The recommendation calls on governments to protect the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of all young people, particularly environmental defenders, whose efforts to advocate for a sustainable environment often face significant barriers. It also emphasises the need to ensure meaningful youth participation in climate-related decision-making processes by establishing accessible consultation platforms and removing structural obstacles that limit young voices in shaping climate policies.
Addressing discrimination is another key focus of the document, with a call to combat racism, gender inequality, and other forms of exclusion deeply linked to the climate crisis. The recommendation stresses the need for intergenerational equity and climate justice, ensuring that responses to climate change are fair and inclusive, especially for marginalised communities. This aligns with the concept of climate justice highlighted at the recent EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership’s “Symposium: Young people, democracy and climate action”.
“This recommendation encourages a number of innovative measures for Council of Europe member States to create optimal conditions for ensuring young people's engagement in climate action. It is the first international instrument on this subject and puts climate action in the framework of Council of Europe values: human rights, rule of law and democracy”, said Jorge Orlando Queirós, Chair of the European Steering Committee for Youth.
The members of the Advisory Council on Youth highlighted the historic moment for the Council of Europe.
“We are celebrating that this recommendation is the first international instrument on young people and climate action to be adopted. The Council of Europe member states today committed to empowering young people to advocate for measures to tackle the climate emergency so we may protect our future as young people. As fervent defenders of action to save our climate confronted with barriers to hinder our sometimes-unconventional means of protest, we regret some amendments made to our original text. We are however also staunch defenders of the Council of Europe youth sector’s co-managed decision-making system and stand by the consensus we achieved with members of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ).
We invite member states to respect the essential commitments they have made, such as protection for young environment defenders, the provision of climate education, and the inclusion of young people in climate-related decision-making processes, but to also go further and to support the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right that is important for young people for the enjoyment of human rights and intrinsically linked to other rights existing in international law. We now look forward to seeing how the Council of Europe and member states will turn words into action,” stated the members of the Advisory Council on Youth.
Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Council of Europe Youth Department highlighted that this recommendation had been adopted by the Committee of Ministers thanks to the Joint Council on Youth and the advocacy of the young people inside and outside the Advisory Council on Youth.
“Climate action is one of the top priorities of young people in Europe, however they are often excluded from decision-making processes. Therefore, this recommendation is proof of the effectiveness of the youth sector’s co-management system and the Council of Europe as an agile and responsive standard-setting Organisation. The Youth Department, with its unique instruments of intergovernmental and youth co-operation, stands ready to support member States to take forward the various measures in the recommendation”, said Flessenkemper.
This recommendation marks a significant step forward in acknowledging the vital role of young people in combating the climate crisis and ensuring their rights, participation, and protection from discrimination are at the forefront of climate action efforts.
Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)6 on young people and climate action
