‘I don’t just watch climate change happening’: the young Swedes being paid to make a difference
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- Upplandsbygd, a non-profit north of Stockholm funded by five municipalities and the EU's "leader method" for rural development, launched the Young Planetary Stewards (YPS) initiative, matching 10 young people with local organisations and giving each up to 40,000 Swedish krona (£4,000) plus project-management mentoring.
- Oona Verveld and Clara Vikberg, both 18, were matched with Eda Lägergård—a historic children's summer camp north of Stockholm that hosts Sweden's century-old "kollo" tradition—and proposed installing digital QR-coded information signs along walking trails to help young people connect with nature.
- My Sellberg, Upplandsbygd's project manager for regenerative development, says the initiative's "strongest objective was to inspire hope for the future among our young residents," launching as Swedish youth unemployment sits at roughly 24% for 15- to 24-year-olds—well above the EU average of about 15%.
- Other Young Planetary Stewards projects funded through the scheme include clearing invasive species, digging a frog pond, inventorying oak trees, building bird boxes and insect hotels, opening a new hiking trail, and running climate-conversation workshops at local libraries.
- Verveld, who says she has a "pretty pessimistic world view," told the outlet: "I don't just watch climate change happening, I'm somehow active in improving it"—while fellow steward Vikberg, a former scout, wants to spread "the joy of spending time outdoors" to address young people's "disconnection" from nature.
Why it matters: For the 10 teens in Upplandsbygd's first cohort, the programme reframes Sweden's 24% youth unemployment rate as paid project ownership with tangible environmental deliverables—QR-coded nature signs, frog ponds, oak-tree inventories. Funded by five municipalities and the EU, the model is designed to be replicable: Upplandsbygd says it hopes to expand beyond its current footprint.
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