ReGeneration Week 2026: what’s at stake?

ReGeneration Week 2026 gathered 80 young people in Mariehamn, Åland, in the beginning of August. Here is what went down.

As we planned this climate camp, we said that together, we wanted to map out where power lies, who we can count on for support, and strategically chart a path to a future worth fighting for.

In the end, we hosted 22 sessions where young organisers and activists from all around the region shared their knowledge and skills in everything from unions and workplace organising to campaigns for saving the Repparfjord and the Fossil Fuel treaty. 

A majority of the participants said that they gained new skills and knowledge, and that they feel inspired to fight for system change as they left the Week.

• 

• 

• 

Embracing complexity

As we got together on Wednesday afternoon for the first welcome and introduction, we introduced some collective principles. We said, “We embrace complexity, and we recognise that things are not black and white.” This multifaceted crisis is complex. So will the solutions be.

We entered the last day of the Week with a youth plenary, where the participants bravely took the microphone to voice their opinions on questions such as “Who are our allies?” and “What are the most important struggles right now?”.

One participant pointed out: 

Among ordinary civil people, it’s in their material interest to have a just transition for the majority. They need a stable climate for shelter, food, and transportation. So this big group of people are our potential allies. There are social and cultural things that determine if they are active allies at the moment, but maybe we can overcome these barriers

Indeed, we are all dependent on breathable air and food on our table.  

Lives are at stake

At the time of writing this, El Niño is on track to intensify, causing more extreme heat and weather events, expected to kill over 450 000 people. The oil giant Exxon Mobile are predicting a global warming of 2,5-3 degrees at year 2050, with a plan on continued fossil fuel burning.

This is a matter of life and death, today. And we are up against billion-dollar corporations who for decades have known exactly the consequences of their profit.

Now, we are looking ahead, energised by the friends we got and the lessons we learned at ReGeneration Week 2026. At ReGeneration 2030, we are drafting our new strategy up until 2030, and we know what is at stake. We cannot afford to do this poorly. We will organise strong movements in the Nordic and Baltic sea region, and build people power to push for a just sustainable transition where everyone can flourish.

Photo: Aleksis Ratenieks & Karolina Ūbaitė

Text: Alva Danielsson