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Research and innovation
News article16 June 2020Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

Outcomes of online engagement with European Youth Forum on 28 May

On 28 May, 15 participants from the European Youth Forum engaged in a discussion with two Mission Board members, Asun Lera St. Clair and Per Espen Stokens, and European Commission representatives about the Horizon Europe Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and Societal Transformation.

The session consisted of a debate around 4 issues :

  1. Some participants felt that enough information is available about climate change and its impact on their region and community, but not on the required actions and solutions that can make a difference. Others highlighted the lack of information at local and regional level, and in school curricula.
  2. Participants valued the vision of the Mission as an opportunity to build a better society in a united and prepared Europe. The increase in climate related migrations makes this even more relevant. The Mission should be just and empower Europeans to come up with solutions that go beyond the usual narrative.
  3. There was overall support for innovations in the 5 key community systems and in particular “reviving rural landscapes and sustainable food systems”, “regenerating community and social infrastructure”, and “protecting human health and wellbeing”, in the light of the current Covid-19 crisis. Several participants suggested to consider “social justice” as a potential additional focus.
  4. Communities and young people were seen as main drivers of the societal transformation towards a cleaner, greener and fairer world. The balance between climate change and livelihoods is a challenge but Europeans need to be aware of the risks posed by climate change and their power to drive the systemic transformation.  

The feedback from this event will contribute to the orientation paper that the Mission board is currently working on. 

Details

Publication date
16 June 2020
Author
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation