Yana, a RESIsles intern from Bulgaria, reflects on how climate change shapes her daily life and how it makes her feel.

☀️ In Sofia, summer heat is becoming increasingly hard to bear. While nearly 46% of the city’s territory is classified as green space, tree cover is patchy, and some neighborhoods still lack shade 🌳. Large parks exist, but parts feel unsafe or poorly maintained.

🚇 Public transport is improving with a growing metro system, but cars still dominate, worsening air pollution 🚗💨. Cycling infrastructure? Nearly non-existent🚴‍♀️.

🇱🇺 In Luxembourg, where Yana grew up, the climate challenges are different but no less alarming. Floods, tornadoes, and heatwaves are becoming more frequent. Insect populations are declining 🐞 — a quiet but clear warning of ecological imbalance and chemical overuse.

For Yana, the emotional toll is real: “It causes me a great deal of anxiety… it’s accelerating faster than I ever imagined.” She’s disappointed by the slow pace of the green transition and alarmed by the rise in climate skepticism — especially when urgent action is needed most.

But she’s not giving up. Her answer is to speak out, raise awareness, and be part of the solution.

Climate change isn’t a future threat. It’s a lived reality — and it’s deeply personal for Europe’s youth.