Climate justice and effective action to tackle the triple planetary crises of global warming, pollution and loss of biodiversity are key concerns of young people. From 24 to 26 September, 120 young people, members of non-governmental youth organisations, voluntary and professional youth workers, as well as researchers and policy makers, are meeting at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg for the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership’s “Symposium: Young people, democracy and climate action”.
They will analyse the impact of the climate crisis on young people in Europe and explore how youth policy and youth work can respond effectively to the three global challenges. The five key themes of the symposium are:
- climate emotions and eco-anxiety
- climate litigation and lawsuits against States
- local climate activism
- global youth engagement in climate
- the unequal impact of climate change on vulnerable or marginalised groups or communities.
The symposium is part of the youth partnership with the European Union and supports the ongoing efforts of the Council of Europe to implement the 2023 Reykjavik Declaration’s objectives concerning environment and human rights. The Council of Europe’s youth strategy 2030 aims to encourage young people to take part in solving problems that concern them.
