Call for volunteers

The Biodiversity Team is active in EU advocacy, international advocacy (CBD) and advocacy in the context of the Bern Convention (Council of Europe). The Liaison Officers on Biodiversity will work closely with the YSAB members and Alex, Biodiversity Coordinator.

The aim of the portfolio is threefold:

1. Education: the primary aim of our biodiversity portfolio is to raise awareness among youth about biodiversity-related issues. We want to educate young people on topics that are often misunderstood or challenging to access, focusing on current affairs, policy and science.
2. Advocacy: we strive to amplify the voice of youth in advocating for policies and laws that positively impact biodiversity and preserve it for future generations. 
3. Representation: our commitment extends to active participation in various stakeholder meetings to ensure that young perspectives are represented and heard. We believe that youth representation in decision making is of utmost importance for inclusive democratic processes and safeguard intergenerational equity.

The Liaison Officers will support in the implementation of the portfolio activities. Examples of these activities will include:

• 🟢 Participate in weekly calls with Alex and the YSAB Task Force.
• 🟢 Support in the organisation of 3 non-formal education workshops for youth participation in Nature Restoration Plans.
• 🟢 Support in the youth campaign on coexistence with Large Carnivores.
• 🟢 Liaise with other European youth environmental organisations with which we collaborate in the context of the Nature Restoration Law/Plans.

The Liaison Officer on Environmental Law will work closely with the Environmental Law Team – Emma, Alex and Sara. Our team advocates in the context of EU laws – National Energy and Climate Plans and the EU Climate Law, the Aarhus Convention and the Council of Europe.

The Liaison Officer will support in the implementation of the activities related to the Legal Seeds project.

Examples of these activities will include:

• 🟢 Support in the implementation of the “Race to 2040” campaign, related to the EU Climate Law.
• 🟢 Liaise with other youth organisations working on environmental law matters at EU level.
• 🟢 Support the advocacy in the context of the Aarhus Convention, with an emphasis on youth public participation.
• 🟢 Support in organising interviews with environmental defenders.

This new portfolio will bring YEE to work more directly on the relation between climate, health, and ecosystems.

The Liaison Officers will work closely with the Youth Advisory Scientific Board (YSAB) members and the Advocacy Volunteer Coordinator.

To address planetary health risks, the goals of this portfolio will align with the broader One Health framework:

1. Advocacy: build a solid youth voice in advocating for reducing environmental pollutants, enhancing ecosystem resilience and strengthening public health systems.
2. Raise public awareness: promote education and behavior change through related campaigns and environmental stewardship.

Our focus will be on:

• Supporting regulatory advancements to address emerging environmental health risks, such as those outlined in the Water Framework Directive and REACH Regulation.
• Advocating for stronger global agreements, such as the WHO’s One Health agenda and the UN’s Plastic Pollution Treaty, to mitigate cross-border environmental health risks.

The Liaison Officers will work with the YSAB Task Force on the implementation of the activities. These activities will include:

• 🟢 Join health-related working groups: actively participate in health-focused working groups within existing networks YEE is already a member of  and map additional relevant networks to explore potential collaborations and synergies.
• 🟢 Support policy advocacy: identify opportunities to provide technical input and youth perspectives to strengthen environmental health policies at national, regional, and global levels.
• 🟢 Advance regulatory updates: advocate for and support the acceleration of amendments to key EU frameworks, such as the Water Framework Directive and REACH Regulation, to address emerging pollutants and environmental health risks.
• 🟢 Engage communities and youth: mobilise youth and local leaders (especially from, but not limited to, our members) through education, restoration activities, and citizen science initiatives to drive grassroots action and awareness, emphasizing the connections between environmental health and planetary health.
• 🟢 Build capacity through training and campaigns: organise workshops, training sessions, and awareness campaigns to highlight the connections between climate, health, and ecosystems, fostering knowledge and action at all levels.

This new portfolio will bring YEE to work more directly on the relation between agriculture, food production and ecosystems. 

The Liaison Officers will work closely with the Youth Advisory Scientific Board (YSAB) members and the Advocacy Volunteer Coordinator.

The aims of the portfolio are:

1. Advocacy
   1. engage with policymakers: facilitate dialogue between youth representatives and policymakers by co-organising youth-led panels, workshops, and side events at international level (e.g., COPs, GFFA, EU forums, World Food Forum).
   2. advocate for CAP reforms, stronger alignment of agricultural policies with biodiversity, climate, and socio-economic objectives, and youth-inclusive policies through articles, position briefs, social media campaigns, and strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations.
2. Youth empowerment: collaborate with existing youth networks to amplify voices and share best practices.
3. Farmer-consumer partnerships: launch local campaigns to encourage young people to support community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives and local markets.
4. Education and communication:
   1. organise workshops and awareness-raising publications, materials on regenerative agriculture, food waste management, and sustainable diets for youth and local communities.
   2. use social media platforms to run awareness campaigns targeting young Europeans on sustainable food systems and healthy diets.
   3. create content (e.g., videos, infographics) to explain complex policies, funding opportunities, and practical solutions in an engaging way.
   4. co-develop online guides to educate young farmers and aspiring entrepreneurs on digital tools and innovative solutions for regenerative farming.

