Youth Climate Activism Democratizes Nbs Policy via Environmental Justice Triad

Abstract Youth climate activism typically emphasizes global protests, yet institutional models in the Global South remain underexplored. Here we analyze the Young Environmental Ambassadors program in São Carlos, Brazil, where elected high-school students operationalize environmental democracy's three pillars (information, participation, justice) through MPSP facilitated hearings on nature-based solutions (NbS). Questionnaire data (n = 10), interviews (n = 5), and observations (n = 12 meetings) reveal curriculum-aligned training informed council elections and hearings addressing Espraiado Stream water governance, Bicão Park greenspace protection, and Cidade Aracy waste management, yielding Municipal Law 21.458/2023. Prosecutorial facilitation in affected schools positioned youth as community-state mediators, preventing radicalization via institutional channels. This scalable triad integration offers Global South municipalities a replicable NbS governance model, building long-term climate resilience absent in transnational protest frameworks.