Youth Eco-Anxiety Takes Centre Stage in Brussels: YOU CARE Delegation Meets EU Policymakers
The YOU CARE Erasmus+ Project reached one of its most significant milestones during its final gathering in Brussels, where young people from across Europe brought eco-anxiety—and the emotions, research, and policy demands surrounding it—directly to the attention of EU institutions.
On 17 October 2025, 35 young participants from Lithuania, Ireland, Bulgaria, and Italy gathered for the YOU CARE Final Conference, following months of youth-led participatory action research on eco-anxiety. Their work—rooted in sharing lived experiences, co-producing knowledge, and shaping meaningful recommendations—culminated in two intensive days of dialogue with Members of the European Parliament, youth workers, experts, and civil society stakeholders
A First Encounter: Policy Meetings with EU Leaders
The conference effectively started the day before, when the YOU CARE delegation met MEP Nela Riehl and Alina Stefania Ujupan, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu. These meetings offered participants a rare opportunity to bring their findings directly to decision-makers.
Young delegates posed incisive questions, such as:
How can EU schools adopt transformative approaches that help students cope with eco-anxiety, rather than simply adding climate content to the curriculum?
What initiatives in CULT or the Commission address the psychological dimension of the ecological crisis?
These reflections foreshadowed the central theme of the Brussels days: that combating eco-anxiety requires structural support, adequate education, and the collective courage to act.
The Final Conference: Research, Emotions, and Collective Action
Held at Anderlecht Expo, the conference blended academic insight, emotional expression, and political advocacy. The morning included keynote addresses by young activists, resilience educators, and project leaders. Speakers such as Princess Ogumefu, Matt Sowerby, and Sara Bentass offered inspiring narratives on the loneliness of eco-anxiety, the need for courage, and the power of collective hope.
Participants then presented their national findings, giving visibility to diverse approaches:
- The Bulgarian team investigated an ecological risk site near Sofia, producing a documentary and field interviews on public awareness.
- The Irish team used art and music, creating posters on ocean protection and an original rap about eco-anxiety.
- The Lithuanian team retraced their entire YOU CARE journey, from research foundations to hosting the in-person youth exchange that shaped the final policy recommendations.
A Broader Dialogue: The Italian Team Takes the Stage
During the conference, the Italian group expanded the conversation further, presenting their national findings and moderating a youth panel with MEPs. This exchange provided a wider European audience with the chance to delve into the realities of eco-anxiety and the need for policies that safeguard both the environment and mental health.
Yhe Panel, moderated by —Tommaso, Sofia, Maria Laura, Gioele, Tommaso, Teresa, and Simone—became one of the defining moments of the conference, involving MEP Benedetta Scuderi, MEP Brando Benifei, Director Valerie Drezet-Humez (DG ENV A). The confrontation focused on eco-anxiety as both a psychological and political issue, asking targeted questions such as:
- How can EU legislation better account for the mental health impacts of climate change on youth?
- What concrete steps can be taken to establish the proposed EU-wide digital platform on eco-anxiety?
- How can young people ensure their voices are systematically included in policy-making spaces?
The questions encouraged politicians to reflect on:
- the lived experience of ecological fear,
- the psychological burden carried by their generation,
- and the responsibility of political institutions to reduce structural drivers of such anxiety.
This framing helped move the conversation beyond technicalities and into the realm of shared human responsibility, a hallmark of the Italian group’s contribution to YOU CARE since the project’s early stages.
Aligning with YOU CARE’s policy recommendations, the Italian team emphasised the need for:
- climate education connected to wellbeing,
- participatory school environments,
- and pedagogies that allow young people to express and process difficult emotions constructively.
Their interventions helped underline how eco-anxiety is not a marginal issue, but a central youth concern requiring systemic school-level support.
Afternoon Workshops: Creativity and Reflection
In the afternoon, participants explored eco-anxiety through expressive methods:
- Theatre of the Oppressed, offering a space to embody fears and hopes around the climate crisis.
- A screening of “The Cost of Growth” (2025), linking ecological collapse with socioeconomic systems.
- A creative collage station dedicated to envisioning “The World We Want / The World We Don’t Want.”
These activities deepened the emotional and relational dimension of the work—core to YOU CARE’s mission.
Conclusion: A Turning Point for Youth Climate Engagement
The Brussels conference served not only to present results, but to empower young people—especially the Italian team, whose leadership and vision were central throughout—to step confidently into the European policy arena.
It reaffirmed a shared belief:
Eco-anxiety is not simply a private feeling; it is a collective signal calling for systemic change.
The YOU CARE project will continue to amplify youth voices and ensure that their insights guide the future of climate and mental health policy in Europe.
Some pictures from the conference:
