Youth COP
The Youth COP is a simulation of the Conference of the Parties on climate change, devised by the CIMA Research Foundation to engage young people in understanding the science of climate change and in formulating concrete proposals for mitigation and adaptation.
How did the idea for the Youth COP come about?
The Youth COP was launched in 2023 on the initiative of the CIMA Research Foundation and ARPA Valle d’Aosta, as part of the RESERVAQUA project.
The aim was to launch an innovative programme, based on environmental education and the experience gained through the ‘L’Acqua e Noi’ initiatives, to support young people approaching adulthood in jointly defining measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change, at both local and global levels, whilst fostering active and informed citizenship capable of contributing to decisions for a more sustainable future.
The initiative is notable for its originality in simulating the decision-making process of the Conference of the Parties – the international meeting that brings together the countries party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change every year – to engage young people not only with the issue of sustainable water use, but above all to encourage them to propose concrete solutions for the future in the same way that nations – and others – do every year at the actual climate COP.
Key themes
The Youth COP programme focuses on issues that directly affect the daily lives and futures of communities. At its heart is the responsible and sustainable use of water, a precious and limited resource on which the health of ecosystems and people’s well-being depend. It addresses the effects of drought, which not only affect the natural environment but also have an impact on agriculture, the economy and quality of life.
Another crucial issue is the challenges and conflicts associated with water management: when water is in short supply, tensions arise between different interests and needs, making a fair and participatory approach essential.
The Youth COP thus becomes a forum for active citizenship, where the local dimension intertwines with the global one and where awareness translates into concrete actions to build a more sustainable future.
The Youth COP aims to offer young people an educational and participatory programme,which combines awareness-raising, scientific education and political simulation, with the aim of empowering young people to play a leading role in developing strategies for climate resilience and the sustainable management of water resources.
Impact
Scientific and civic education
To provide young people with the tools to understand climate processes and the challenges associated with water management.
Active participation
To foster the ability to negotiate and develop shared solutions, reconciling differing interests (agriculture, tourism, energy, environmental protection).
Giving back to the community
The proposals developed are not confined to the school, but are presented to the public and local policy-makers, building a bridge between young people and institutions.
Replicability
The format can be replicated and adapted to different local and school contexts, encouraging the involvement of new communities and strengthening the role of the younger generations in climate governance.
The Youth COP in the Aosta Valley
The first event of the Youth COP involved around 150 students, who were invited to discuss the challenges posed by the climate crisis and its impact on water resources.
Starting in March 2023, pupils from the “Edouard Bérard” Scientific and Linguistic High School and the Regional Agricultural Institute in the city of Aosta embarked on an educational programmeoffering numerous opportunities for discussion and in-depth study on the topic of water. The first phase, dedicated to training, took the form of two days of debate on the physical and legal-political effects of climate change.
Alongside the face-to-face sessions, the students were set the task of independently developing water management strategies, based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the aim of reducing water consumption or improving water use in their local area. The proposals were discussed with experts from ARPA Valle d’Aosta and the CIMA Foundation in a direct and participatory dialogue. They were then presented in poster form during a session where all groups presented their work simultaneously prior to the final event, thereby stimulating the students’ critical thinking and negotiation skills.
The final stage, the Plenary Session, took place on 10 May 2023 at the Cittadella dei Giovani in Aosta. On this occasion, the working groups presented their ideas to the plenary session through one-minute presentations aimed at convincing the audience of the validity of the proposed adaptation or mitigation solutions.
This was followed by a vote, which led to the selection of the most popular proposals – those the young people decided to focus on in order to make a strong and positive impact.
The highlight was the round of amendments – the centrepiece of the debate, as it faithfully mirrors the dynamics of a real climate COP – and the final vote on the ten proposals that will form the Youth Charter, a document to be handed over directly to policy-makers.
Upcoming Youth COP meetings: Aosta Valley, Trento-Bolzano and Liguria
The Youth COP is a concrete example of fruitful collaboration between the education sector, young people on the cusp of adulthood, and a scientific body that has been dedicated to the study and dissemination of environmental issues for decades.
An effective partnership, which has attracted considerable interest ever since its first edition and has returned to the Aosta Valley, involving new schools. In 2026, the initiative also reached Savona, in Liguria, where an event was held to mark Earth Day. The next edition, scheduled to take place in Trento-Bolzano in 2027, will mark an important new development: it will, in fact, be the first cross-border initiative of its kind, extending dialogue and youth participation beyond national borders.
The aim of CIMA Research Foundation is to gain an in-depth understanding of the perspectives and needs of the younger generations – those who will be most affected by the effects of climate change – by gathering their ideas and proposals for adaptation and mitigation measures relating to water. At the same time, the aim is to reach as many young people as possible, encouraging them to reflect on an urgent challenge that affects society as a whole.
For schools, the programme forms an integral part of the PCTO (Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation) and work-based learning programmes, offering a strong link to the real world and to the professions – scientists, environmental lawyers, science communicators – that pupils might pursue in the future.
From the 2025/2026 edition onwards, the Youth COP has become an educational model driven by a joint working group comprising CIMA Research Foundation, ARPA Valle d’Aosta, the Montagna Sicura Foundation, EURAC Research and Alt(r)a Quota.
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The Youth COP at COP31
The Youth COP experience is also set to feature at COP31, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Turkey. On 14 November 2026, at the Italian Pavilion, Samuel Avalle, a pupil at the Liceo della Rovere in Savona and a participant in the Savona edition of the Youth COP, will speak alongside Francesca Munerol of CIMA Research Foundation on the panel dedicated to Italian experiences of youth participation in climate action, as part of the event ‘From Local Communities to COP31: Youth at the Core of Climate Action’.
An opportunity to bring the experience gained at local level into an international context, highlighting the active role played by young people and their contribution to the debate on climate challenges.