European Environmental Student’s Climate Justice Initiative

Presented By European Environmental Students Group

This Movement Is Currently
In The Amicus Brief Writing Stage.

The climate crisis represents the defining challenge of our generation—a challenge that is simultaneously environmental, social, and economic. Across Europe, citizens are witnessing accelerating impacts: Mediterranean forests burn with unprecedented intensity, Central European rivers fluctuate between devastating floods and record low levels, and Arctic communities watch as their traditional ways of life literally melt away. Yet behind these headline-grabbing disasters lies a more insidious reality: the burdens of climate change fall disproportionately on those least responsible and least equipped to adapt. Low-income communities face energy poverty while lacking resources for climate resilience. Rural regions struggle with agricultural disruption without adequate transition support. And historically marginalized populations, including Roma communities and migrants, confront compounded vulnerabilities with minimal political voice.

The European Environmental Students Group believes that addressing these interconnected challenges requires a transformative approach to climate action—one that places justice at its center. Our Climate Justice Initiative represents a coordinated effort across our network of 180 member organizations in 38 countries to ensure that Europe’s response to the climate crisis leaves no one behind.

This comprehensive initiative operates at multiple levels simultaneously:

• POLICY ADVOCACY: Our Brussels-based team works directly with EU institutions to strengthen and implement the European Green Deal, ensuring it integrates social justice considerations. We’re currently focused on reforming the Emissions Trading System to prevent carbon leakage while protecting vulnerable consumers, enhancing the Just Transition Mechanism to reach marginalized communities, and strengthening the Social Climate Fund to address energy poverty.
• LEGAL INTERVENTION: Through strategic litigation partnerships, we’re supporting climate cases that establish legal precedent for climate justice principles. Our legal experts provide technical assistance to national organizations pursuing climate litigation, while highlighting the human rights dimensions of climate impacts and policies.
• GRASSROOTS MOBILIZATION: Recognizing that lasting change requires people power, we coordinate campaigns across our member organizations that enable citizens to demand climate justice. From participatory climate assemblies in urban neighborhoods to rural community energy initiatives, we’re building a movement that reflects Europe’s diversity.
• KNOWLEDGE BUILDING: Our research program documents climate justice challenges and solutions across Europe, with particular attention to under-represented regions and communities. Recent publications include our “Climate Justice Barometer” tracking social equity in national climate policies and our “Just Transition Atlas” mapping community-led initiatives.

What distinguishes our approach is its insistence on centering those traditionally excluded from climate policy discussions. For example, our “Climate Voices” program trains and supports climate advocates from marginalized communities to participate meaningfully in national and EU-level policy processes. In Romania, this enabled Roma community representatives to successfully advocate for explicit inclusion in their country’s Just Transition Plan. In Portugal, it helped fishers from coastal communities secure adaptation funding after documenting changing marine conditions through participatory research.

The transformative change we seek requires breaking down traditional silos between environmental, social, and economic priorities. That’s why we’ve developed the “Integrated Climate Justice Framework” that helps policymakers and advocates analyze how climate policies affect different communities and sectors. This framework was recently adopted by several municipal governments in France, Spain and Poland, leading to more equitable local climate action plans.

The climate crisis demands European leadership that combines ambition with fairness. With decades of environmental advocacy experience and our unparalleled network spanning the continent, the European Environmental Bureau is uniquely positioned to ensure that Europe’s climate transition becomes an opportunity to build a more just and sustainable society for all. Your support makes this vital work possible at this decisive moment for Europe and our planet.