Young people at the heart of climate action: 2nd exchange between ministers Meisch and Wilmes and secondary school pupils
On 26 November 2025, nearly 150 pupils from five Luxembourg secondary schools - Athénée de Luxembourg, Lycée Robert Schuman, École nationale des adultes, Nordstad-Lycée Diekirch and Atert-Lycée Redange - took part in a meeting devoted to the outcome of COP30 and the role of young people in climate action.
This second exchange between Serge Wilmes, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, and Claude Meisch, Minister for National Education, Children and Youth, and senior school pupils, provided an opportunity to discuss in depth the main results of COP30 in Belém and their implications for Luxembourg.
Introduced by Marc Dosser, Deputy Director of the Athénée de Luxembourg, the meeting aimed to strengthen dialogue and raise awareness. It provided a forum for young people to express their concerns, share their ideas and become actively involved in discussions on climate policy.
On this occasion, Minister Serge Wilmes stressed the importance of giving young people a central role in the fight against climate change: «The voice of young people is essential in the development of climate policies and international negotiations, because it is they and future generations who will face the impacts of climate change. Their presence at this year's COP was crucial. I had the opportunity to talk to students before and after the conference, particularly today at the Athénée. These exchanges have been very enriching, and I am impressed by the quality of the students» knowledge and energy".
The session continued with a speech by the young climate delegates, Lara Bertemes (2025-26) and Frida Thorsteinsdottir (2024-25), who presented a summary of the COP30 decisions. They highlighted the lack of a roadmap for the energy transition, the progress made by the Global Goal on Adaptation, They also explained the implications of these results for the international community and for young people. They also explained the implications of these results for the international community and for young people, and highlighted the initiatives of civil society, the contributions of the side events and the commitments to which Luxembourg has subscribed.
Lara Bertemes: «Despite the disappointing results of the COP, I left Belém with a feeling of hope. At the COP, we worked with youth delegates from the EU and the countries of the South, and with the support of young people in Luxembourg, we can push for more ambitious results next year. I was inspired by the students at the Athénée today: they know a lot about climate change and asked a lot of pertinent questions. That's the kind of commitment we need from young people.»
Frida Thorsteinsdottir: «This type of exchange between young people and politicians is extremely important. It is young people who will be most affected by the effects of climate change during their lifetime. That's why it's important that our voices are heard and that young people learn as much as possible about climate change and the measures we can take to tackle it.»
Following on from these discussions, the Youth 4 Climate Action Team, a team of students committed to climate action, shared their experiences in the field. The students used concrete examples to illustrate how they are committed to the ecological transition within their school and beyond.
In conclusion, Minister Claude Meisch emphasised: «In the fight against climate change, we could have no better allies than the young people who are getting involved in our schools across the country. It is now essential to translate this commitment into everyday actions and behaviour, both in and out of school. This is why we believe that climate education should not be limited to certain courses, but should be integrated into all aspects of school life, involving pupils, teachers and the whole school community. I strongly encourage young people to continue to make their voices heard: their arguments and energy are indispensable in shaping the future of our planet».
This meeting took place against a particularly significant backdrop: during COP30, Luxembourg was named winner of the first True Young Award, a European prize awarded by the Climate Youth Delegates network to reward the country most committed to involving young people in international climate governance.
