⭐️ And that's a wrap for the #Youth4Climate Flagship Event 2024!
The final day of our event in Turin was packed with powerful discussions, reflections, and celebrations, bringing together young climate advocates, policy experts, and partners to chart new paths for climate action.
Here are some of the key highlights of the day:
✅ Youth engagement on climate action: We started the day by having Hemavathi S Shekhar, Climate Justice Advocate, Joyce Mendez, 2023 Youth4Climate Awardee, and Nisreen Elsaim, climate and peace activist, offering perspectives on youth engagement, the role of youth in #NDCs, and the expectations for #COP29 and #COP30. The audience joined in, sharing the challenges they face, the intersections they see between climate action and peace-building, and their hopes for more inclusive policies in the climate arena.
✅ Award ceremony: We then celebrated this year’s awardees in a moving ceremony, with Sen. Claudio Barbaro from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica ) joining us to honour their contributions. The ceremony saw Youth4Climate 2023 awardees presenting certificates, recognising the dedication of the newest awardees across all thematic areas. We were also joined by Ms. Valentina Dughera, PhD from the Italian Buddhist Institute Istituto Buddista Italiano Soka Gakkai , a funding partner for Youth4Climate, and Ms. Francesca Volpe from CIHEAM Bari, who awarded a scholarship for the Master in Open Innovation & Youth Entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean Agri-food sector to one of this year’s awardees Enocka Odongo. Closing remarks by RUS President Patrizia Lombardi and UNDP Rome Centre Coordinator Agostino Inguscio underscored the critical role of youth in the climate action and policy landscape and the need to enhance and facilitate their inclusion in this space.
Our day ended with a visit to Turin’s PISTA 500 rooftop garden, an iconic space that’s transformed from FIAT’s former test track into a breathtaking public venue celebrating art and sustainability. Walking together through installations and panoramic views, we shared reflections, sparked new ideas, and deepened connections. It was a symbolic conclusion, a place where legacy meets innovation, transforming industrial legacy into a collective venue for new perspectives.
A heartfelt thank you to the inspiring youth awardees who travelled from around the world to share their work and dedication to climate solutions, to RUS and Politecnico di Torino for hosting us and co-organising the event, and CNC Media for amplifying our message.
This is only the beginning and we look forward to continue working with this year’s new awardees and support them in developing and scaling their projects.
