Saturday, 4 June
16:30-18:00 (EEST)
Room: Omega
No climate justice without social justice. At a time when we face crisis after crisis – geopolitical, health and climate – it has never been more critical to transition to a sustainable, resilient and fair future built on solidarity. We know we have a very important part of the solutions. But the challenge is now to implement them.
The corona crisis and the energy crisis have shone a spotlight on the inequality and injustice upon which our social and economic systems are built. The same systems which exploit people the same way they exploit our planet. Already, the worst impacts of the climate crisis are being felt by the most marginalized groups, and the fear of unknown change is giving rise to authoritarian and divisive movements.
Yet we know that this is a false narrative. A green and just transition for all, built on solidarity, that will create good jobs, clean cities, healthy homes, and a better future for current and future generations is possible.
But how can we counter this false narrative that pits climate action against social justice? How can we strengthen European solidarity, while tackling high energy prices, energy poverty and driving clean energy? What does it take to create 'green jobs' and what do we really mean? How can we share the story that a good, healthy life for all, means 'people' and 'planet' go hand in hand?
The Russian attack against the Ukraine marks a turning point in our history, shaking the foundations of our international relations. While we stand firm behind our fundamental principles and priorities, we now must now pursue our political vision in a new context. Now more than ever is the time to act – across all policy fields and at all political levels, together with environmental, social, business, youth and workers movements, towards a Green transition.
Speakers:
 | Sophie Punte, Managing Director of Policy at the We Mean Business Coalition. Sophie is Managing Director of Policy at the We Mean Business Coalition which brings 7 Coalition partners and more than 6,500 companies together to mobilize climate action. Sophie leads the Coalition’s work on creating the policy environments that can unlock business climate action worldwide. For 25 years she has focused on bringing industry, government and other stakeholders together to address common sustainability challenges, in both developed and developing countries. Sophie previously headed NGOs Smart Freight Centre and Clean Air Asia, and worked at the United Nations, audit firm KPMG and an engineering consultancy. | |
 | Ricarda Lang, Co-Chair of BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN. Ricarda is Co-Chair of BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN since February 2022. She is a member of the German Bundestag where she sits in the Committee for Family Affairs as full member as well as in the Committee for Labour and Social Affairs as deputy member. She was the party's deputy chairperson from 2019 to 2022. | |
 | Aboubakar Soumahoro, trade unionist and social active. Aboubakar was born in Ivory Coast and has migrated to Italy at the age of 18. Soon after his arrival, the injustices he witnessed and suffered in all casual jobs most migrant workers go through, pushed him to dedicate his life to the defence and organisation of the weakest ones against exploitation and Today he is the president of field workers trade union “Lega Braccianti” and the leader of social movement “Invisibili in Movimento”. Up to this day, he tirelessly travel across Italy to give a voice to unheard “invisibles” of different social background, prioritising a community’s self-determination in building up its autonomous path to emancipation. | |
 | Ernest Urtasun, Member of the European Parliament, Greens/EFA Group Ernest is an Economist and a diplomat, has been an MEP since 2014 and is vice-president of the Greens/EFA group, Coordinator of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, member of the Tax matters sub-Committee and substitute member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Previously worked as an assistant in the European Parliament and in 2010 joined the Diplomatic Corps with different responsibilities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Spain and abroad. Ernest is from Barcelona and very young was already active politically with Young Green Left (JEV), FYEG -Federation of Young European Greens and the EGP-European Green Party. Website | Twitter| Instagram| Facebook| Telegram
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 | Kaspars Briškens, member of the expert forum advising Progresīvie 2021-present Independent Board Member, Latvian Passenger Train |
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Vula Tsetsi Since 2004, Vula Tsetsi has been the Secretary-General of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament. In 2019, she was elected to the Committee of the European Green Party. In her mandate as Committee member, she actively works with Green Member Parties and partners in Southern EU Member States, with the aim of reinforcing the political ecological space in this region. As an urban and regional planner she has participated in several publications, with a special focus on the green and sustainable development of cities. She is from Greece and has two children.
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 | Jean Lambert, Committee Member, European Greens Jean was elected to the EGP Committee on 2019, after serving as a British MEP for 20 years (1999 - 2019). She was a member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee and active on the Civil Liberties Committee; she also chaired the Parliament’s Delegation for relations with South Asia for 10 years. Since stepping down, she is now involved with European organisations working on citizens’ rights and statelessness and is a member of the Council of Liberty – a UK human rights organisation. |
