The Future is Climate: Empowering Youth Voices for Climate Adaptation
As the climate crisis accelerates, it is reshaping not only ecosystems and economies but also the way societies must think, decide, and act. Yet one crucial question remains: are we truly involving young people — those who will inherit the future — in shaping climate adaptation strategies today?
In Spain, The Future is Climate project is answering that question with a powerful new model of citizen engagement. By combining citizen science, deliberative democracy, and youth participation, this initiative is redefining how climate knowledge is produced and how decisions are made for a sustainable future.
Climate action through dialogue and participation
The Future is Climate (FIC) project is built around two interconnected bodies:
The Climate Metaforum, made up of 40 randomly selected young people from across Spain.
The Climate Advisory Council, composed of 20 climate scientists and experts.
Together, these groups form a collaborative ecosystem where scientific knowledge meets lived experience, and where young citizens become co-researchers and decision-makers.
Unlike traditional citizen science projects focused on natural sciences, FIC operates within the fields of social and political science. Participants are not simply collecting environmental data — they are analyzing the social, cultural, and political barriers to climate action in their own communities. Through data collection, training, and consensus-building, they generate informed recommendations that reflect both scientific evidence and social realities.
From awareness to action
The project’s process begins with training sessions led by climate experts, equipping young participants with the tools and understanding needed to evaluate environmental challenges. Participants then conduct fieldwork within their communities, gathering qualitative and quantitative data on obstacles to climate action — from lack of information and resources to social inequities or political inaction.
Through structured deliberations, these findings are discussed, debated, and transformed into policy recommendations. The outcomes are not merely symbolic — they feed directly into advocacy efforts, influencing climate governance and promoting institutionalized youth participation in policy-making.
Redefining climate governance
The Future is Climate recognizes that climate adaptation is not only a technical or scientific challenge — it is a democratic one. True resilience depends on inclusive governance, trust between citizens and institutions, and the ability to combine collective intelligence with expert insight.
This project creates a bridge between two worlds that too often remain separate: science and society. By engaging youth directly in the deliberative process, it fosters transparency, accountability, and a shared sense of ownership over climate solutions.
Moreover, it demonstrates how citizen science can expand beyond environmental monitoring to include participatory policy research — a crucial step in aligning climate action with democratic values.
Building a generation of climate ambassadors
The initiative also plays a key role in environmental education. Young participants evolve from students to ambassadors, carrying knowledge, awareness, and a sense of responsibility back to their communities. This multiplier effect extends the project’s impact, ensuring that engagement with climate issues continues well beyond the program itself.
Through continuous mentorship and collaboration with scientists, participants gain confidence and credibility as contributors to national and local discussions on sustainability. The result is not just a better understanding of climate challenges, but the creation of a generation equipped to lead adaptive, evidence-based change.
A European framework for participatory climate action
As climate adaptation becomes a central pillar of European policy, The Future is Climate serves as a model of how youth participation can strengthen resilience. It offers a blueprint for connecting citizen science, policy innovation, and education, transforming awareness into concrete solutions.
By empowering young people to take part in shaping the policies that affect their future, the project ensures that climate governance becomes more inclusive, dynamic, and future-oriented.
As part of the Flourish phase of the ScienceUs Project, The Future is Climate embodies the European vision of collaboration between science and society. It shows that the path to climate resilience begins with dialogue, empowerment, and shared knowledge — ensuring that the voices shaping tomorrow’s world are heard today.
“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 European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”