The GenGreen Project: Youth-Driven Solutions for a Sustainable Sports Landscape (GenGreen for short) was officially launched with a high-energy kickoff meeting last week. In Copenhagen, the project began together with key stakeholders, youth representatives, and experts in climate advocacy, sports, and youth engagement. Over three days, the project partners laid the foundation for this ambitious initiative that aims to empower young people as climate change advocates by emphasising active citizenship, leadership, and environmental awareness in sports associations and youth organisations.

About the GenGreen Project

The GenGreen Project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, aims to link youth engagement with climate action through sports, education, and advocacy. By fostering strategic cooperation between youth organisations, climate change experts, and sports associations, GenGreen aims to increase the quality of youth engagement in tackling climate change while empowering young people to lead sustainable initiatives.

Climate change and youth activism have been on our agenda for many years (just think about the fire that the Greta Thunberg spark initiated). Finally, expert partners from 5 countries have come together to launch the GenGreen project to deepen young people’s ability and voice to be a leader and where they have a say in every stage of the process.  

Over the next two years, our main objective will be to collect, adapt, and develop resources and tools related to environmental sustainability, physical activity, and sport. Through these educational materials, we aim to contribute to the capacity building of young people and youth organisations. There are already many existing resources on environmental sustainability, but what excites us most is how we can adapt and implement them under youth leadership!

Beyond all this, we are planning a youth gathering that will bring together 60 young participants from five partner countries to exchange ideas in Copenhagen in October 2025 which will be connected to the MOVE Congress 2025. We are particularly thrilled about MOVE Congress 2025, and the sessions that will be shaped by the active participation of young people. (By the way, registration for MOVE Congress 2025 is now open! If you’re eager to take part in our youth-led workshops and experience an interactive international conference championing recreational sport and health-enhancing physical activity, be sure to register soon.) 

Kickoff Meeting: Building Our Gen Green Vision From Ideas to Action with LEGO bricks

The meeting commenced with a question: “If you were to represent a young person passionate about acting on climate change – along with their mentor – using LEGO, how would you do it?” 

Getting the imagination going, the project designed `ideal´ young activist and their mentor, then sharing their story. Some looked like a strong, sporty, vegan woman…

After each of us created our own young activist and mentor using LEGO, it became much easier to visualise the target audience of the Gen Green project.  

A key highlight was the establishment of our youth team that will follow a peer-learning approach, with half of the members already experienced in community engagement and the other half newly interested but eager to participate.   

The climate change crisis is a reality. We cannot look away while our home is burning. At a time when significant actions are urgently needed to address this challenge, the GenGreen project stands for empowering young people to shape the world of tomorrow.

Key facts
Project period: December 2024-December 2026
Co-funded by: ERASMUS+ KA220-YOU - Cooperation partnerships in youth
Grant amount: €400,000

Project partners
1.    ISCA – International Sport and Culture Association, Denmark, Coordinator
2.    OE - Organization Earth, Greece, Partner
3.    POW – Protect Our Winters, Austria, Partner
4.    BAIS – Budapest Association for International Sports, Hungary, Partner
5.    GAME, Denmark, Partner

GenGreen Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.