Statements

As the largest coalition of youth-led organizations at the European level, Generation Climate Europe, along with more than 10 other youth-led organizations, of which represent more than 30 million Young Europeans, we are asking you to take action. More specifically, we are asking you to ensure that the EU will preserve both our and our families’ future – which is also your future. Climate Change can no longer be ignored in political decisions, as it is accelerating and becoming more serious than anticipated by IPCC experts. In 2020, the permafrost in Canada’s Arctic Islands drastically defrosted to levels that climate models were only predicting to happen in 2090. Experts say a +6°C trajectory is now probable.

Today, we have two important requests in this regard, and your political leadership is and will be crucial in their achievement.

Generation Climate Europe demands an absolute reduction target of -65% till 2030, compared to 1990. This is the minimum of GHG reduction to still be in line with our targets for the Paris Agreement. Nothing less is acceptable and anything below is playing with the lives of the young people in Europe, around the world and all the future generations!

On November 18th at 7pm CET, Generation Climate Europe (GCE) will be hosting the launch event for the Young Voices on Climate Justice Report 2020. After several hundred young people across Europe have been surveyed, the young generation has shown that it has well-reasoned and creative ideas and proposals for a just and sustainable Europe. GCE will present these ideas at the launch event, and young people will have the opportunity to engage with Members of the European Parliament.

In these challenging times, young people stand in solidarity with those most vulnerable. We are listening to experts, changing our habits and making our communities more resilient to the corona crisis, because together we can save lives. Our member organisations are supporting vulnerable groups, medical students are volunteering in hospitals, young people are buying groceries for those at risk, and youth organisations are supporting international students who are in lockdown in a foreign country. We all have a responsibility in overcoming the corona crisis.

December 2019 marks the beginning of the new European Commission lead by President Ursula von der Leyen. Some months ago, in July 2019, von der Leyen put forward her agenda for her term of office. In the document with the ambitious name “A Union that strives for more – My Agenda for Europe” von der Leyen outlines her ideas for the next five years in office. We very much support the fact that the first of the six main topics she focuses on is ‘A European Green Deal’.

As Generation Climate Europe we have 6 concrete demands:
1) The EU declares a Climate Emergency.
2) Europe listens to its youth.
3) The EU must be a better climate leader.
4) Fuel the transition, not dirty energy.
5) Sustainable transport for the Erasmus Generation.
6) Better education for a better environment.