Villach celebrates 40 years of climate conference – Now things are getting serious!

Villach celebrates 40 years of climate conference – Now things are getting serious!

October 22nd marks the anniversary of an important event in Villach: 40 years have passed since the climate conference in 1985, which is considered the birth of global climate policy. The city is celebrating this milestone with a top-class conference entitled “40 Years of the Villach World Climate Conference – 40 Years of World Climate Policy”. The prominent participants include climate pioneers Jill Hunter, the researcher Gottfried Kirchengast as well as the head of the Momentum Institute, Barbara Blaha.

The event will take place at 9 a.m. in the Paracelsus Hall of Villach Town Hall. This will address pressing issues such as the disappearance of glaciers, possible ways out of the climate dilemma and the energy transition. Anyone who would like to take part can register at e.kaernten@klimabuendnis.at register.

More events and discussions

As part of Climate Week, a climate conversation will take place on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in the Congress Center on the topic “Climate protection is uncomfortable - but what if he's right?” concerned. Barbara Blaha will be the keynote speaker and will talk about how we can tackle the climate crisis together. The discussion participants, including Monika Kircher, Jill Jäger, Christian Salmhofer and Gerhard Oswald, invite you to a lively exchange. Registration for the climate talk can be done via villach.at/klima.

Another exciting program item is the climate cinema on Tuesday, October 21st at 6 p.m., where the documentary “Requiem in White” about the death of the glaciers will be shown. Admission is free, registration takes place at villach.at/klimakino.

Climate walk for everyone interested

For all those who value personal contact and fresh air, the city is offering an open climate walk on Thursday, October 23rd at 4:30 p.m. The starting point is the registry office square, participation is also free. Registration for the walk can be done at villach.at/klimaspaziergang.

Around the first climate conference in 1985, international pressure grew on politicians to take clear measures to combat rising greenhouse gas emissions. A study from this time predicted that the consequences of global warming would occur much sooner than many initially thought. Unfortunately, after almost three decades, various efforts have not yet been reflected in a significant reduction in greenhouse gases - since the start of the UN climate conferences, these have increased by around 60 percent. This circumstance makes it all the more important to act actively now and promote exchange Researchers emphasize.

Overall, the anniversary event in Villach shows that the issue of climate protection remains urgent. Historical reviews, combined with future-oriented discussions, could be the key to not only creating awareness, but also developing concrete approaches to action. So let's see this as an opportunity to turn things around and better protect our planet for future generations.