Youth can help make buildings more carbon-conscious–if they know what – and who – makes a building “green”. That’s the core idea behind the Carbon Zero Youth Initiative (www.carbonzeroyouth.org), founded to engage students ages 12-18 in the rapidly growing movement to decarbonize the built environment.

While currently responsible for about 40% of global CO2 emissions, buildings and structures offer many opportunities for large-scale carbon reductions, carbon sequestration, and circularity.  “Empowering young people to understand and talk about this issue in their communities will help generate public awareness and prepare the next generation to be carbon-conscious leaders” notes Meghan Byrne, Carbon Leadership Forum staff and Carbon Zero Youth Initiative board member.

Carbon Zero Youth Initiative (CZYI) was inspired by a Girl Scout embodied carbon project that was launched in 2021. Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Badgerland Troops 1477 & 1952 created videos and presented to industry groups. As their project expanded, the benefits of engaging youth with the green building movement – for the youth, the planet, and the adults who listen – became clear.   

“The CZYI aims to make learning about cutting-edge sustainability topics fun and accessible for youth” explains Julia Pooler, CZYI founder and the Girl Scout troop leader involved with the original project. “Most importantly, the CZYI will support youth in using their voices to encourage action, build life skills, share their passion for the planet, and explore careers”. 

To that effect, the CZYI is collaborating with building industry groups and sustainability initiatives to bring topics such as embodied and operational carbon, life cycle analysis, carbon accounting, low-carbon materials, and building deconstruction into classroom and youth group settings. The CZYI will showcase carbon-conscious building practices and ways to take action through toolkits, games, interactive activities, video content, and patch programs. CZYI educational resources will be distributed free of charge and on-demand through partnerships with education organizations and will be available in multiple languages.

CZYI will also work to facilitate opportunities for youth to engage directly with building industry professionals.  CZYI Board President Karin O’Brien, [Executive Director of ACI Missouri and a Scout leader] explains, “there is no more memorable way for youth to learn than by getting real world experiences!  Site visits, participation in local industry events, and dialogues between students and professionals are a great way for youth to share their own passion for sustainability”. 

 CZYI is actively building its network of sponsors, community and education partners, and building industry volunteers.  Any individuals, organizations or firms interested in the CZYI mission are encouraged to reach out.