Youth engagement and education for realising the Green Deal on the “fit for 55” wave

<< Background >>The Youth Fit for 55 project was created to strengthen the link between youth and the Green Transition, in response to the urgent environmental and societal challenges addressed by the EU Green Deal and its “Fit for 55” legislative package. We recognised that while youth are deeply concerned about climate change, many lack the tools, skills, and supportive environments needed to take meaningful action. Youth-serving organisations, in particular, require resources and strategic guidance to embed sustainability into their work. Our project aimed to fill this gap by building a strong knowledge base, equipping youth educators with practical tools, and enhancing the capacity of organisations to lead on green issues. Through awareness-raising, skills development, and cross-sectoral collaboration, the project laid the groundwork for a more inclusive, youth-driven green transition that can scale and support long-term climate goals.<< Objectives >>The main objective of Youth Fit for 55 was to empower youth and youth-serving organisations to take an active role in the Green Transition. We aimed to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change, as outlined in the European Green Deal strategy, and to build the skills and capacities needed to address them. Specifically, the project set out to: (1) increase youth understanding and commitment to climate action; (2) equip youth educators with foresight tools and innovative methodologies; (3) support organisations in developing strategic approaches to sustainability; and (4) create open access resources that enable wider use and adaptation. By doing so, we intended to foster active citizenship, green social innovation, and long-term systemic change across the youth sector in Europe.<< Implementation >>Youth Fit for 55 implemented a diverse set of activities across five interlinked work packages. We launched a European-wide awareness campaign, developed and disseminated a digital Awareness Guide, and organised a Youth Ideas Contest to promote climate engagement. A Foresight Toolkit was co-created to equip youth educators with future-oriented methods for green transition planning. A pan-European consultation mapped the needs of youth-serving organisations, leading to the development of a strategic Blueprint. Training activities (LTTA) provided hands-on experience in applying foresight and sustainability tools. The project also created a Digital Hub as a central learning and collaboration platform. Five national multiplier events were organised to present results and engage communities. Throughout the project, we ensured strong dissemination, monitoring, and evaluation to maintain quality and reach.<< Results >>Youth Fit for 55 delivered several concrete and high-impact results. These include a Digital Awareness Guide available in 5 languages, a Youth Ideas Contest that sparked innovation among young changemakers, a Foresight Toolkit offering practical tools for educators, and a Strategic Blueprint designed to guide youth-serving organisations in embedding sustainability. We also launched the Youth Fit for 55 Digital Hub, which reached nearly 27,000 users and offers open-access resources, blogs, videos, and podcasts. Two learning activities equipped youth educators with practical foresight and sustainability skills, while five national multiplier events enabled community engagement and knowledge sharing. Evaluation data confirmed the resources were perceived as accessible, relevant, and useful by over 85% of users. These outputs directly supported our goal of empowering youth and strengthening organisational capacity for driving the green transition.