EMPOWERING DIVERSITY FOR CLIMATE ACTION
Scoping Project
Young Adults between climate crisis, social inequality and shaping the future
New Evidence for Socially Inclusive Climate Communication
October 2023 – January 2025
How do young people from socialy disadvantaged backgrounds experience the climate crisis? What barriers prevent them from taking an active role – and how can we overcome these obstacles?
In this scoping project, funded by Stiftung Mercator, we explored these questions. The focus was on young adults from Eastern Germany, rural areas, migrant communities, and those with lower formal educational attainment.
Using an interdisciplinary mix of methods – including digital analysis, focus groups, a representative survey with 1,500 participants, and stakeholder interviews – we identified social, psychological and democratic barriers to participation.
The findings form the evidence base for the Social Climate Project launched in 2025, and highlight how socially inclusive educational and participatory approaches in climate action can be developed.
You can access our publication and a press release on the project’s findings via this download.
“I like listening when people talk about things like this. But I prefer positive awareness to negative. When I hear: You’re already one step closer to changing the world with small actions – that feels good.”
Focus group participant
“For example, if you don’t have much money and have to focus on getting the essentials, you don’t think much about climate change. That becomes secondary.”
Focus group participant
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