Sustainaware
The project is completed. The project aimed at educating Slovenian and Hungarian youth about climate change and climate action using non-formal concepts.
Awareness Climate Policy Education
Project info
Hungary, Slovenia
07/20 - 12/22
Educational institutions, Non-governmental organisations
158,638.91 €
Contact info
Tomaž Gorenc
- Institute for Health and Environment
- CliMates France
- University of Ljubljana (UL)
- Youth Network No Excuse Slovenia
Background
The Slovenian and Hungarian youth is aware of climate change issues and has a generally positive attitude toward climate action. However, they are rarely involved in actual projects. To change this, educational projects must not only focus on teaching the science behind climate change, but also on encouraging action. This can only be achieved when projects reach out to young people beyond traditional, formalized education contexts like schools. Instead, they need to adjust to their realities and means of communication.
The Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year. If the world’s population would live like the population of Qatar, this day would be on Februray 11 already. (c) IMZTR
Project
To promote “climate literacy” among Central European youth, the project provided educational resources about climate change mitigation. For example, it adjusted the Ecological Footprint Calculator and launched a version tailored to the Slovenian reality. This allowed young people to compare and tackle their resource demands and to transform unsustainable consumption patterns into sustainable ones. Furthermore, the implementing organisations conducted a series of educational events on climate change: Eight webinars, a summer school on climate change and sustainability, and the International Youth Climate Summit. Each format allowed participants and relevant stakeholders from Central Europe to present and discuss project results. Finally, the project addressed the youth worker community by developing a new competence model on climate mitigation and sustainability. Acknowledging the importance of non-formal education and communications systems, the project relied heavily on social media to disseminate the knowledge.
Link to the project website: https://sustainaware.net/climate-mitigation/
Results
- Political influence: Participants at the International Youth Climate Summit developed a joint declaration with specific climate policy demands for national governments and international institutions. The declaration was supported by 53 organisations in Slovenia and Hungary, including national youth councils and government institutions. This demonstrably increased the influence of young people on the national climate debate.
- Competence model for non-formal education: A practice-oriented competence model on climate action and sustainability was developed, tested in training courses for youth workers, and piloted in Slovenia and Hungary. Two Slovenian youth organizations tested the model in practice; in Hungary, it was also passed on to professionals in youth and social work. National youth organisations and programmes such as the Proteus Foundation, the National Youth Council of Hungary and the Hungarian UN Youth Delegate Programme also adopted the model. In this way, the competence model was not only communicated, but also institutionally embedded and made available for practical use.
- Introduction of a footprint calculator: In Slovenia, young people use the ecological footprint calculator to obtain specific information about their resource consumption and options for switching to sustainable consumption patterns.
- More knowledge and exchange: The publication “WTF is Climate Change?”, published in English, Slovenian, and Hungarian, and a summer school on climate change and sustainability have provided low-threshold knowledge about climate action and promoted dialogue between young people from the participating countries.
Last update: January 2026