Ungir Umhverfissinnar

What Ungir Umhverfissinnar does

Ungir Umhverfissinnar (The Young Icelandic Environmentalists, UU) is an Icelandic non-governmental, non-profit youth environmental organization founded on March 14, 2013 in Reykjavík. The organization's stated mission is to serve as a platform for young people in Iceland to positively influence how society interacts with nature. It is volunteer-run with no paid employees (nine temporary project hires were engaged in 2021-2022), governed by an elected board of approximately 8 officers plus deputies, with broader active volunteer leadership of roughly 20-30 individuals. Registered membership has grown from 111 at founding to approximately 1,752 as of 2024-2025, with membership offered free of charge and supported by voluntary donations and project-based grants. The organization has formal participation in Icelandic environmental policy-making and in international climate and biodiversity governance, and operates across Iceland through regional committees (the first, Young Environmentalists in the South, was established in 2019).

UU's product surface consists of advocacy and educational programs rather than technology products. Core offerings include: the Sólin election grading system (published in 2021 and 2024) evaluating Icelandic political parties' environmental platforms; upper secondary school presentations delivered across the country (14 of 30 high schools visited in 2016-2017, expanded since); quarterly national meetings (landsfundir); the Good Tourist sustainable travel guide; the Climate Strike backbone organization (Loftslagsverkfall, Fridays for Future Iceland); four standing committees (Climate, Nature Conservation, Circular Economy, Education); and publications including the Climate Activist Handbook, the Spírur children's writing collection, the Sea Handbook (Handbók um hafið, early 2026), and the Iceland's Corals (Kórallar Íslands) course. The organization's technology footprint is limited to a Wix-hosted website (umhverfissinnar.is), social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube), monthly email newsletters, and WhatsApp groups for member coordination.

UU's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: it recruits members through word-of-mouth, school presentations, social media, and earned media (41-46 media appearances annually). Revenue derives from project-based grants—primarily the Reykjavik Youth Climate Fund (Loftslagssjóður ungs fólks í Reykjavík), Erasmus+ for international projects, and the Icelandic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate for Sólin—and voluntary member donations channeled through a dedicated donation portal (styrkja.is/ungir-umhverfissinnar). No revenue figures are publicly disclosed. UU has formal policy influence, having participated in COP26 through COP30 and in UN biodiversity conferences (COP15, COP16, SB64), and produces over 50 pages of consultation responses annually on Icelandic environmental legislation as part of a coalition of 15+ Icelandic environmental NGOs.

Name

Ungir Umhverfissinnar

Legal name

Ungir umhverfissinnar

Website

https://umhverfissinnar.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Ungir Umhverfissinnar (The Young Icelandic Environmentalists) is a volunteer-run, non-profit Icelandic youth environmental organization founded in 2013 that provides environmental advocacy, school education programs, policy consultation, and civic engagement to approximately 1,752 young Icelandic members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Youth Civic Engagement

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Youth environmental advocacy
• Climate policy advocacy
• Environmental education programs
• Sustainable tourism guidance
• Community climate activism

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Donations and Voluntary Contributions: UU accepts free-will donations from members and supporters. Membership is free, but members are encouraged to contribute voluntarily to support the organization's work. Donations are collected through a dedicated donation portal (styrkja.is/ungir-umhverfissinnar).
2. Project Grants and Funding: UU receives project-based grants from public and institutional funding bodies including Loftslagssjóður ungs fólks í Reykjavík (Youth Climate Fund), Erasmus+ (for international projects), and the Icelandic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate (for Sólin publication). These grants fund specific initiatives rather than general operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ungir Umhverfissinnar is a non-profit, volunteer-run Icelandic youth environmental advocacy organization that provides a free membership platform for young Icelanders to participate in environmental policy advocacy. It delivers educational school presentations, organizes quarterly national meetings, conducts policy consultation submissions to government, publishes advocacy materials, and represents Icelandic youth at UN climate and biodiversity conferences. The organization is funded primarily through voluntary donations and project-based grants from public and institutional funders.

