Generation Heat – Commemorating the EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis

Generation Heat is a public initiative organised by the Romanian European Climate Pact Community to mark the EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis. Heatwaves are becoming one of the most visible and dangerous impacts of climate change across Europe. While children and older people are often recognised as particularly vulnerable, young people also face significant challenges: studying and taking exams during extreme heat, changes in their daily routines, impacts on physical and mental well-being, and the prospect of living through increasingly hotter summers throughout their lives. 

The initiative combines two complementary events:

• A participatory youth foresight workshop (Bucharest, 10:00–12:00), where young participants will imagine what it means to live well in a warmer Romania in 2050 and explore the skills, lifestyles and community actions needed to build resilience to extreme heat. The workshop will be followed by a special edition of the Climate Evenings series, organised together with the Master's Programme in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development (SNSPA). 
• A public online event (18:00 EEST), bringing together young Climate Pact Ambassadors, climate scientists, institutional partners and citizens to reflect on the impacts of heatwaves, share experiences and discuss practical ways to prepare for increasingly hot summers. 

Both events build on a two-week social media campaign inviting young people from Romania and across Europe to share their experiences, concerns and ideas for adapting to extreme heat. Their contributions will be brought together in "The Voice of Young People on Heatwaves", a collaborative document highlighting lived experiences, practical ideas and youth perspectives on living well in a warming climate.

The initiative draws on existing guidance developed by the Romanian Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), the Romanian Scientific Advisory Council on Climate Change, UNICEF (partners of the campaign) and the World Health Organization.