From the community

On 16-17 June 2021 165 participants from 13 countries gathered virtually for the BEACON Final Conference to advance the work and success that schools and municipalities have initiated in the past three years through the project. The conference was organized as a way for participants to:
Moderator Gunnar Will kicks off the conference in an interview with BEACON Project Coordinator Sarah Gül (Guidehouse). © adelphi
After an introduction and interview with BEACON Project Coordinator Sarah Gül (Guidehouse), the first day of the conference continued with inspiring welcome words from the host governments. Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter (Parliamentary State Secretary, German Ministry for the Environment) explained that the conference was not a farewell conference but rather “a chance to find inspiration for new activities and measures in climate action and to consolidate your network beyond BEACON”. Her speech can be viewed here. Ing. Pavel Zámyslický, Ph.D. (Director Energy and Climate Protection Department, Czech Ministry of the Environment) also echoed the sentiment of continuity, emphasising “It is important that others also benefit from the experience gained and brought by the BEACON project …We believe that BEACON should serve as an example for further activities in this area”.
Ing. Pavel Zámyslický, Ph.D., Director Energy and Climate Protection Department, Czech Ministry of the Environment, presenting the welcome words at the BEACON Final Conference. © Guidehouse
In the following keynote session four different students live-broadcasted breaking news from BEACON schools. They reported about their projects and showed what a dedicated pathway to climate action can look like! They left us with some thought-provoking demands to policy makers and authorities.
“Let’s make every day a climate action day” Alexia Pojar
Florian Kliche (UfU) in conversation with students Ludmila Kozlova, Greta Lohrenz, Daniel Parashevov and Alexia Pojar. © adelphi
In the panel discussion “Navigating Europe towards climate neutrality: progress, partnership, and pandemic” with representatives from the national government, local government, and educational contexts, we gained insights on policy avenues at the national and EU levels, successes of the BEACON project, and received an outlook on what the continuation of European local climate action could look like beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Our highlights:
Moderator Gunnar Will interviewing the panelists Silke Karcher, Leonor Folgado, Petra Trambova and Dimitar Zhelev. © adelphi
Three parallel sessions were held on the first day to cover a range of climate action topics:
The second day of the conference began with a keynote conversation amongst elected representatives and students on their vision for a climate-neutral future. The attendees were especially inspired by the dreams of the young students who exclaimed what politicians should stand for when it comes to climate action. Highlights of this session include:
Attendes were excited by the Visions shared by Maria das Dores Meira, Greta Lohrenz, Kristýna Kosová and Ludmila Kozlova. © adelphi
Similar to day 1, three parallel sessions were held on the second day to reflect the breadth of interests and expertise in the larger BEACON community:
Before the conference came to an end, we heard some final remarks that inspired us to continue our work towards a better future from two main drivers for climate action: a mayor and a teacher! And last but not least, the project coordinators used the chance to praise the efforts of all the partners and the innovative ideas that have come out of the BEACON project over the last three years.
Project coordinators Sarah Gül, Camille Serre and Florian Kliche thanked the BEACON partners for their work. © adelphi
Thanks went to the project initiator, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, to EUKI, to all BEACON partner organisations, and most importantly to all beneficiaries of the project (educators, students, municipal staff, and national representatives). Without their engagement and efforts, BEACON would not have been possible.
All information about the conference, including summaries from each session, can be found on the event website here.
Stay tuned for more updates from the BEACON team as a number of resources will be published this summer before the official close of the project.