Providing a future for the next generation

Gütersloh, Vienna, August 27, 2025. The aim of the climate conference is to give a voice to local actors, and young people in particular. The intention is for local communities and a wide range of interest groups to be drawn into debate and decision-making processes, to swap experiences and to set up networks that can act proactively on a wide scale and locally. ”Innovative and far-reaching measures for protecting the climate must be developed and implemented in overarching solution consortia in Europe’s cities, districts and regions. Only then will future generations have the opportunity, not only to perceive and comprehend the risks, but also to surmount them,” says Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board Chair Brigitte Mohn, who will participate in the conference.

The mayors of major European cities have been invited to the event, as they are the people who bear responsibility at ground level and who must assess and deal with the risks. They include Michael Ludwig, the mayor of Vienna, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore, Ricardo Rio, the mayor of Braga, and Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker. The Bertelsmann Stiftung will provide its skills as a partner in funding and expertise.

 

The Climate Resilience Strategy rests on three pillars. The first pillar – cutting global warming – has to date been at the focus. Added to this is the second pillar: the recognition that humanity and its living environment will have to adapt to conditions of climate change, as it can no longer be halted. The third pillar is societal change towards increased sustainability. “Societal change means a fundamental change in the values and behaviour of people towards greater global sustainability,” Brigitte Mohn says.

 

Intergenerational responsibility starts today by placing young people at the centre of the conference. Strong youth participation is an integral element of the event. Twelve workgroups will develop recommendations for action that will be passed in plenary session as a Call to Action. This Call to Action is intended to draw up a global agenda for change with multiple partners and allies for young people to make their visions and solutions for healthy living achievable.