Meaningful Youth Engagement in Sustainability Processes in Japan and Finland: A Comparative Assessment

In many countries, young people are justifiably viewed as possessing the energy and ideas required to advance the sustainability agenda. However, the degree to which youth can influence that agenda depends on how meaningfully they engage in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and related processes. Further, the extent to which they can meaningfully engage may vary across countries. Though studies have shed light on the core elements of meaningful youth engagement, those insights have not been used to compare how these elements vary across countries. The paper aims to fill this knowledge gap with a preliminary assessment of youth engagement in sustainability processes in Finland and Japan. The approach used herein draws upon relevant literature to construct an analytical framework comprised of four key elements underpinning meaningful youth engagement: (1) aims and justifications; (2) power-sharing; (3) transparency and accountability; and (4) support. The study then employs text mining, institutional analysis, and key informant interviews to offer a preliminary assessment of how meaningfully youth have engaged in sustainability processes in Finland and Japan. The assessment reveals that youth engagement mechanisms in Finland more clearly explicate aims and justifications, balance power dynamics, and enhance transparency and accountability than in Japan. Both countries could do more to offer support to young people. The article also suggests that additional research is needed on three areas: (1) the effect of underlying socio-cultural differences on youth engagement; (2) the relationship between youth engagement and the performance of SDGs 4, 7, and 13; and (3) the role of education as an upstream enabler of engagement.