Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) is the largest independent European network of environmental youth organisations. Since 1983, YEE has been raising awareness on environmental conservation and the climate crisis; enhancing international cooperation among its members and strengthening youth participation in climate and environmental decision-making processes across Europe. YEE now has 42 members in 30 European countries. YEE strives to connect and empower key youth stakeholders to tackle the climate crisis. Involved in national, EU, European, and global forums and covering topics including climate change and environmental law already in its work, YEE is dedicated to empowering youth and uplifting their voices, and is making specific efforts to support those from marginalised communities and countries outside of the European Union.
YEE is the sole youth board member of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB); a member organisation in Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E); the founding member of Generation Climate Europe (GCE), which is the largest coalition of youth-led NGOs demanding for more ambitious climate action from the EU; an accredited member in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and hosts the European Regional Facilitator of its Children and Youth Major Group; a member of the European Youth Forum (YFJ); and is actively involved in YOUNGO, EU4Ocean Coalition, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) and the EU Climate Pact.
YEE has been engaging in environmental law work since early 2021 and has been building up capacity and interest in this field. Starting with the ‘Lights on Aarhus’ project on the revision of the Aarhus Regulation, we have been a youth voice on access to justice and environmental law capacity-building. Following this, through the ‘Legal Seeds’ project, we have been able to build a broader strategy on environmental law awareness-raising, capacity-building, empowerment and networking.