Over the past few decades, significant lifestyle changes have led to environmental degradation and increased social and political polarization. Key challenges include:

• Overconsumption of Natural Resources: The EU’s ecological footprint exceeds its biocapacity by 100% (European Environment Agency).
• Waste Generation: The EU produces over 2.5 billion tonnes of waste annually, with per capita waste expected to rise by 10% by 2020.
• Fashion Industry Impact: Responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and the second-largest consumer of water.
• Food Waste: Estimated at 88 million tonnes per year, costing €143 billion.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of current systems, highlighting inequalities in healthcare, social protection, and employment. It also revealed a trust deficit between youth and political and economic systems, driving a demand for greater accountability and transparency.

Project Overview

Duration: 24 months
Partnership: 6 CSOs from The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, North Macedonia, and Germany.
Alignment: EU’s Green Deal and Youth Strategy (2019-2027).

Goal:
“To promote sustainable lifestyles and conscious consumerism among young people (ages 18-30), with a focus on gender and vulnerable backgrounds. The project aims to empower youth to make sustainable choices in both voting and consumption, facilitating systemic transformation towards a more sustainable and equitable Europe.”

Key Objectives

Strengthen (Trans)national Cooperation: Build networks between youth CSOs to address gaps such as:

• Lack of cross-border CSO collaborations.
• Inadequate competencies of youth workers.
• Shortage of innovative non-formal education (NFE) methods.
• Limited youth involvement in projects.

Empower Youth: Promote conscious consumerism through joint projects and awareness events.

The NoLabel project seeks to address unsustainable practices and build a resilient future by empowering young people to adopt sustainable lifestyles, enhancing transnational cooperation, and fostering conscious consumerism. By aligning with the EU’s Green Deal, the project aims to create a lasting impact on both environmental sustainability and youth engagement.