70 years ago Europe was built on a strong desire for peace believing that it was necessary to develop creative efforts with the dangers that threatened it later when the architects of Europe This decided to Institute institutionalize the Union designs a promise to defend Freedom principle democracy human rights and the rule of law for All European citizens they committed to implement Implement policies ensuring parallel progress of its economy its social cohesion and its Environmental Protection the principle of Europe brought the hope for a new era of all those who had experienced the horror of war They
Carried the dream that solidarity between nations would protect them from becoming the victims of human self-destruction a dream that tomorrow will be better than yesterday based on the belief that industrial and economical progress will guarantee happiness for most of us a dream that controlling nature will ensure a wealthy development to societies for years economic growth has been beneficial and brought prosperity to Europe treated jobs reduced property stimulated Innovation mechanization and productivity while it is while there is indeed a relationship between growth and human progress be Beyond a certain point and Europe has long past this
point this relationship is broken Beyond these points economic growth is harmful it damages the planets and human communities increases inequalities and generates stress and depression the path towards peace was mapped out in the 20th century as a highway aligning economic growth social equality welfare and exploitation of people and nature less than a century later the belief of growth towards the infinite is now facing nightmares nightmares of droughts melting glacier floods loss of biodiversity loss of ecosystems non-respect of Human Rights widening gap between poverty and wealth and Sciences are crystal clear the planet is warming and
this is clearly caused by certain types of humans activities and Europe at this actual rate will not hold their 2012 2030 targets today it is obvious that Europe has defaulted its promise of a parallel growing progress and has delivered to its Young Generation two incompatible GPS navigation system economic growth on the one hand and the carbon neutrality Society respectful of the planetary boundaries on the other during this conference we will hear experts stating that those two tracks are not compatible the Daydream of green growth made possible by decoupling economic growth and greenhouse gases is over
[Applause] [Music] and that is why the younger generation stood up all around the world demanding to their Nation to fulfill their political duty to protect citizens from the announced dangers they rose up with Greta in Sweden Louisa and Germany came in France Martina in Italy Dominica and Poland cell mined in Denmark and Luna and myself in Belgium and many many many others that are probably in this room today from Nordic Pine Forest to the icing mountains of the Alps from the rural Basin to the Mediterranean Coast they carry the same Chorus Line it is time
to lift our nations from quicksand of unlimited growth to the solids Hard Rock of inclusive prosperity [Applause] [Music] [Applause] but these you refuse to believe that the geographers of these GPS will not pay attention to the ipcc warning they refuse to believe that the marketers of the Union will lead to their Fleet out of the planetary boundaries they refuse to believe that the democracy and peace guards are forgetful of their descendants and that is why they are still mobilized today there are those asking the climate and social activists when will you be satisfied we can
never be satisfied as long as the planetary boundaries are not considered as a horizon not to be exceeded for the good of humans and living organisms intertwined [Applause] [Music] [Applause] we can never be satisfied when our as long as our economy is not organized around human prosperity and ecological stability rather than a constant accumulation of capital we cannot be satisfied as long as Europe does not recognize its historical responsibility not only in the CO2 stuck in the atmosphere but also in the exploitation of resources from countries that are today mostly suffering from the consequences of
climate change [Applause] [Music] we cannot be satisfied as long as the climate crisis is not seen as a fundamental challenge for our democracy and not as an easily bypassed rock thanks to technology the technology model is addictive like the science for illices it tells us that we have the possibility thanks to human genius and technological tools to organize the world to our will but this narrative contributes to political inaction and does not pass the science tests we cannot be satisfied as long as policies remain inconsistent fossil fuels is still subsidized and all companies continue to
Prospect and drill new wells industrial and intensive agriculture is still being imposed we cannot be satisfied as long as European leaders demand a regulatory break on environmental standards [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] we cannot be satisfied as long as words and actions remain that dissonant I have come here to remind Europe of the fierce urgency of noun this is no time to abandon the youth on the shore of eco-anxiety nor is it the time of giving them misleading maps of the future [Applause] [Music] I have come here hoping that those days will stimulate new narratives for
Europe now it is time for Europe to adjust its original wish of protecting its citizens from self-destruction accepting that self-destruction takes the form of warm of War but also the form of entrepocene now it is time to consider seriously the interwoven causes of the several crises climates energy migration security now it is time to redefine prosperity and renew indicators accordingly inspired by those who include Education Health Care well-being and many more and inspiring those who still stick to the GDP as their molecular indicator despite timid's and insufficient Tremors in view of stakes of the climate
emergency despite CO2 still increasing despite many banks and states still financing and implementing projects destroying lands species and people I still have a dream I have a dream like many other youth it is a dream deeply rooted in the European and Democratic dream I have a dream that moving away from the business as usual model of infinite growth is possible for All European nations I have a dream that our political institutions will break the illusion of autonomy and omnipine omnipotence of humans and that they will rethink democracy in connection with nature living creature and respect
of all human communities I have a dream that Europe will will Revitalize our democracies by increasing and widest widening citizens participation developing debates and decision spaces because the transition needs a collective boarding I have a dream that solidarity will remain the core of the European Union building a fair and socially viable transition and from dream to narrative to debate to policies I hope this conference holds a torch to draw new maps for Europe feeds rooted in this loving Earth and eyes on the enlightening starts thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]
