COP17 - Youth on the road to Yerevan
However, together we have already moved a lot. And together, we will achieve even more.
With the Biodiversity COP in Armenia, GYBN Europe, the European chapter of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) as the youth coordination platform of the Biodiversity Convention aim to build capacity among European youth, collect and showcase our contributions towards biodiversity and equip as much youth as possible with the tools and means to engage with their governments on biodiversity topics.
To participate effectively, we need to be aware of those processes, but also get inspired by the activities and projects of other youth. To be multipliers, we need space to learn, engage, and brainstorm together. We need to meet, online and offline.
We can do many of those things by volunteering, providing our free time on top of studies, work and family commitment. But not everyone of us is able to travel and participate. We therefore invite everyone to support our crowdfunding campaign. Every contribution, as little or big as you can, helps more youth participate and make their voices heard. You can’t give money? Please support by sharing the campaign with friends, family and acquaintances.
Donate and share:
Or donate directly:
Questions or other ways to help? Email us: gybn.europe@gmail.com.
Bank account owner: Future Ancestors Rising
IBAN: DE16 3705 0198 1958 6603 08
BIC: COLSDE33XXX
Bank: Sparkasse Koeln Bonn
Please add “GYBN Europe” in the purpose /intended use part of the donation.
When countries gather in October for the next United Nations Biodiversity COP17, there will be one main question: How far did we come - as a global community - to conserve and restore biodiversity, to use it sustainably and do all of this as a society?
The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP) is the highest decision body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - the place where all the countries that ratified the Convention (the "parties") come together to decide the next steps. This time, the COP will mainly focus on the so-called global stocktake and how to take more action for nature.
Youth needs to be part of this. We are increasingly at the forefront of biodiversity efforts, yet often lack access to learning spaces that integrate holistic understanding, intergenerational knowledge, nature-grounded experience, and strategic planning. We remain one of the most underfunded and underrepresented groups in global biodiversity governance.
Some relevant terminology - we love acronyms
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CBD - Convention on Biological Diversity, one of the Rio Conventions and the reason for our existence as GYBN.
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COP - Conference of the Parties or basically the meeting of all those countries that ratified the Convention. Other governments, mayor groups (Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women and youth) and observers are also welcome
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GBF - Global Biodiversity Framework - something the parties of the CBD agreed on in 2022, specifically: 23 targets based on some key considerations as human-rights, involvement of the whole government and the whole society, with formal and informal education (the Section C) grouped under 4 goals that we aim to achieve by 2030. This should set us (= the world) on track to achieve the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.
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NBSAP - National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans, the rather long name for the translation of those 23 global targets agreed under the GBF in national commitments. So what does the country plans to contribute so that by 2030 we have achieved those targets? What actions will they take and how can we measure the progress?
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GYBN - Global Youth Biodiversity Network. Well that is us - the recognized youth coordination platform for the CBD. Founded in 2010 and by now with over 70 national and regional chapters representing 1.25 million youth.
Enough introduction - What do we as GYBN Europe plan to do to prepare European youth for the COP? What will be our contribution so that more of us can take action and participate in those discussions that decide about our life?
In-person training
What?
Organizing an international training workshop bringing together 30+ young biodiversity advocates from across Europe for a 4-day capacity-building program in Czechia from 25th-28th April.
Why youth?
Many young Europeans care deeply about nature protection and are feeling anxiety in light of unprecedented biodiversity loss. Many of them take action - but we want it to be even more. Self-efficacy is one of the best answers to this anxiety. However, youth can’t solve this crisis alone. We therefore want to give youth tools to engage with local, national and international decision-makers to increase ambition for biodiversity, to be part of national biodiversity discussions, but also how they can themselves increase the impact of their own projects and activities.
Objective
Training young people already involved in biodiversity activity to make them aware of how their work is already linked to the international negotiations and providing them with the tools necessary to amplify the work. Participants should go out of this workshop as multipliers, motivated to engage more youth for biodiversity action and prepared to work with their governments to reach harmony with nature.
Ideal impacts
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Increased policy literacy: Understanding CBD processes, national processes (e.g. NBSAPs and their implementation), youth involvement opportunities
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Snowball effect: Participants will function as multipliers and spread biodiversity action by organizing local events
Participation should never depend on financial means.
