When we talk about the green transition, we often talk in numbers—carbon levels, temperatures, emissions targets. But underneath the data is something just as critical: people. Because climate change doesn’t affect everyone equally. And neither does the way we try to fix it.

The shift to greener societies isn’t just about reducing emissions. It’s about rewriting how our systems work—how we power our homes, move through cities, produce food, build economies. And in that rewrite, the question is not only how we change, but for whom.

This is where climate meets justice.

Many of us first came to environmental action through recycling drives or climate protests. But as we dug deeper, we began to see the wider picture. How pollution is often concentrated in lower-income areas. How Indigenous communities are displaced by “green” development projects. How workers in fossil fuel industries are promised transitions but left without real alternatives.

We started asking harder questions: Who has access to clean air, to green spaces, to affordable energy? Who gets invited to the table when environmental policies are made—and who gets left outside?

What we discovered is that you can’t build a sustainable society without also making it fair.

Take the energy transition, for example. Switching from coal to renewables is essential. But what happens to the people whose towns and lives were built around mining? If new green jobs are created only in cities, or only for those with degrees, we’re not solving a crisis—we’re shifting its impact from one group to another.

We’ve seen the same thing in housing. Solar panels, electric vehicles, and eco-renovations often come with high upfront costs. Those who can afford them benefit from lower energy bills. Those who can’t are left behind—and sometimes blamed for not being “green enough.”

Young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, are aware of these gaps. And many are working to close them—not just by pushing for climate action, but by making sure that action includes everyone.

We’ve met youth leaders who link climate education with community organising. Who campaign for free public transport, not just to cut emissions, but to ensure mobility for all. Who see housing not just as a place to live, but as a frontline of climate resilience.

This work isn’t flashy. It doesn’t always make headlines. But it’s vital. Because it reminds us that sustainability must be rooted in dignity.

We talked about how the green transition must reflect different realities. A climate solution in a Northern European suburb may not work in a rural Turkish village or a dense Southern European city. Youth voices are essential in highlighting these differences—not as obstacles, but as sources of knowledge.

We also spoke about greenwashing—how companies and even governments use the language of “green” to disguise business as usual. “They sell a product with a leaf logo and call it a solution,” one participant said. “But if it doesn’t change the system or benefit the people most affected, is it really green?”

What we’re learning is that climate action can’t be top-down. It has to be collaborative. It has to be local. It has to listen to the people most impacted. And that includes youth.

As young people, we’re often told we’re the future. But we are also the present—living in these systems, feeling the pressure, and shaping what comes next. We’re not just asking for action. We’re asking for justice. A transition that lifts everyone, not just a few.

And we know this is possible. We’ve seen community energy projects that reduce bills and emissions. Urban farms that feed neighborhoods and create jobs. Youth cooperatives that run bike-sharing schemes, upcycling hubs, and eco-education programs.

The green transition is not just about technology or infrastructure. It’s about relationships. About who we care for, who we listen to, who we prioritise.

Because at the end of the day, we’re not trying to build a new society on top of the old one. We’re trying to build a better one.

One that is not only greener—but fairer.