FRIDAYS FOR FUTURES: HOW CAN WE ENGAGE YOUTH FOR MUNICIPAL CLIMATE ACTION? - 13:30-14:45 | CASE CLINIC C - BEACON Conference

Catalysing European local climate action
                               Conference | 21 May 2019 |Heidelberg, Germany

13:30-14:45 | CASE CLINIC C

FRIDAYS FOR FUTURES: HOW CAN WE
ENGAGE YOUTH FOR MUNICIPAL CLIMATE
ACTION?

2   AGENDA

    13:30    Start
    13:35    Presentations
    13:50    Questions
    13:55    Collegial coaching
    14:35    Reflection & Closing

Fridays for Futures:
How can we engage youth for municipal climate action?
 Severine Wolff | Department for urban development, City of Eberswalde
                         BEACON Conference Heidelberg, 21 May 2019
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Content

• Introducing the city of Eberswalde

• Case context

• Current stats & objectives

• Required input of collegial coaching

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Eberswalde – Location

                        Eberswalde

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Introducing Eberswalde – a town between
forests and water
• located 60 km nort-east of Berlin, surrounded by large forests and
  the Finow canal
• 765 years old, medieval city centre
• population of 41.400 (2018)
• district town and middle centre with important functions for the
  region (centre for education, healthcare, public authorities etc.)
• Germany‘s „greenest Universitiy“ with over 180 years experience
  in sustainable education and research (Forestry, Nature
  Conservation, Wood engineering, Sustainable Business …)
    long tradition of sustainability in the city - ideas and methods of sustainable forestry are
     invented in Eberswalde
    integrated and sustainable city development as highest principle in all planning processes
    Climate protection & adaptation concept since 2013
    Focus on: sustainable mobility, renewable heat supply, energy efficient buildings, green
     infrastructure, energy efficient public administration, education                              6

Eberswalde – City centre

                           Picture: Sören Tetzlaff   7

„Fridays for –Future“
Eberswalde            - School strikes for climate
               Location
 • international movement of school students, who           “I want you to act as if our house is
   rather go on strikes for climate then to attend          on fire. Because it is.”
   school lessons (mainly on Fridays)
 • inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta
   Thunberg, who decided in 2018 (during the
   general swedish elections)not to attend school
   until Sweden aligns with the Paris Agreement
 • movement focused mainly on three demands:
   100% clean energy; keeping fossil fuels in the
   ground and helping climate refugees
 • legal dilemma: generally the youth climate
   movement gains broad international support but
   on other hand it is still “not going to school” and      "Greta Thunberg 4.jpg" by Anders Hellberg is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

   breaking the rules…                                         Greta Thunberg in front of the
                                                               Swedish parliament, 2018
                       ….but that’s what it is all about!

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„Fridays for –Future
Eberswalde           Barnim“ in Eberswalde
               Location
 • local group (county) with ~ 79 members, most from
   higher grades of secondary schools of the region
 • some are already active in the local green or left-wing
   parties
 • self-organized but supported by various local
   companies, organisations, institutions etc.
 • main communication & organization of events via             https://fridaysforfuture.de
   social media channels
                                                              first visible action took
                                                               place on 18.01.2019
                                                               with about 50
                                                               participants…
                                                              first realization of the
                                                               movement through
                                                               public & authorities

                                                                                             9

2nd demonstration
Eberswalde        on 15.03.2019 in Eberswalde…
           – Location

…this time with 600 participants!!!              10

2nd demonstration on 15.03.2019 in Eberswalde…
Success factors:
• early conversation and networking with eco-social groups (transition movement,
  Greenpeace, study group of the university etc. …) & public administration
• generally more professional approach:
   municipality: support of event
    organisation & get together after the
    strike
   local initiatives: provision of meeting
    locations, materials and cargo bikes for
    transport
   local food companies: free organic
    catering for the get together
   https://fridaysforfuture.de : provision of
    professional advertising materials &
    broad support (poster, flyer, handouts,
    hints & tricks)                              get together & reflection of the passed event
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Next Fridays–for
Eberswalde       Future strike: 24. May 2019
              Location
(in context of the European elections)

                                         https://fridaysforfuture.de/24mai/
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Eberswalde – Location
Required input of collegial coaching

 1. What is the right “language” to address
    participants of Fridays for Future?

 2. How should a project/action look like to
    provide a source of identity for participants of
    Fridays for Future?

 3. How can we attract more young people
    throughout the city for climate themes?
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Thank you for your attention!
               Any questions?