And they’re admitting it
‘I don’t just watch climate change happening’: the young Swedes being paid to make a difference
Oona Verveld and Clara Vikberg have just secured their first paid summer jobs. While their peers are mostly limited to entry-level positions in retail or fast-food restaurants, the 18-year-olds are some of the first among their generation to have landed a new type of role: young planetary stewards.
“Someone came up with the simple idea that, since young people clearly need jobs, why not create them?” says My Sellberg, the project manager and programme lead for regenerative development at Upplandsbygd, a non-profit based north of Stockholm. “The strongest objective was to inspire hope for the future among our young residents.”
Sweden has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the EU. About 24% of 15– to 24-year-old Swedes are classified as unemployed, compared with an EU average of about 15%. While Sweden’s figures are partly influenced by the way students seeking work are counted in the statistics, the labour market remains challenging for young people trying to gain their first professional experience. In the UK, youth unemployment has also risen sharply, reaching about 16% in late 2025, its highest level in more than a decade.
Upplandsbygd, which is funded by the five municipalities it covers and the EU, supports initiatives, funds local development projects and builds networks and knowledge – all with sustainability at their core. The organisation employs the “leader method”, a bottom-up approach used by the EU to fund local rural development projects.
So they’re just making bullshit jobs up for the Yutes? Huh
What makes the programme distinctive is its combination of grassroots action and structured support. Young participants are matched with local organisations – from farms to conservation groups – and receive funding of up to 40,000 Swedish krona (£4,000) per person alongside mentoring in project management. Most importantly, the project ideas come from the young people themselves.
If the money is coming from the government I’m not sure that can be considered “grassroots”.
Other projects launched through the YPS scheme include: restoring biodiversity by clearing invasive species; creating habitats such as a frog pond; an oak tree inventory to strengthen their protection; building bird boxes and insect hotels; creating a new stretch of hiking trail; and running community workshops in local libraries on how to have meaningful conversations about climate and sustainability.
Most all of the “jobs” mentioned in the story have zero to do with ‘climate change’, they’re just normal basic environmental things.
For Vikberg the interest for the climate started as a scout and a love for the outdoors. “Young people are often disconnected to nature. I want to spread the joy of spending time outdoors,” she says. “If you have an interest for it, you also care for it more.”
Most of the Warmists are urbanists and affluent.
