In view of the Youth4Climate Summit in Milan (“Youth4Climate: driving ambition“), from 28 to 30 September 2021, the Italian Embassy in Angola, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United Kingdom, have organised a seminar called “Ecological and Digital Transition and Climate Diplomacy”, which took place on Wednesday, 22 September.
The event, which took place within the framework of the Partnership Agreement between Italy and the United Kingdom for the chairmanship of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), was addressed by Angola’s Minister of the Environment, Jomo Fortunato, the Advisor to the President of the Republic on Climate Issues, Adjany Costa, the Ambassador of Italy, Cristiano Gallo, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Jessica Hand, and the COP26 Ambassador for Africa, Janet Rogan.
In his speech, Ambassador Gallo underlined Italy’s diplomatic commitment, as both G20 President and COP26 co-partner, to ensuring a green and sustainable economic recovery – based on strengthening multilateral cooperation – which establishes a link between energy transition and climate change. Gallo also referred to the “Meetings with Africa” event, on 7-8 October, a crucial dialogue between Italy and African countries on the continent’s main energy, climate and environmental challenges; and, regarding the “Youth4Climate” summit in Milan, he stressed that this event highlights the importance attached by Italy to involving the younger generations in the debate on climate policies and to securing their contribution to increasing the so-called “climate ambition”.
The seminar, which was also live streamed, consisted of two thematic panels dedicated to Climate Diplomacy and Digital and Climate Inclusion, attended by the two young representatives of Angola at the Youth4Climate event (Erica Tavares and Nicolau Miguel), representatives of the local Ministry of Environment, personalities from the academic world, as well as representatives of local NGOs and start-ups engaged in the fight against climate change and ecological transition. This was followed by an interactive debate among the audience, mainly composed of young university students from the main universities in Luanda.
On the sidelines of the event, a photography exhibition was organised showing shots taken by an Italian photographer living in Angola, on the impact of climate change for the traditional activities of the Angolan people in various of the country’s provinces.
At the end of the seminar, Ambassador Gallo and Ambassador Hand, together with a group of 15 students from Luanda’s secondary schools, visited a field at a local waste treatment and redevelopment company. The aim of the visit was to impress upon the young people the importance of proper waste management and the adoption of virtuous behaviour, at individual and community level, in order to provide an effective contribution to the process of ecological transition.
