What is COP?
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC is an agreement between 198 Parties (197 States and the EU) with the primary aim to address anthropogenic climate change. The treaty entered into force in 1994 and every year since then leaders from all over the world have come together at COP to discuss and agree on international climate policy. Many of the most significant international climate commitments and agreements have emerged from these summits, including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Representatives from civil society, business and academia are also present at COP to observe, influence and participate in the proceedings.
This year’s Conference of the Parties will be held between the 10th and 21st of November in Belém, Brazil. Stakeholders from across the world will focus on advancing the goals of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, including efforts to limit global warming, adapt to the impacts of climate change and mobilize financing for these activities.
Delegates representing more than 100 Parties to the Paris Agreement will gather to pave the way to some key decisions expected to be made during COP 30 in Belém. The YES-Europe delegation will follow and participate in both negotiation sessions as official observer entities, part of the youth constituency.
How have we contributed in the past?
At COP29, YES-Europe’s advocacy focused on advancing progress in the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) and the Mitigation Work Programme (MWP), emphasising the need for equity, ambition , and actionable outcomes:
- Just Transition Work Programme:
Building on COP28, we called for justice — procedural, intergenerational and distributive — to guide discussions on the socio-economic impacts of climate policies. Key recommendations included linking climate and social policies, reforming education for workforce readiness, and reallocating fossil fuel subsidies to support just transitions. We also emphasised equitable burden‑sharing between developed and developing nations and called for financial mechanisms to address funding gaps and foster resilient, inclusive economies.
- Mitigation Work Programme:
Recognising the urgency of scaling‑up ambition, we stressed the need to phase out unabated coal, expand renewable energy, and align updated NDCs with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. We advocated for stronger coordination between the MWP, JTWP, and other workstreams, alongside international cooperation on technology transfer and financing, to drive impactful mitigation outcomes.
By actively engaging in these discussions, we provided a youth perspective on the necessity of tangible, action‑oriented outcomes that prioritise justice and ambition.
A key highlight was hosting our UNFCCC side-event – Youth-Driven Sustainable Cities: Advancing Just Transformations of Urban Systems, which allowed us to deepen the conversation started by this year’s COP29 Position Paper. This forum spotlighted the role of young leaders in shaping equitable and resilient urban policies.
It was an exceptional opportunity to share our insights, engage with global stakeholders, and advocate for youth-driven innovations in urban sustainability. The event’s opening remarks were delivered by Italy’s Special Envoy for Climate Change. Panel discussions were attended by such organisations as EYEN, Youth4Climate, GAYO, UNDP Youth4Climate, ICLEI, Politecnico di Torino, European Economic and Social Committee, ParyavaranMitra, and VIKALP.
For more information on what we’ve accomplished at COP 29, click here.
Who are we? Meet our COP 30 Team!
On the ground, our aim is to actively promote decisive, effective and equitable climate and environmental action by engaging in negotiations, making interventions, conducting bilateral meetings with policymakers, co-organizing and participating in side events as well as other advocacy actions in cooperation with other youth-led NGOs. Moreover, we aim to foster the engagement of young people from diverse backgrounds in this process through a dedicated communications campaign prior to and during the conferences.
Maximilian Buechsteiner
Do you want to join us?
Follow our work
This year, YES-Europe will again actively engage in the international climate negotiations process and amplify the voices of young people at this crucial decision-making forum. If you want to stay up to date with the latest developments of our work at COP 30, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Partner with us
As a partner of YES-Europe, you will have the chance to connect with young professionals in the energy sector and help us have a meaningful impact on the industry. We are looking for media partners, event co-organisers, sponsors, as well as other NGOs to collaborate with us on this project. If you wish to make a meaningful impact with us, you can reach out to us at caterina.bittendorf@yeseurope.org and amaryllis.perotti@yeseurope.org
Join our team
Do you want to actively participate in the project as out team member? Our community spans across Europe and we are always looking for new people to join in! If you wish to cooperate with us make sure to reach out to us at caterina.bittendorf@yeseurope.org and amaryllis.perotti@yeseurope.org