Press release, 2 Dec 2023
European Grandparents for Climate (EGC) was officially launched this week in Brussels as the umbrella organization of national associations of seniors and grandparents. Across the world, older citizens are gravely disillusioned with the current climate policy at all levels. They want to use their knowledge, insights and experience, and demand necessary, urgent climate policies for the protection of future generations. By founding this new organization, they aim to use their influence to help achieving such policies. First contacts with MEP’s have been made.
“We’ve never been more determined than right now. We have a duty of care for all children on this planet Earth and can’t carry on spoiling their future,” says Jan Stel, newly elected co-chair of the EGC. Co-chair Godela von Kirchbach adds that “In order to save the planet we have to take action as grandparents now.”
Ten Grandparents for Climate associations across Europe (and counting) prepared this meeting and founded this new association. They approved the statutes of European Grandparents for Climate. Prof. em. Jan Stel (Belgium) and Dr. Godela von Kirchbach (Austria) were elected co-chairs, and an Executive Board was installed that will coordinate the work of the EGC. The website of the EGC can be found at grandparentsforclimate.eu
COP28
The first meeting of EGC (“European Grandparents for Climate”) coincides with the first days of COP28. Even if a first step has been taken for the loss and damage fund, the EGC calls for sufficient and sustainable funding to be made available, to cover the damages incurred by vulnerable countries and regions. These costs are likely to dramatically rise if climate protection measures are not taken immediately.
The EGC will join in the Climate March (klimaatmars.be) on Sunday 3 December in Brussels, supporting the slogan: Every 0.1°C less = one tenth of a degree that counts.