The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held the 12th edition of its yearly youth event Your Europe, Your Say (YEYS) on 18-19 March 2021, on the topic of climate change, in the form of an online model COP (Conference of the Parties) in which more than 100 students from 33 countries took part.

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In line with the organisation of a COP, the EESC planned a side event for young people on the morning of Saturday 20 March 2021, in the form of a public virtual event on social media.

The aim of the side event was to bring several experts, activists and influencers together in order to share their knowledge and expertise regarding climate change in the context of systemic change. This provided our young audience with valuable new insights and the opportunity to express their vision and ideas.

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Different panels were held, focussing on explaining what systemic change is, on the mechanisms to implement it and on concrete, personal examples of sustainable activities that have the potential to drive systemic change. In addition to the discussions, the audience had the possibility to discover systemic change through art. A short, online cultural event linked to the online debates provided an opportunity for the young audience to experience systemic change and its implications within a broad context.