanding of Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Niklas Gericke & Daniel Olsson & Teresa Berglund, 2015. "The Effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-25, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Melanie Zurba & Polina Baum-Talmor & Roberta L. Woodgate & David Busolo & Andrew Park & Erica Mendritzki & Lisa Binkley, 2024. "“I start to doubt whether any of my actions will matter”: youth activists’ experiences and expressions of the emotions associated with climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(6), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Claudiu Coman & Vasile Gherhes & Anna Bucs & Lorant Bucs & Dana Rad, 2025. "Sustainability at the Intersection: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Impact of Social Movements on Environmental Activism from 1998 to 2025," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-21, June.
    3. Harriet Thew & Lucie Middlemiss & Jouni Paavola, 2022. "“You Need a Month’s Holiday Just to Get over It!” Exploring Young People’s Lived Experiences of the UN Climate Change Negotiations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, April.
    4. Madeleine Hohenhaus & Jennifer Boddy & Shannon Rutherford & Anne Roiko & Natasha Hennessey, 2023. "Engaging Young People in Climate Change Action: A Scoping Review of Sustainability Programs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Viktoriia Tomnyuk & Giuseppe Varavallo & Tania Parisi & Filippo Barbera, 2023. "All Shades of Green: The Anatomy of the Fridays for Future Movement in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-16, September.

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