On 12 February the European Commission’s DG CLIMA hosted a youth event involving around 30 participants to discuss the upcoming Integrated Framework on Climate Resilience. The young people were representatives of European youth organisations, national youth councils, researchers, or simply concerned and interested citizens. 

Many attendees highlighted that the current narrative focuses too heavily on competitiveness and security, often neglecting the essential social and human dimensions necessary for transformative change. They pointed out that many national strategies currently lack risk assessments for vulnerable groups and fail to provide meaningful follow-up for at-risk communities.

The youth representatives proposed a variety of concrete suggestions to strengthen the Framework. These included the institutionalization of meaningful youth participation, the incorporation of intergenerational justice, and a shift toward nature-based solutions rather than just physical infrastructure. There was also a strong call to address the mental health impacts of climate change on younger generations and to move beyond GDP by considering more holistic success indicators.