Product overview

Ungir umhverfissinnar (The Young Icelandic Environmentalists) is a non-governmental youth environmental organization that operates as a platform for young people in Iceland to advocate for environmental matters. The organization does not offer a traditional technology product but rather runs a portfolio of environmental programs, publications, and advocacy initiatives. Key programs include Sólin, a political party environmental grading system for elections; educational school presentations; the Good Tourist sustainable tourism guide; Climate Strike activism; and annual national conferences (Landsfundir). The organization publishes educational materials including the Climate Activist Handbook and children's environmental book Spírur. Four standing committees focus on climate, nature conservation, circular economy, and education. Recent initiatives include workshop series on marine ecosystems, coral education programs, and a Sea Handbook for general ocean literacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sólin: Election grading project developed by Ungir umhverfissinnar to evaluate environmental and climate policies of political parties running in Icelandic parliamentary elections. Editions in 2021 and 2024.
• Good Tourist
• Spírur
• Handbók loftslagsaktívistans

Products and services

• Sólin (Election Grading System) A grading system developed by UU to evaluate the environmental and climate policies of political parties running in Icelandic parliamentary elections. Parties are invited to meetings with UU and to formal grade-receipt ceremonies, helping voters make informed decisions and creating accountability for environmental commitments across election cycles.
• School Presentations (Framhaldsskólakynningar) Free educational presentations delivered by UU at upper secondary schools across Iceland to inform students about environmental issues, climate change, biodiversity, and how they can influence Icelandic environmental policy.
• Good Tourist Guide A guide developed in partnership with the Reykjavik Youth Climate Action Fund to help tourists visiting Iceland reduce their environmental impact through responsible consumption, behavior, and economic choices.
• Loftslagsverkfall (Climate Strike Movement) UU co-organizes and promotes Iceland's weekly climate strikes under the Fridays for Future banner, contributing to planning, outreach, and coalition coordination with other Icelandic youth and environmental organizations.
• Landsfundir (National Meetings) Four annual weekend conferences where young people participate in environmental policy development across themed focus areas (nature conservation, climate, circular economy, and education/communication), open to all young people with travel and accommodation support.
• Handbók loftslagsaktívistans (Climate Activist Handbook) A bilingual (Icelandic and English) handbook for environmental advocacy providing structured guidance for young environmental activists seeking to influence policy.
• Spírur - ungar raddir í umhverfismálum (Creative Writing Publication) A publication featuring 30 stories from a creative writing competition for primary school children across Iceland about the environment, titled 'Young writers for the environment'.
• Hafið á hundavaði (Marine Protected Areas Workshop Series) A series of workshops held across Iceland where participants learned about marine ecosystems and developed proposals for marine protected areas in their respective regions.
• Kórallar Íslands (Iceland's Corals Course) An educational course conducted in collaboration with university institutions that delivers live education about marine life and conservation to primary school children in Iceland.
• Handbók um hafið (Handbook on the Sea) A handbook published by UU to enhance general ocean literacy and knowledge, with the first 100 copies distributed to schools and institutions nationwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew from 111 members in 2013 to approximately 1,752 members by 2024, demonstrating consistent organic growth over 11 years.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• Arctic Youth Network (AYN)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU participates in the Arctic Youth Network, an international network of young people focused on environmental and social issues in the Arctic. UU helped organize a panel at a UN Climate Conference under the AYN banner, strengthening ties between youth environmental organizations across Arctic nations.
• Loftslagsverkfallið (Climate Strike / Fridays for Future IS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU is one of the backbone organizations (bakhjarlar) of Iceland's Climate Strike movement (Fridays for Future IS). The organization co-organizes and promotes weekly climate strikes, contributes to planning and outreach, and regularly participates in strike events alongside other organizations and individual supporters.
• Coalition of Icelandic Environmental OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU participates in a broad coalition of Icelandic environmental NGOs that coordinate on shared advocacy positions. Partner organizations include Landvernd, Náttúruverndarsamtök Íslands, Íslenski náttúruverndarsjóðurinn (IWF), Náttúrugrið, Verndarsjóður villtra laxastofna (NASF), Aldin, Náttúruverndarsamtök Austurlands (NAUST), F.L.Í.S., Ocean Missions, Laxinn lifir, Ægis, Vá, Vakandi, SUNN, and Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) Iceland. The coalition jointly signs consultation submissions and policy statements on major environmental legislation.
• AIESEC IcelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU's president (Laura Sólveig Lefort Scheefer) previously served as team leader at AIESEC, indicating an organizational connection to AIESEC Iceland's youth leadership and exchange network.
• AFS IcelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU's president (Laura Sólveig Lefort Scheefer) previously served on the board of AFS Iceland (international youth exchange organization), indicating an ongoing connection to international youth exchange networks.
• Háskólalesturinn og Háskóli unga fólksinsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU collaborated with university educational programs to deliver the 'Kórallar Íslands' (Corals of Iceland) course, offering live education about ocean ecosystems and marine conservation to primary school children, demonstrating cross-sector educational partnerships.
• Aldin, Dýraverndarsamband Íslands, LandverndmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU co-organized the Climate Festival (Loftslagsfestivalið) at Menningarnótt alongside Aldin (senior climate activists), Dýraverndarsamband Íslands (Icelandic Animal Protection Association), and Landvernd (Icelandic Environment Association). The event featured musical performances, art exhibitions, and advocacy talks.
• Fossil Fuel Treaty InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUU's president Laura Sólveig Lefort Scheefer works as a project manager at the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, an international organization advocating for a global treaty on fossil fuel phase-out, linking UU's leadership to international climate policy networks.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Náttúruverndarsamtök Íslands (NVI): Icelandic Nature Conservation Association. A coalition partner of UU that co-signs policy submissions and statements on environmental legislation, operating in the same advocacy niche domestically.
• Náttúrugrið: Icelandic environmental NGO that participates in UU's NGO coalition. Operates in the same domestic advocacy ecosystem, signing joint statements on environmental legislation.
• Fridays for Future Iceland (Loftslagsverkfallið): Icelandic chapter of Fridays for Future. Operates the same youth climate-strike mission that UU formally supports, with overlapping leadership and shared events.
• Aldin: Icelandic senior climate activist group. Co-organized the Climate Festival (Loftslagsfestivalið) at Menningarnótt with UU, and provides intergenerational complement to UU's youth-focused advocacy.
• Landvernd: The Icelandic Environment Association, founded 1969. Landvernd is UU's most established domestic counterpart and direct coalition partner, jointly signing consultation submissions on Icelandic environmental legislation.
• Fridays for Future International: Global youth climate strike movement. UU operates the Icelandic chapter (Loftslagsverkfallið) as a backbone organization and co-organizes weekly climate strikes, making it a direct national affiliate.

Emerging players

• Earth Uprising: International youth-led climate organization focused on training and mobilizing young climate advocates. Comparable to UU in mission and demographic, though UU is Iceland-specific.
• Arctic Youth Network: International network of young people focused on Arctic environmental and social issues. UU is a member and co-organized a UN climate conference panel under the AYN banner, providing a clear peer overlap.

Regional players

• Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) Iceland: Icelandic chapter of the global youth ocean conservation organization. UU is a coalition partner, and the two organizations share a youth-led ocean advocacy focus.

Broad incumbents

• Greenpeace Iceland: Icelandic affiliate of the global environmental advocacy giant. Operates in the same environmental advocacy space as UU but at a much larger scale and broader thematic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/umhverfissinnar
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpI6rbVQFxhQNFJhnS8X4Pw
• Facebookfacebook.com/umhverfissinnar
• Instagraminstagram.com/ungirumhverfissinnar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uu-ungir-umhverfissinnar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ungir Umhverfissinnar