Youth participation is a process that takes shape over time.
It all begins at the local level, in communities at the forefront of ongoing transformations, where younger generations are called upon not only to imagine the future, but also to help shape it in the present.
For ideas to become proposals, however, they need a space in which they can come together, be discussed and put to the test. This is precisely the space provided by the Youth COP.
Conceived by Fondazione CIMA, together with ARPA Valle d’Aosta and Fondazione Montagna Sicura, as an educational model designed to promote the active participation of younger generations in decisions affecting their local communities, the Youth COP is a simulation of the Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change, in which young people can engage with the challenges posed by climate change.
When individual voices come together, participation becomes an opportunity for exchange, cross-fertilisation of ideas and negotiation. Through dialogue and collaborative efforts towards a tangible outcome – the Youth Charter – participation becomes an opportunity to contribute to the policymaking processes that shape our shared future.
This year, the Youth COP reaches the international climate arena, making its way to COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, through the event“From Local Communities to COP31: Youth at the Core of Climate Action”, scheduled for 14 November at the Italy Pavilion. Organised by CIMA Research Foundation, Hubzine Italia – Osservatorio Parigi, Save the Children, UNICEF and WeWorld, the event will bring together young people, organisations and institutional representatives to share experiences and perspectives on the role of younger generations in climate action.
We spoke with Samuel Avalle, a final-year student at Liceo Della Rovere in Savona, who took part in the Savona edition of the Youth COP in April 2026 and will share his experience at COP31 alongside Fondazione CIMA, together with its President, Luca Ferraris, and researcher Francesca Munerol. Proactive, curious and motivated, Samuel will bring to Antalya the perspective not only of someone who has personally experienced a participatory process, but, above all, of someone who will live with the consequences of the climate-related decisions being made today.
A space for every voice: the Youth COP experience
If participation is one of the central elements of the Youth COP, it is essential that everyone has the opportunity to contribute. Providing a space for dialogue is not enough: it is also necessary to ensure that each person can find their own way to take part in the discussion.
According to Samuel, the simulation’s main strength was precisely “being part of an environment where everyone in the group had the opportunity to express themselves, rather than just the most extroverted participants. This approach allowed each person to participate according to their own abilities and make their own contribution.”
The experience thus demonstrated that no particular predisposition is needed to contribute to a collective discussion. What is needed are opportunities to express oneself, to be listened to and to put one’s abilities to the test. The same applies to awareness of climate issues: according to Samuel, it is not something that depends on a particular personal experience, but something that all younger generations should have.
The simulation also provides an opportunity to develop another important skill: communicating clearly and effectively. In a process of dialogue and negotiation, what matters is not only having a proposal, but also knowing how to present it, identifying its essential elements and making them understandable to others.
Here too, a practical aspect of the experience proved particularly meaningful: “I thought giving us a time limit to present our proposals was a brilliant idea, because it really pushed us to work on being direct and concise. It was a valuable exercise in shaping our ideas and making them part of a shared discussion.”
Local experiences meet COP31
Bringing the Youth COP experience to COP31 represents an opportunity to build on this process and reaffirm the importance of recognising the role of younger generations in today’s climate-related decision-making. After all, they will be the ones living in the future we are already shaping today.
Yet, “at the moment, we young people have very little say in these decisions, even though the world will eventually be left in our hands.” This contradiction makes it even more urgent to create opportunities for meaningful participation.
For this reason, the Youth COP’s participation in COP31 forms part of a broader initiative that brings together organisations, institutional representatives and, above all, young participants to share experiences, educational pathways and proposals for addressing climate challenges.
The programme brings together perspectives from different contexts, ranging from Italian experiences to international initiatives in Kenya and Uganda. It provides an opportunity to foster dialogue between different viewpoints and reflect on the contribution younger generations can make to shaping their own future.
It is not simply a matter of recognising young people’s right to be heard, but also of valuing the perspectives and energy they bring, which can enrich discussions and contribute to identifying solutions.
From understanding the problem to identifying opportunities for action
For participation to translate into awareness, younger generations need support in understanding what has already been done and what can still be achieved, but above all in identifying how each individual can contribute, drawing on their own experiences and skills.
This is precisely the message Samuel would like to convey to COP31 delegates: rather than simply reminding young people that climate change is an important issue, we need to help them understand that it is a challenge they can address in different ways.
“I often see that people my age are aware of this problem, but do not really take action. Climate change is something we hear about frequently, but awareness does not always come with the ability to identify a personal role or contribution. We are told that it is a problem that needs to be addressed, but we are not told what we could actually do.”
This reflection extends beyond the Youth COP experience and touches on one of the fundamental challenges of participation that Fondazione CIMA has been working on for years: transforming the willingness to participate into knowledge and concrete opportunities for action. Because giving younger generations a voice also means providing them with the tools to make that voice heard, recognising that they are not merely the people who will inhabit the future, but also active participants in the decisions shaping it today.