Germany, Europe and the rest of the world are facing the urgent challenge of climate change. As we look towards the future, it is crucial to create a climate resilience strategy that will safeguard the well-being of generations to come. This strategy requires a fundamental shift in society and the economy towards sustainable lifestyles and production methods.
To address this pressing issue, the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and of Social Sciences, in partnership with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the European Academies Science Advisory Council, will convene the European Climate Resilience Summit in Vienna on August 28 and 29, 2025. At this summit, experts and young people from various European cities and regions will join the conversation to discuss how we can work together to achieve a more resilient future.
“The aim of the climate conference is to give a voice to local actors, and young people in particular,” says Brigitte Mohn, Executive Board Chair of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. “We must develop and implement innovative and far-reaching measures for protecting the climate in collaboration with overarching solution consortia in Europe’s cities, districts, and regions. Only then will future generations have the opportunity to not only perceive and comprehend the risks, but also to overcome them.”
The conference will focus on three key pillars of the Climate Resilience Strategy. The first pillar, reducing global warming, has been a primary focus thus far. However, as we face the reality that we can no longer stop climate change, the second pillar will focus on the need to adapt to these changing conditions. Finally, the third pillar will address the necessary societal shifts towards greater sustainability.
Involving young people in the conversation is crucial, as they hold the key to our future. “Societal change means a fundamental change in the values and behavior of people towards greater global sustainability,” says Brigitte Mohn. As such, the conference will place strong emphasis on youth participation, with twelve workgroups developing recommendations for action to be presented in a plenary session as a Call to Action. This Call to Action will serve as a global agenda for change, bringing together multiple partners and allies to make the visions and solutions for a healthy future achievable.
The event will also be attended by mayors from major European cities, including Vienna, Paris, Bologna, Braga, and Cologne. These leaders play a crucial role in assessing and addressing the risks of climate change at a local level.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung, a charitable organization founded by Reinhard Mohn in 1977, is dedicated to promoting social participation in all aspects of society. Their program focuses on education and the next generation, democracy and cohesion, digitization and the common good, Europe’s future, health, and a sustainable social market economy.
For more information, please contact Kirsten Witte at kirsten.witte@bertelsmann-stiftung.de or Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook at cathryn.cluever.ashbrook@bertelsmann-stiftung.de. Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/.