Author: Admin

Maria Fernandes-Jesus interviewed by Público Azul

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Maria Fernandes-Jesus, co-principal investigator of the JustFutures project, Professor at the University of Sussex, and Associate Researcher at the Centre for Research and Intervention in Social Sciences (CIS) at Iscte-IUL, was invited by Público to comment on the evolution of youth political mobilisation around climate change in Portugal. The JustFutures project has followed climate activism over the past five years.

The article ““We knew we were right”: climate strike students seven years on” can be read here.

JustFutures cited in the National Youth Climate Letter

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The National Youth Climate Letter is a document developed by young people in Portugal, setting out proposals and priorities to address climate change and strengthen young people’s participation in climate decision-making. The latest Charter was discussed by young people at the 5th Local Conference of Youth (LCOY), held on 29 August 2026 at Casa do Impacto in Lisbon.

Some of the research developed by JustFutures was used as a scientific reference:

Garcia, A., Rebelo, D., Diógenes-Lima, J., Fernandes‐Jesus, M., & Malafaia, C. (2025). Intersectionality in youth climate activism as educational practice: political, pragmatic, and pedagogical dimensions. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1491387

Rebelo, D., Garcia, A., Santos, T. R., Carvalho, A., Malafaia, C., & Fernandes‐Jesus, M. (2024). Prioritising communities: barriers to climate activism and political imagination among minoritised youth groups. Journal of Youth Studies, 29, 222–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2024.2419928

Other scientific publications by JustFutures can be found in the “Publications” section.

Anabela Carvalho interviewed by Público Azul

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Anabela Carvalho, coordinator of the JustFutures project and Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Minho, was invited by Público to provide an assessment of the state of the youth climate movement in Portugal. The JustFutures project has followed climate activism over the past five years. Público Azul published several pieces featuring excerpts from the interview.

  • Anabela Carvalho: “Most youth climate activism groups have dissipated” can be read here.
  • Anabela Carvalho: “Climáximo is considered an inspiring example in other countries” can be read here.
  • “Young people have not disappeared. Has democracy fallen asleep?” can be read here.

Daniela Ferreira da Silva took part in the 5th Local Conference of Youth

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Researcher Daniela Ferreira da Silva was invited to participate as a speaker at the V Local Conference of Youth (LCOY), in the panel discussion “How can young people influence public policies?”.

The conference aimed to develop recommendations for the National Youth Climate Letter, which will be annexed to the YOUNGO Youth Letter. This Letter provides a platform for Portuguese young people to express their position regarding their participation in climate negotiations. The conference is supported by the European Climate Pact Ambassadors.

LCOY page: https://www.instagram.com/lcoyportugal/

YCL Portugal page: https://www.instagram.com/yclportugal/

Opinion article published on the Barómetro Social platform

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Researcher Daniela Ferreira da Silva has published the opinion article “Youth-led Groups in Search of More Just Futures”, as part of the 2026 second series of articles on the Barómetro Social platform.

Barómetro Social – Virtual Platform for Reflection and Analysis of Portuguese Society and its Positioning in the International Context is an initiative of the Institute of Sociology at the University of Porto, dedicated to promoting informed reflection and public debate on key social issues.

The article can be accessed here: https://www.barometro.com.pt/2026/07/28/grupos-liderados-por-jovens-a-procura-de-futuros-mais-justos/

The Barómetro Social platform is available here: https://www.barometro.com.pt/

Chapter published: “Climate Futures and Just Transformations: Re-Imagining Politics Within Youth Climate Activism” in “Routledge Handbook of Young People’s Environmental Activism”

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We are delighted to share that the chapter “Climate Futures and Just Transformations: Re-Imagining Politics Within Youth Climate Activism” has been published in the Routledge Handbook of Young People’s Environmental Activism, edited by Sadiya Akram and Benjamin Bowman and published by Routledge.

Co-authored by Dora Rebelo, Ana Dias Garcia, Tânia R. Santos, Leonor Pêra, João Silveira, Teresa Amorim, Carla Malafaia, Anabela Carvalho, and Maria Fernandes-Jesus, this collaborative chapter brings together young climate activists and researchers to explore how young people imagine climate futures and articulate visions for just societal transformations through climate activism.

Drawing on focus group discussions with young climate activists and non-activists, as well as multi-site ethnographic research conducted in Lisbon and Porto within the JustFutures project, the chapter examines how young people construct alternative political imaginaries, negotiate hope and uncertainty, and reimagine politics beyond institutional responses to the climate crisis. It highlights the transformative potential of youth climate activism in fostering more just, democratic, and sustainable futures.

Daniela Ferreira da Silva attended the Northern Climate Justice Meeting 2026

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Researcher Daniela Ferreira da Silva took part in the Northern Climate Justice Meeting 2026 on June 20 in Guimarães, European Green Capital. She moderated panel discussions focused on two main questions: “How can we strengthen the voices of the groups most affected by climate collapse?” and “What is going wrong in our decision-making systems?” She also joined the final discussion on climate governance alongside Paulo Magalhães, architect of the “Common Home of Humanity” project.

The meeting was a space to discuss major ongoing environmental conflicts in northern Portugal and to explore ways of managing these issues through more democratic community approaches, such as cooperatives and citizens’ assemblies. Events like this aim to renew motivation among environmental organizations, community groups, and activists who are working against political inaction on the climate crisis.

JustFutures at the Conference “Reframing Climate Resilience: The Transformative Role of Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts” Organized by SHIFT COST Action

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Anabela Carvalho and Daniela Ferreira da Silva presented part of the JustFutures project’s work at the conference “Reframing Climate Resilience: The Transformative Role of Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts”, organized by SHIFT COST Action. The conference took place on June 1–2 at NOVA University Lisbon’s School of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Their presentation, “Young Climate Activists and the Development of Alternative Political Imaginaries”, was featured in the panel “Youth, Climate Citizenship and Intergenerational Governance”. The presentation introduced and explored the concept of political imaginaries in relation to the challenges of climate change communication and the emergence of youth activist groups that are advancing different political visions of the future (see more here).

The conference abstract book is available here.

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through the following grants: the research project JUSTFUTURES – Climate Futures and Just Transformations: Young People’s Narratives and Political Imaginaries [PTDC/COM-OUT/7669/2020]; the research project Reimagining Political Agency: The Voice(s) of Young People in the Climate Change Debate [2024.02918.BD]; and the Centre for Research in Anthropology [UID/04038].

Daniela Ferreira da Silva as Guest Speaker in the Course Unit “Sociology of Territory and Environment”

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Daniela Ferreira da Silva participated as a guest speaker in the course unit Sociology of Territory and Environment, organised by José Pedro Silva and Inês Barbosa within the Master’s Programme in Sociology at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto.

Her contribution, entitled “The Politicisation of Climate Change: The Youth Climate Movement in Portugal”, took place on 13 April 2026. It aimed to discuss the politicisation of climate change through an analysis of the political imaginaries of the youth climate movement in Portugal, as well as through collaborative workshops with young people exhibiting different levels of engagement with the climate crisis.

Special thanks are extended to the course lecturers and to all those who participated in the session.