Council Presidency Youth Dialogue

What is the Council Presidency Youth Dialogue?

Generation Climate Europe organizes the Council Presidency Youth Dialogue (CPYD).

The dialogue creates a platform for young people to share their ideas, questions and priorities on climate and environmental issues with EU decision-makers from the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The first-ever dialogue took place in July 2020, followed by a second event in December 2020 with Ms Svenja Schulze – German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The events gathered over 240 participants and reached over 2500 people from all over the world online.

Previous events can be viewed below:

July 2020

1st Dialogue

For a Green Recovery

View it here

December 2020

2nd Dialogue

Are we on the right track?

View it here

September 2021

3rd Dialogue

 For a Green and Just Transition

View it here

September 2022

4th Dialogue

Achieving a Just Transition in a time of energy insecurity

View it here!

Past Dialogue Details

GERMANY

​​On 13 July 2020, Generation Climate Europe (GCE) organised the first-ever Council Presidency Youth Dialogue –  with Ms Svenja Schulze, Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. 

A second Dialogue with the German Presidency took place in December to tie together the beginning and the end of the work of Minister Svenja Schulze.

SLOVENIA

On 23 September 2021, we organised a Council Presidency Youth Dialogue – with Ms Metka Gorisek, State Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning of Slovenia – done in partnership with the National Youth Council of Slovenia (MSS). 

A second Dialogue was hosted in December, this time with the Agriculture Minister of Slovenia, Jože Podgoršek, in order to have an outlook of both the environmental and agricultural priorities of the Presidency.

CZECH REPUBLIC

On 14 September 2022, we organised a Council Presidency Youth Dialogue with the Czech Republic.  Dr Jan Dusík, the Czech Deputy Environment Minister, and three panellists representing the European Youth Energy Network (EYEN), the Czech National Youth Council, and Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) discussed. The following topic: was ‘Achieving a Just Transition in a time of energy insecurity?’.

SWEDEN

On 17 May 2023, the fifth Council Presidency Youth Dialogue took place to discuss climate education in light of the European Year of Skills 2023. For the first time, we combined representatives from two presidencies: Stina Söderqvist (Swedish Delegation for the UNFCCC and National Focal Point for ACE) for the current Swedish Presidency and Dr Jan Dusík (Director General for Climate Protection at the Czech Ministry of Environment) for the previous Czech Presidency. They were joined by three youth panellists, representing the Swedish National Youth Council (LSU), the Climate Students Sweden (Klimatstudenterna Sverige), and Generation Climate Europe.

Keep an eye on our social media channels to be informed about our upcoming dialogue!

EVENT DETAILS

The Council Presidency Youth Dialogues are online dialogues in which young people from across Europe exchange their opinions and ideas on climate and environment topics with representatives of the Council Presidency, which is the country holding the six-month presidency in the Council of the EU.

WHY IS SUCH A DIALOGUE NECESSARY?

Young people are at the forefront of the climate crisis, but their voices are underrepresented in EU climate and environmental decision-making processes. 

 

Through the Youth Climate Dialogues, Generation Climate Europe aims to create an opportunity for young people to engage with the EU institutions on climate and environmental topics in an inclusive and youth-led way. Genuine dialogue is a two-way process: young people are invited not just to listen, but to voice their opinions and share their fresh ideas with European policy makers. This may inspire future policy-making and create a culture of youth participation among the EU institutions.

The Council is a crucial institution in the EU decision-making process, and yet one that is less visible. By putting a spotlight on the Council in the Council Presidency Youth Dialogues, we provide young people a better understanding of its role and working, and an opportunity to have their say on important issues that are discussed in the Council, directly engaging with those presiding the Council meetings.