- The meeting opens in which Italy will become the focus of the debate and the initiative in defense of the environment.
- About 400 under 30s – 2 for each of the 197 member countries of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – will meet in Milan, MiCo Congress Center, from September 28-30, 2021.
- Girls and boys already on professional or study environmental paths will be participating.
“It is time,” said the Minister of Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, “in which the young people from the protest step right into the proposal. The climate crisis involves the strengthening of intergenerational dialogue. In Milan, it will be the moment in which we will try to make it concrete.”
The debate will be divided into 4 areas, with the aim of developing concrete proposals: climate ambition, sustainable recovery, involvement of non-governmental actors, and a society more aware of climate challenges. “We have very high expectations,” said Federica Gasbarro, “Our proposals arise from a questionnaire passed around among young Italians committed to the environment. In Milan, we will share them with those of the delegates of other countries to arrive at a common document.”
Among those who will speak will be the 2 leaders of “Fridays for Future” – Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate. Just this morning, the Italian movement returned to the procession in several cities, announcing a great strike for Friday, October 1, with Greta herself in the square in Milan complaining about a lack of government involvement.
Returning to the Youth4Climate appointment, the final document will be presented to the leaders arriving in Milan, again at the MiCo, for the Pre-COP26 summit. The latter will be held from September 30 – October 2 and will be kicked off by Minister Cingolani in the presence of the Head of State, Sergio Mattarella; Prime Minister Mario Draghi; and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The Pre-COP26 event, which is like Youth4Climate, takes place in view of COP26, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow from October 31 – November 12 in partnership with Italy. For 3 decades, the UN has brought together almost all countries for the global climate summit during which on these occasions important steps were taken such as the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, and the Paris Agreement in 2015. This year, the COP26, which countries will have to present with updated plans to reduce their emissions, takes place at a very delicate moment – after a summer in which floods and fires have shown the urgency to pass as never before to action. More than 190 world leaders are expected in Scotland, joined by tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses, and citizens for 12 days of negotiations.
Each COP on climate change is preceded by a preparatory meeting held about a month before, precisely the Pre-COP, which brings together the climate and energy ministers of a selected group of countries to discuss some fundamental political aspects of the negotiations and deepen key issues that will then be addressed in the Conference. About 40-50 countries will participate in the Pre-COP in Milan with representatives of the UNFCCC and civil society.
Meanwhile, All4Climate continues, a program launched by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Connect4climate of the World Bank, with the participation of the Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Milan. Over 500 events are planned throughout Italy, organized during the year by companies, associations, public bodies, and private individuals to raise awareness on the climate. Among the initiatives in Milan, on September 30 at the San Siro Hippodrome, the Music4Climate concert, produced with PianoB, will be presented and will also be available live on alivemusic.tv.