Energy cooperatives in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area face major challenges, from mobilising local communities to keeping momentum in their projects. One pressing issue: how to involve younger generations. Without fresh energy and talent, many initiatives risk slowing down. Yet there was a great gap between cooperatives and young people eager to contribute to the energy transition.

Together with governmental institutions (Municipality of Amsterdam, Province of North Holland), corporate partners (Rabobank, Univé), knowledge institutions (HvA, VU, Nova College), and local energy cooperatives, we built COOP Centraal: a long-term coalition and network to strengthen the role of young people in the cooperative movement. Through intensive co-creation sessions, stakeholder mapping, and interviews, we laid the foundation for a strong and focused coalition that organises activities to connect youth and cooperatives.

In just two years, COOP Centraal has addressed over 20 cooperative challenges together with young people, mainly by connecting students to real-life cases through education projects. This not only gives cooperatives free support but also creates valuable learning experiences for students. So far, more than 600 participants have joined our activities. Both online and offline, the coalition amplifies its impact through events, workshops, social media campaigns, podcasts, and media collaborations. The coalition continues to grow, making energy cooperatives more visible, resilient, and future-proof.