Saturday, 29 May
16:30 - 18:00
We are in the midst of a climate and biodiversity crisis. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, these are global issues that cannot be tackled by individual and siloed policies. Decisions taken in Europe have an impact all over the world. We need rapid climate action on every level: local, national, European and global.
In this session, youth activists, Global South activists, and Green policymakers will share with us their important work fighting the climate and biodiversity crises.
How do cities lead in the fight against the climate crisis? What are the main challenges of Global South climate and biodiversity activists and what is the effect of EU policies in their regions? How do Greens at national and EU levels work with civil society and youth movements? And what is the main message of the climate movement for Greens across Europe?
Join this public session (also on our social media channels) to hear the solutions young people, activists, and policymakers want to see implemented as soon as possible!
Speakers:
 | Beppe Sala, Mayor of Milan Beppe Sala is the Mayor of Milan. He is Vice Chair of C40 Cities and chairs the Mayoral Task Force on a Green and Just Recovery. |
 | Elizabeth Wathuti, Environmentalist and Climate Activist from Kenya, Green Generation Initiative Elizabeth Wathuti is a passionate environmentalist and climate activist from Kenya and one of the leading young voices for the environment and Climate Action in Africa. She is the founder of Green Generation Initiative (GGI), Head of Campaigns at Wangari Maathai Foundation, and a youth council member of the International Reserva. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Community development. She has been feted for her outstanding passion, personal commitment and leadership in environmental conversation through, Wangari Maathai Scholarship Award, Commonwealth Youth Awards 2020 as a regional finalist for African and Europe among others. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Website
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 | Tara Houska, Tribal attorney fighting for indigenous rights and justice, land defender, and former advisor on Native American affairs to Bernie Sanders. She is a co-founder of Not Your Mascots. | |
 | Zaïre Krieger, Spoken word artist Zaïre Krieger graduated in International Law, is a journalist at Dipsaus, Oneworld and Vice. She is a Spoken Word Artist with performances at diverse places such as the Van Gogh Museum, TEDxAmsterdamWomen and national television in The Netherlands. She won the Spoken Award 2019. Zaïre is committed to a more inclusive world achieved by words, art, essays, and with policy analysis. |
 | Pia Olsen Dyhr, Leader of SF (Denmark) Pia Olsen Dyhr is the party leader of SF, Socialist People’s Party –the green left-wing party of Denmark. She became member of the Danish Parliament in 2007, has been minister for transport as well as trade and investment and since 2014 the party leader of SF. |
 | Adélaïde Charlier, Fridays for Future activist Adélaïde Charlier is a 20-year-old, student, as well as a climate and human rights activist from Belgium. Together with Anuna De Wever she initiated the Youth for climate movement which mobilized tens of thousands of students and citizens to strike for climate change. In 2019, she embarked on a sailboat with thirty young people to attend the CoP 25 (initially scheduled for Chile) to draw attention to other modes of transport. Arriving in Brazil, she attended the Amazonia Centro del Mundo summit, allowing her to meet indegenous communities and scientists. Adélaïde is a special advisor to Mr. Timmermans (Vice-President of the European Commission) on the Green Deal. Together with Greta Thumberg, Luisa Neubauer and Anuna de Wever they wrote an open letter to world leaders to face the climate emergency and have brought this message to politicians such as Ursula Von Der Leyen, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Giuseppe Conte and Alexander de Croo. | |
 | Eleonora Evi, Member of the European Parliament, Greens/EFA Group Eleonora Evi is an Italian Member of the Greens/EFA Group of the European Parliament. She is a full member of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Committee on Petitions and the Inquiry Committee on the Protection of animals during transport. She is substitute member of the Committee on Industry, | |
 | Nyke Slawik, Candidate for the Bundestag, Climate Activist Grüne Jugend Nyke Slawik (27) is a climate & queer activist from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Home to one of the biggest lignite mining and coal power areas in Europe, she is very vocal about the necessity of a quick transition away from coal. Currently, she is organising opposition against the government’s plan to build new motorways in Germany and the planned extension of existing ones like in her hometown Leverkusen. Slawik is a candidate in the upcoming national elections with good chances of winning a seat in the Bundestag. |
Session moderator:
 | Thomas Waitz, Co-chair, European Greens Thomas Waitz is a Member of the European Parliament from Austria and since 2019 Co-Chair of the European Green Party. In his work, he is focused on sustainable agriculture, regional production and healthy food, especially the Common Agriculture Policy of the EU, reforming the animal transport directive and the Western Balkan Area. He is by profession a beekeeper and an organic farmer and forester. |
