Youth Perceptions of Inter- and Intragenerational Justice and Their Participation in Sustainability Transition Politics

Based on research done in the context of the European Topic Centre for Sustainability Transitions on youth inclusion in sustainability transitions and specifically just transition-related policy processes, this contribution analyses how the European institutions relate to, address and seek to involve young people in dialogues on sustainability transitions and justice and how that matches with the interests, concerns and participation wishes of young people. In our approach, sustainability transitions are understood more broadly and include climate activism among other environmental and socio-economic concerns. Intragenerational justice refers to fairness and equity within the same generation, addressing inequalities among currently living individuals and groups. When considering youth in this context, intragenerational justice focuses on ensuring that young people have equal access to opportunities, resources, and rights, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, gender, or geographic location. Intergenerational justice, which refers to the ethical and moral principles that ensure fairness and equity between different generations, is not only a new and contested topic for policymakers but also for young people. It emphasises the responsibility of current generations to consider the rights and needs of future generations when making decisions about resources, environmental sustainability, social policies, and economic practices and includes many open questions. This analysis seeks to highlight some of the most crucial blind spots and weaknesses of the current approaches and suggest practices and methods that could help to foster more substantial and equitable dialogues on emerging topics between policymakers and young people with varying degrees of social and environmental awareness. This contribution is based on a qualitative study on the transnational perceptions of intra- and intergenerational justice and its implications on political participation of young people in the context of just sustainability transitions in the EU and seeks to enter the broader international discussion.