Your support for our crowdfunding campaign helps ensure that more youth can join, learn, and advocate for biodiversity—regardless of their background. Please spread the word and support the campaign!
Donate directly via:
Bank account owner: Future Ancestors Rising
IBAN: DE16 3705 0198 1958 6603 08
Bank: Sparkasse Koeln Bonn
Please add “GYBN Europe” in the purpose /intended use part of the donation.
Documenting and showcasing youth contributions
What?
We will collect case studies, reports, and documentation of youth-led biodiversity action and how those support the Global Biodiversity Framework across Europe, as well as the challenges that hinder further scaling up and additional action. Those actions will be then shared through a social media campaign, reports and at the COP17 in Yerevan.
Why?
Youth-led biodiversity initiatives across Europe remain invisible to policymakers, who rarely recognize young people as implementers and change-makers. This visibility gap means governments miss opportunities to learn from and support youth action. We want to make sure that decision makers realize: Youth are Implementers! And we want to inspire other youth to take action.
Objective
The contributions to biodiversity action from young people across Europe are showcased before and during COP17 to demonstrate the multitude of ways in which young people are currently contributing and to highlight the barriers/challenges they face when trying to contribute.
Ideal impacts
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The barriers to young people (across Europe) contributing to action on biodiversity are reduced.
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More young people contribute to action on biodiversity.
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Decision makers recognize us Youth as Implementers
Capacity-building
What?
Through the organisation of several webinars and online meetings until COP17 related to biodiversity, policy and youth action.
Why?
Not all youth will have the opportunity to participate in COP17 in person. However, a lot of youth in our network and beyond are interested in deepening their knowledge of the different key topics around COP17 and how to locally take action on the different targets of the GBF.
Upcoming webinars:
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Target 3: Youth working in protected areas
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SBI 6 & IPBES: What happened and what are the outcomes from a youth perspective?
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Actions and projects: What are we currently working on?
Objective
Empower youth and increase their knowledge. Exchange and learn together.
Ideal impacts
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Peer-to-peer learning across European youth related to biodiversity topics
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Increased knowledge about the CBD and its processes and how to engage with them
Past webinars:
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SBSTTA28: Preparation for SBSTTA 28 - Main topics for discussion (Oct 2025)
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SBI6: Introduction to CBD and subsidiary bodies with an introduction to the agenda of SBI6 (February 2026)
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What did COP30 deliver for biodiversity? (March 2026)
(in collaboration with Biodiversity Action Europe)
Travel over land
What?
By developing a literal “road to COP” by supporting youth to travel overland to COP17, in the form of a guidance with different transportation options, outreach to environmental organizations along the way with opportunities to exchange and engage and recommendations for nature spots to visit on the way.
Objective
Encourage as many people as possible to travel over land and to create some pan-european biodiversity connection among the people travelling over land, but also of those people with the locals they can meet along the way.
Why?
Not all of us will have the time or the money to take the bus and train. Nor the time to look into all the options of travelling to Armenia overland.
Or did you know that the land border of Armenia and Türkiye is closed and you need to go via Georgia?
Did you know that nonetheless the whole travel (just transport) can be managed with around 200 Euros?
The guide aims to provide those with the time to travel over land with a shortcut and an easy overview to prepare the travel.
But why stop here? Along the way there are so many youth and/or environmental organizations, great biodiversity hotspots and projects to support - so why can’t we take advantage of that? We aim to connect people as much as possible along the way - with places, organizations and people.
Ideal impacts
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Reduced CO2 emissions
(It very much depends on the route - but a person flying from Germany to Yerevan would emit around at least 1000kg CO2 (depending on the CO2 calculator), with half bus and half train the same person would definitely emit less than half of this, even if the trains use diesel. -
Create connection along the route among youth and people interested in biodiversity
Guess what? Travelling and participating at the COP does also cost money.
Unfortunately, traveling without a plane even more.
Part of our crowdfunding campaign is supporting European youth going to COP 🙂 - you can support to increase the numbers by spreading the words and contributing yourself!
Or donate directly via:
Bank account owner: Future Ancestors Rising
IBAN: DE16 3705 0198 1958 6603 08
Bank: Sparkasse Koeln Bonn
Please add “GYBN Europe” in the purpose /intended use part of the donation.
In a nutshell
The GYBN E roadmap towards COP17