The Liaison Officers will work with the YSAB  in implementing the activities, which will include:

• 🟢 Become members and follow the work of bigger network organisations.
• 🟢 Organise a roundtable discussion on Biodiversity and Agriculture.
• 🟢 Conducting research and publishing an article on how the Nature Restoration Law affects agricultural production and farmers’ income. The article will aim to provide information and recommendations to policymakers, farmers, and youth advocates, ensuring synergy with the biodiversity group’s work on the NRL.
• 🟢 Organise an online consultation session with rural youth to understand their concerns about the green transition.
• 🟢 Collaborate with youth organizations and NGOs and produce a joint report highlighting European youth voices, concerns and demands to policymakers regarding the future of agriculture.

The Liaison Officers on Just Transition and Resource Justice will continue our work in Just Transition, while bringing YEE to work more on Resource Justice.

The Liaison Officers will work closely with the Youth Advisory Scientific Board (YSAB) members, the Advocacy Volunteer Coordinator and the Advocacy Manager.

The aim of this working group is to build a youth advocacy community working on overconsumption and resource justice. 

The aim is to:

1. Just Transition
   1. Support the Just Transition Platform Working Groups by engaging with key stakeholders and youth organizations to ensure youth perspectives are integrated into discussions on coal phase-out, green jobs, and social justice.
   2. Collaborate with European institutions and CSOs to advocate for stronger just transition policies prioritising stakeholder engagement, equal opportunities and environmental sustainability.
   3. Provide capacity-building opportunities for young people by organizing knowledge-sharing sessions on best practices for implementing just transition strategies.
   4. Contribute to policy monitoring and analysis to track the progress of Just Transition initiatives at the EU level.
   5. Develop communication materials (briefs, infographics, articles) to simplify and disseminate complex just transition policies to young audiences.
   6. Develop resources, such as helping create toolkits and materials to support advocacy and awareness on Just Transition.
2. Resource Justice
   1. Join efforts with other NGOs to advocate for the European Commission to start a legislative proposal on a directive on Sustainable Resource Management. 
   2. Build capacity among YEE member organisations through organising workshops where to discuss the unsustainable use of environmental resources, and raise awareness about possible solutions to this problem.

The Liaison Officers will work with the YSAB members to implement the activities, which will include:

1. Just Transition
   • 🟢 Develop reports and recommendations on best practices in just transition across different regions in Europe.
   • 🟢 Raise awareness by writing articles and social media content on the importance of just transition.
   • 🟢 Organise online and onsite capacity-building sessions on just transition for the YEE team and member organisations.
2. Resource Justice
   • 🟢 Advocacy
     1. Join already existing coalitions
     2. Organise meetings with policymakers 
     3. Write and disseminate position papers 
   • 🟢 Awareness raising
     1. Write one to three articles on the topic of resource justice, beyond growth and overconsumption
     2. Write small summaries from main policy developments happening at the EU and UN levels.
   • 🟢 Capacity building
     1. Organise one online workshop part of the YEE addressed to youth leaders, focusing on resource justice, overconsumption and beyond growth. 
     2. Organise one onsite workshop for YEE member organisations to deliver during the General Assemblies.
     3. Organise three online regional workshops for YEE MOs to introduce them to the topic.

The Liaison Officer on Climate Justice will support the work of the Global Dialogues for Climate Justice project and the team advocacy work towards COP30.

The Liaison Officer will work closely with the Youth Advisory Scientific Board (YSAB) members in developing content material related to climate justice topics – integrating the concept of climate justice into mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage. The LO will be supported by the Advocacy Volunteer Coordinator and the Global Dialogues for Climate Justice Lead.

The work on climate justice for 2025 will particularly focus on COP30, however the LO will map other relevant international fora as well.

The activities will include:

• 🟢 Support in the creation of advocacy position papers towards COP30
• 🟢 Support the Global Dialogues for Climate Justice Lead in the creation of training materials for the project – presentations, toolkits, articles…
• 🟢 Support the YSAB in researching climate justice, mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage
• 🟢 Help the YEE team to liaise with European and international youth organisations working on climate justice 
• 🟢 Support the YSAB in identifying youth groups particularly affected by climate change in Europe
• 🟢 Identify international negotiation processes where YEE shall advocate for climate justice