From May 7th to 10th, the 2025 SOS-International Summit brought together over 100 passionate participants from Europe, Africa, and Latin America to chart a bold course for environmental justice through student leadership. Hosted by the Green Office Ghent — Ghent University at the University of Ghent, with support from Copernicus Alliance and Flixbus, the summit served as a dynamic platform for students, youth leaders, academics, and climate advocates to collaborate on building a sustainable, equitable future.
This year’s theme, “Mobilizing Student Leadership for Environmental Justice,” underscored the growing influence of youth voices in shaping climate policy, educational reform, and sustainability practices. With climate change and ecological degradation accelerating globally, the summit emphasized the need for bold, coordinated responses that place students at the forefront of transformation.
Throughout the three-day event, delegates engaged in rich dialogue and collaborative sessions structured around five key themes:
- Sustainability on Campus
- Transforming Learning and Education for Sustainability
- Climate Justice and Equity in Higher Education
- Campaigning and Advocacy for Environmental Justice
- Living Well in the Anthropocene
Participants explored innovative strategies, shared local experiences, and examined the role of higher education institutions in fostering climate action. The summit was not only a forum for learning but a catalyst for building cross-continental alliances and action-oriented networks.
Speakers and session hosts span from different disciplines and background. The Secretary General of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU) and board President of SOS-International, convened a delegation of ten outstanding student and youth leaders from across Africa. These delegates played a pivotal role as session hosts and facilitators, offering insights into the challenges and successes of climate action from a Pan-African perspective. Their leadership demonstrated the immense value that African youth bring to the global climate discourse and highlighted the diversity of student-led solutions emerging across the continent.
The summit also laid bare the systemic barriers that hinder student-led climate initiatives. Limited access to funding, bureaucratic constraints, and absence from decision-making processes remain persistent obstacles. To overcome these challenges, higher education institutions must intentionally cultivate enabling environments—spaces where student innovation is not only welcomed but resourced, nurtured, and amplified.
Speakers and facilitators across sessions emphasized the critical role of intergenerational partnerships, institutional support, and sustained investment in student-led efforts. From grassroots mobilization to policy advocacy, student initiatives have already demonstrated their power to catalyze real change. What they need now is recognition, access, and reinforcement.
The 2025 summit reaffirmed a fundamental truth: when students lead, transformation follows.
To everyone who contributed—speakers, facilitators, volunteers, and attendees—thank you for your dedication, passion, and commitment. As we move forward, may the ideas exchanged and relationships forged at this summit serve as a springboard for sustained impact and collective action. Let us continue to push boundaries, challenge systems, and champion environmental justice wherever we are.
See the summit photos here
