Young environmental activists: don’t just talk – do something about it

The first light of day breaks over the River Elbe and the fog is still hovering over the water as a group of young people in wellington boots and gloves trudge along the riverbank with a determined look on their faces. Their mission: to combat the flood of rubbish on the Elbe island of Neßsand. It’s Coastal Cleanup Day, and the members of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Youth Union (NAJU) in Hamburg want to take action to combat the pollution of the oceans.  

“We collect all sorts of different things here – from plastic bottles to pieces of polystyrene and car tyres. All this stuff would otherwise drift straight into the sea,” says 18-year-old secondary school student Luis Manewald, pointing to the bulging sacks. At the end of the day, the result is both impressive and frightening: around 500 kilograms of waste were collected. This is just a fraction of the mass of rubbish that is washed up on the coast every day, endangering the lives of countless marine animals and birds.  

“You have to do something about it” 

But Luis is not discouraged: “It doesn’t help to bury your head in the sand or just talk all the time, you have to do something about it.” He has always loved nature, wandering through the forest and observing animals. Three years ago, it was a documentary about factory farming that set the ball rolling for Luis: He’s been vegan ever since, and for the last one and a half years he’s been involved in NAJU – Germany’s biggest children’s and youth organisation dedicated to the protection of nature and the environment. “Here I’ve found a community of people who think the same way as I do. We engage in discussion, go to demonstrations, attend workshops – and organise hands-on activities such as collecting rubbish on Neßsand,” says Luis. He soon wants to study geography and later work in research to promote environmental protection. 

Climate action is a high-priority issue 

Millions of young people in Germany think and act like Luis. The preservation of natural resources is a top-priority issue for them. Behind every protest and every project there are personal stories and deeply rooted convictions.  

Fridays for Future is the best-known student movement. Since 2018 it has attracted a large following in Germany, too. Speakers such as Luisa Neubauer and Carla Reemtsma are regular guests on talk shows. Although the wave has died down somewhat, the last climate strike on 20 September 2024 saw 75,000 people taking to the streets in 110 towns and cities throughout Germany.  

In addition to the desire for change and active involvement, the community aspect is also a key factor for a lot of young people in joining the youth organisations of NABU, BUND, Greenpeace and numerous other environmental associations: “We’re doing something useful and having a lot of fun at the same time,” says Luis Manewald.