About the research
The Climate Connection Hive Research is a youth-led global study exploring how education, skills systems, and labour markets can better support young people to participate in an inclusive and effective green transition.
Why this matters
Led by young people, and grounded in lived experience, this research provides direct insight into the opportunities and barriers shaping participation in the green transition. It reveals a growing gap between demand for green skills and access to inclusive, decent green work, showing that skills development must be connected to employment opportunities, mentoring, funding, and supportive local ecosystems if young people are to thrive.
What the research covers
The report examines what it will take to deliver an inclusive green transition for young people aged 18–30, with in-depth analysis of Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Viet Nam. Drawing on youth-led research, surveys, and lived experience, it explores how young people understand green skills, where pathways into green work break down, and how policymakers, educators, employers, and funders can strengthen access to opportunities and livelihoods.
Key findings include
- Green skills are highly valued, but pathways are fragmented. More than 90% of survey respondents view green skills as important for their future, yet many struggle to access relevant training, information, and employment opportunities.
- The challenge is not only skills development, but connecting skills to jobs. Young people consistently report a mismatch between training and labour-market demand, with local green job scarcity emerging as the most significant barrier.
- Human skills, mentoring, and networks matter. Communication, collaboration, leadership, and access to mentors are essential for helping young people translate knowledge into opportunity and participate effectively in the green transition.
- Inclusion remains a major concern. Rural youth, young people with disabilities, Indigenous and ethnic minority communities, non-English speakers, and women face overlapping barriers that limit access to education, training, finance, and employment.
- Community-based learning plays a critical role. Young people often rely on non-formal education, local organisations, and peer networks where formal systems fall short, highlighting the need for stronger recognition and support for community-led pathways.
Overall, the research shows that achieving an inclusive green transition requires more than expanding training provision. It requires end-to-end learning to earning pathways that connect learning to decent work, strengthen local opportunities, and ensure that no young person is left.
Gul, M., Lolona Alexis, G., Hina, F., Lund, L., MacDonald, S., Chau, D. M., Zahra, A., Santos, L., Nino, N., Mahmood, F., & Khan, H. (2026). Skills for an Inclusive Transition: Youth realities and green opportunity pathways. British Council. https://doi.org/10.57884/CNY9-EK08
© British Council 2026. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses /by-nc/4.0/).
To view country summaries, and the report brief with translations, visit Climate Connection Hive campaign | British Council.
