The SUBLIME Toolkit for Youth-led Climate Action

This online self-learning toolkit is designed for young individuals committed to co-designing and driving community-led climate justice actions.

Its innovation stems from both its content and collaborative development process. While current strategies to accelerate the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda often overlook a critical question – what specific abilities, qualities, and skills are essential for those driving SDG progress? – the SUBLIME Toolkit directly addresses this gap. Its learning journey facilitates a foundational shift in human values and leadership capacities.

Inspired by the open-source Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework, the Toolkit empowers youth to evolve from self-awareness to actionable, community-based climate leadership. Through structured self-development activities, users explore personal values, hone critical thinking, and reflect on their role within the climate movement. Progressively, the journey expands awareness from personal growth to interpersonal engagement, strengthening empathy and fostering collaboration. This pathway culminates in a powerful ‘bottom-up’ approach, equipping youth to design and implement community-level climate justice initiatives.

Structured across 7 chapters, each section combines practical tools, reflective prompts, and real-world case studies to inspire transformative action. For example:

• The ‘Me and I’ chapter's ‘Unmasking Climate Fake News’ activity empowers participants to critically assess climate information and proactively counter misinformation.
• The ‘Me and You’ chapter features the ‘Story Circle of Climate Connections’, prompting users to share personal stories exploring the interconnectedness of humanity, nature, and climate action, drawing on universal themes.
• The ‘Mwe’ chapter includes the "Paperclip Challenge", fostering creative thinking to generate innovative, actionable climate solutions from simple concepts.

Crucially, the Toolkit's development involved active co-creation, resulting in 27 compelling Case Studies gathered by Civil Society Organizations from diverse regions: Austria, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, and the UK.

Developed by Impact Hub Athens and the Impact Hub Network, and authored by Gerasimos Kouvaras, within the DEAR project SUBLIME SDGs, the Toolkit has already been tested in virtual trainings for youth leaders from ten European border towns and islands involved in the call for action KAMALÉ - KlimAte Mindful Actions Led by Engaged Youth Leaders.

Participant feedback testifies to its impact, highlighting shifts in:

• 'Understanding the importance of unlearning and relearning'
• 'Opening eyes to different perspectives'
• Moving 'from short-term actions to more sustainable initiatives that create lasting change'

Furthermore, the Toolkit provides a practical 10-step guide to transform youth ideas into entrepreneurial initiatives, incorporating tools like the Business Model Canvas to integrate circular principles.

Embarking on a climate-action journey rooted in sustainability is no small feat but using this Toolkit, youth will never be alone in this challenge. 

Download the SUBLIME Toolkit here and enhance your navigation experience with the interactive online version.