The goal of our project was to empower organizations involved in the project to carry out sustainable development activities and reduce ecological footprint, to encourage the green transformation of youth work, and to establish an international collaborative network for the exchange of knowledge and practices. Our intention was to raise awareness and knowledge about greenwashing among young people and the organizations that work with them, and to develop the ability to recognize and constructively respond to this phenomenon. We aimed to develop and implement innovative digital tools that would facilitate the measurement and reduction of ecological footprint, as well as to create a handbook that would serve as a guide through the principles of sustainable development for youth organizations. Additionally, the objective was to create a declaration that would be signed by other organizations at the European level to promote climate-neutral activities in youth work. Through this project, we strived to expand the collaborative network at the European level, support green transformation and change the ethical climate, develop educational materials for educating young people about greenwashing, and support active citizenship
Our organization, in collaboration with partners, has submitted this project because we have recognized an urgent need to raise awareness and knowledge about climate change, especially among young people. We have observed a significant gap in understanding the impact of everyday activities on the environment and the seriousness of greenwashing, which is not sufficiently discussed, particularly at a time when more companies advertise themselves as "green" and "sustainable," giving a false picture of their operations. Our goal has been and remains to empower young people, especially those with fewer opportunities, through education on climate and environmental issues, so that they can think critically and act responsibly towards the environment. By implementing a variety of activities (trainer training, training for young people on climate and environmental literacy, study visits, creation of handbooks and digital tools, etc.) through this project, we wanted to provide tools for recognizing greenwashing and encourage changes in behavior that lead to a sustainable lifestyle. This project directly addressed these needs, offering practical knowledge and solutions for young people and organizations, strengthening their capacities.