During the general policy debate entitled 'Europe, the fastest-warming continent: accelerating climate action with young people' at the PACE on 1 October, youth representatives called on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to accelerate climate action, protect young people’s rights and ensure their voices are heard.

This followed the presentation of a report by PACE member Aurora Floridia (Italy, SOC), and statements by Michael O’Flaherty (Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights), Kamal Kishore (Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction), Emilie Tamo Kamguia (Member of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth), and Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts (founder of the NGO Climate Justice for Rosa).

 Also in attendance at the debate were Emma Wedner (Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe), Xesc Mainzer (Vice-Chair), Léna Coco Kovats (Advocacy Representative at ReGeneration 2030), Filip Jankovic (Secretary General of the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe) and Haytam Benhachoum (Board Member of the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences).

 During her intervention, Emilie Tamo Kamguia highlighted the impact of climate change on young people’s lives, from education and employment to healthcare, food, housing and civic space. She described young people as both among those most affected by the crisis and as active agents of change. “Protect our rights. Protect our future. Do not fail us,” she urged members of the Assembly. Emilie called for the implementation of  Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)6 on young people and climate action, stronger protection for young environmental defenders, and the removal of barriers to youth participation in decision-making. She also expressed support for the drafting of a convention recognising the right to a safe, healthy and sustainable environment.

 Emma Wedner, Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth, emphasised that disinformation can fuel climate denial, undermine trust in science and weaken communities' ability to take action. Stressing the importance of reliable information and support for journalists, scientists, activists, youth organisations, and youth workers, she welcomed the report’s focus on literacy and intergenerational justice. She also drew attention to young people's efforts to pursue climate justice through legal action. The Advisory Council on Youth supports the call for a convention on the right to a healthy environment, as well as the protection of the environment through criminal law. This approach would be informed by a clear youth perspective, safeguarding both present and future generations. “We should not fear binding instruments,” she concluded. “What we should fear are the irreversible consequences of the triple planetary crisis.“

 Watch the recording of the debate