"Climate change can only be tackled with global cooperation, and Europe must lead the way and set a good example". This was one of the keynotes at the third and final event of the debate series organised by the Clean Air Action Group. At the discussion entitled "We are the future, we want to take part", students and teachers from the British International School Budapest (BISB) from many different countries talked about the most pressing environmental and climate problems.

At the discussion day on November 27, the representative of the European Commission was the first to present the EU climate goals and the tools needed to achieve them. The spectacular graphs and data series raised a lot of questions. The students from various EU countries were mostly curious about how the member states will be able to fulfill these extremely ambitious goals in the next period, as very serious efforts are required, especially in the transport, agricultural and household sectors.

Students from countries outside the EU were most interested in how Europe intends to cooperate with, for example, Asian countries in the field of climate change mitigation and adaptation. After that, Greenpeace activists took the floor and gave a picture report on their domestic and international activities, highlighting their spectacular awareness-raising actions. The students were extremely interested here as well, trying to learn as much as possible about the thinking of civil organizations. Important policy opinions (e.g. nuclear energy, coal burning, electrification) also arose, which were managed to be considered from several points of view. After the lunch break, the students themselves followed. We heard the climate protection efforts of six EU member states and one candidate country (Moldova) during the high-quality presentations. It was instructive to get to know the different approaches and to see through the eyes of the students how the member states try to focus on their own strengths.

The participants considered the topic so important that they definitely want to continue the discussion in the future, both among themselves and with invited experts. It is good to see this commitment for the organizer, as in addition to the fact that the lives of young people will be affected even more than now by the consequences of climate change, presumably the decision-makers of the future were also sitting in the audience. If they can take even a part of this enthusiasm with them and remember it during their later decisions, then we can hope.

In the framework of our program called ‘Green rights for a sustainable future: Enhancing citizens’ involvement in EU’s climate ambitions’, we have set the goal that students can express their opinions freely and without prejudice, and then throughout their lives become conscious and active shapers of the environment processes.

	The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the European Union or the Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The European Union or the coordinating institution cannot be held responsible for them.