From Global Goals to Local Action: SDGs Cards in Action in Latvia

What do the Sustainable Development Goals have to do with everyday life in a small Latvian municipality? How do decisions made at European level influence local communities? And where do young people fit into these decisions?

These questions were explored during two SDGs Intelligence Cards in Action local follow-up workshops, organised by EFE in Gulbene, Latvia, as part of the Youth4GreenPolicy project. The workshops brought together 23 young people from the local community to explore sustainability, civic participation and the future of a greener Europe through practical and participatory activities.

The workshops formed part of the local follow-up phase of Youth4GreenPolicy, bringing the methods and knowledge gained during the international SDGs Intelligence Cards Training in Vienna into local communities. At the heart of this phase is a simple idea: young people should not only learn about sustainability policies but also have opportunities to discuss them, consider different priorities and develop their own recommendations for the future of Europe.

Connecting sustainability with local realities

Both workshops focused particularly on sustainable rural development, connecting broader sustainability goals with realities familiar to young people in Gulbene. Waste management, responsible consumption, biodiversity and community engagement became starting points for discussing how young people, municipalities, communities and European policies can contribute to a more sustainable future.

Rather than relying on traditional presentations, participants worked with the SDGs Intelligence Cards and took part in World Café discussions, Future Envisioning, stakeholder activities and debates. The different methods encouraged participants to look at sustainability from multiple perspectives, exchange experiences and gradually move from identifying challenges to proposing possible solutions.

Across the workshops, discussions also explored the relationship between European policies and everyday life in local communities.

“European policies seem far away, but today's discussion showed me that they influence many of the opportunities we have locally.”

Participants considered how EU priorities can translate into funding opportunities, environmental standards and local initiatives. At the same time, they highlighted that sustainability becomes most visible at community level through cooperation between municipalities, schools, organisations, businesses and citizens.

The activities also encouraged a broader understanding of sustainability beyond recycling or environmental protection alone.

“Before this workshop, I mostly thought about sustainability as recycling and protecting nature. Now I understand that it also includes the decisions made by municipalities, the European Union, and citizens, and that everyone has a role in creating positive change.” 

What would young people change?

A central part of both workshops was giving participants space to develop their own recommendations for a more sustainable Europe. Across the discussions, young people highlighted the need for greater support for sustainability initiatives in rural communities, so that access to environmental education, projects and green infrastructure does not depend on whether someone lives in a large city or a smaller municipality.

Participants also proposed more practical sustainability education in schools and youth activities, improved sustainable transport and cycling infrastructure, stronger youth involvement in environmental decision-making, and greater support for recycling, repair, reuse and other circular economy initiatives.

These discussions were particularly relevant in Gulbene, a predominantly rural municipality where access to international projects and sustainability education opportunities can be more limited than in larger urban areas. Participants also emphasised the importance of giving young people meaningful opportunities to contribute to decisions affecting their communities.

“The discussions helped me realise that young people should be involved in shaping local policies because we experience these challenges every day. If our ideas are heard and supported, we can contribute to making our communities more sustainable and better prepared for the future.” 

Across both workshops, participants demonstrated a broader understanding of how citizens, municipalities, national governments and the European Union share responsibility for sustainability. Discussions increasingly moved from individual environmental choices towards the systems, policies and cooperation needed to support sustainable communities.

The two workshops also showed the value of bringing European sustainability discussions into a local setting. Topics that can initially seem distant became connected with familiar issues, local experiences and possibilities for action within the participants' own communities.

Through the local follow-up activities, Youth4GreenPolicy created space for young people not only to learn about sustainability but to discuss priorities, exchange perspectives and contribute their own recommendations for a greener Europe.

Youth4GreenPolicy – Engaging Youth Voices in Europe’s Sustainable Future

Project No. 101254165 — Youth4GreenPolicy — CERV-2025-CITIZENS-CIV

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.