The PLAY JET project aimed to empower high school students from coal-dependent regions in Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro to become active drivers of the green transition. Our goal was to increase their knowledge of climate change and Just Transition (JT), while fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. We sought to equip 500 young people with the skills and mindset to develop sustainable, market-oriented solutions to local environmental and social challenges. Through a combination of education, hackathons, and policy advocacy, the project created a network of young social innovators capable of shaping alternative development scenarios for their regions. We also aimed to engage teachers, local authorities, and the wider public, building recognition and support for youth-led green entrepreneurship. Ultimately, PLAY JET aimed to contribute to reducing youth outmigration, boosting local innovation, and promoting inclusive, sustainable economic development in coal regions.
The PLAY JET project was initiated in response to urgent challenges in coal-dependent regions of Bulgaria and the Western Balkans, including high youth unemployment, economic stagnation, lack of awareness about climate change and just transition, and lack of inclusive opportunities in education and entrepreneurship. These areas are among the most vulnerable in Europe to the socio-economic impacts of the EU’s decarbonization policies and climate goals, yet they have limited tools to ensure a just transition that leaves no one behind. We identified a specific gap: the voices of young people were missing from decision-making processes, and their potential to contribute to the transformation of their regions was largely untapped. At the same time, teachers lacked access to updated educational resources on green topics, and local institutions needed stronger youth engagement to shape forward-looking strategies. PLAY JET aimed to address these needs by equipping youth with green entrepreneurship, green jobs, climate literacy, and civic advocacy skills—empowering them to become drivers of sustainable local development and active participants in shaping a fair, community-driven transition away from coal.