By Godela von Kirchbach and Eva Riemer
Dear President-elect Ursula von der Leyen,
Please accept our warmest congratulations for having been nominated by the European leaders for a second term as President of the European Commission.
We are aware that you are in a delicate position right now, working very hard to obtain sufficient votes in the European Parliament during the first plenary session in Strasbourg.
As grandparents and seniors who have lived through the cold war and the aftermath of World War II, we also realize that the whole of Europe is in a difficult situation right now, having to deal with serious aggressors and relentless pressure from many sides.
However, as grandparents who care for the future generations, we fear that climate change and the loss of biodiversity will in all likelihood contribute to global instability as draughts and flooding will force people to migrate and induce nations to fight over water supplies.
Therefore, the European commitment to fight climate change and further degradation of the environment must not slow down. On the contrary, we need to speed it up. As seniors, we may not live to see the results. But we have a deeply felt wish to leave this world knowing that all imaginable steps have been taken to ensure a sustainable future for the sake of future generation.
With this in mind, we sincerely urge you to seek the support from pro-European parties who are committed to continue and further develop the European Green Deal, which was one of your major achievements during your first mandate.
Grandparents for Climate will whole-heartedly support you in every aspect conducive to ensuring that future generations will inherit a liveable planet.
Yours sincerely,
Godela von Kirchbach and Eva Riemer
Co-chairs of European Grandparents for Climate