Youth Participation and Engagement: New Issue of “Ökologisches Wirtschaften”
Recent youth studies show that young people are interested in political issues and want to play a stronger role in shaping social and political processes. At the same time, many feel that their perspectives receive too little attention. The latest issue of “Ökologisches Wirtschaften” explores the conditions, forms, and impacts of youth participation and engagement.
In the long term, greater involvement of young people strengthens their sense of self-efficacy and trust in democratic decision-making while encouraging further civic engagement. Democracy also benefits: political decisions are perceived as fairer, and the legitimacy of democratic processes is reinforced. But what does meaningful participation look like in practice? In the issue’s introductory article (DE), Dr. Esther Hoffmann and Henrike Kalteich emphasize the importance of not treating young people as a homogeneous group. Instead, their diversity should be recognized, and participation opportunities should be tailored to different target groups.
Youth Participation at the Federal Level
Climate and environmental policy shapes both the present and the future, yet it too rarely includes those most affected by political decisions: children and young people. In the issue’s opinion piece (DE), Wendelin Haag argues that more participation alone is not enough. A socio-ecological transformation that sustainably integrates young people as political actors requires genuine bottom-up participation that is transparent, comprehensible, and democratically legitimate. National youth organizations play a particularly important role by providing a structural link between young people’s interests and political decision-making processes.
What impact can youth participation have on the work of political advisory bodies? Drawing on the findings of their study of a youth council at the German Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Esther Hoffmann and Henrike Kalteich (DE) show that involving young people can contribute not only to substantive and methodological changes but also to the further development of participation structures themselves.
Young People’s Environmental Awareness
Young people increasingly face concerns about the future and growing societal challenges. What role do environmental and climate issues still play in this context? Insights are provided by the youth survey conducted as part of the Environmental Awareness Study 2024. In their article, Vivian Frick et al. (DE) discuss the findings and show that, while environmental and climate issues are increasingly overshadowed by other societal crises in young people’s perceptions, engagement in these areas remains strong.
Also in This Issue: China’s Planned Economy and Europe’s Digital Sovereignty
Does a socio-ecological transformation require stronger government intervention in economic processes? Ulrich Petschow addresses this question in his article “Do We Need a Plan?” (DE), in which he analyzes China’s planned economy in the context of changing global conditions. Against the backdrop of globalization and artificial intelligence, questions about the governance of economic processes are gaining renewed relevance.
To build a competitive and comprehensive digital infrastructure, Germany and the European Union aim to significantly expand their data center capacities. This has far-reaching implications for resource consumption and the achievement of climate goals. Against this backdrop, Ralph Hintemann examines the question: “How Sustainable Is Europe’s Path to Digital Sovereignty?”(DE)
Reading samples:
- Wendelin Haag: The Opportunities of Organized Youth Participation in Federal Politics: Climate and Environmental Policy Needs Young People (DE)
- Esther Hoffmann, Henrike Kalteich: Youth Participation and Engagement (DE)
English article in this issue: James Rhys Edwards: Youth Backlash and a Social-Ecological Political Future
► Online edition of Ecological Economics 3/2026
Now Available as a Free Download: Sustainable Finance
Are green investments a key component of the Green Deal, or are they merely another form of greenwashing? The socio-ecological transformation requires substantial investment in new technologies, infrastructure, and industries. Green financial flows can serve as a central lever for this transformation, particularly by mobilizing public and private capital for sustainability goals. At the same time, greenwashing remains widespread in the financial sector, casting doubt on the actual sustainability impact of many financial products.
As a result, the future of green finance continues to face major challenges despite regulatory progress at the EU level. Significant financing gaps persist, even as investments in renewable energy increase. In the special focus section of the issue, the authors discuss different approaches to shaping the socio-ecological transformation of the financial sector. They examine tensions between political frameworks and financial market dynamics in the field of sustainable finance and explore the role of civil society actors in advancing sustainable finance.
