Austrian World Summit: Jugend Eine Welt brought the Don Bosco Voice into the International Climate Debate

Education and Climate Justice as Keys to a Sustainable Future

 At the tenth Austrian World Summit, the international climate conference of Austrian-born former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Vienna, the Austrian development organization Jugend Eine Welt was also represented. Wolfgang Wedan, Global Emergency Relief Coordinator of Jugend Eine Welt, participated as a partner of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative.

 Jugend Eine Welt used the opportunity to bring the perspective of the worldwide Don Bosco network into the international climate debate through discussions with representatives from politics, civil society, the Church, and development cooperation who were present. At the center was a key message that is also promoted globally by the Don Bosco Green Alliance: a just ecological transformation can only succeed if young people have access to high-quality education and vocational training. The expansion of renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and climate-resilient livelihoods requires well-trained professionals while at the same time creating opportunities for millions of young people—especially in countries of the Global South.

 Investments in Young People Create Sustainable Impact

Jugend Eine Welt highlighted concrete Don Bosco projects that have already been supported and implemented locally thanks to the partnership with the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative. One example is the installation of a 30-kWp photovoltaic system at a Don Bosco school in Mangalagiri on the east coast of India. The system significantly reduces the school's energy costs and makes it possible to invest the resulting savings directly into educational and social programmes for disadvantaged children and young people. At the same time, the project contributes to the reduction of CO₂ emissions over decades.

 Another supported programme took place in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, through the project “Active Climate Protection at the Bosco Children Center.” With this support, work within the existing eco-clubs was strengthened, thereby promoting awareness of climate protection, sustainability, and practical environmental skills among children and young people. Among other achievements, the participating children succeeded within a few months in establishing and maintaining a model green campus at the Don Bosco centre despite urban challenges such as environmental pollution, deforestation, and inadequate waste-management infrastructure.

 Pope Leo XIV: The Climate Crisis and Social Justice Belong Together

Pope Leo XIV sent a special message through his video address to the participants of the Austrian World Summit. In it, he emphasized that the climate crisis cannot be viewed in isolation but is closely linked to social and economic challenges. In doing so, he echoed key concerns of the encyclical Laudato Si’ and underscored the inseparable connection between the protection of creation, social justice, and the dignity of every human being.

 For the Don Bosco Family worldwide, this perspective is of particular importance. Young people are among the population groups most affected by the consequences of the climate crisis, yet at the same time they possess great potential to drive sustainable change.

“Climate protection is always also a question of justice,” emphasizes Reinhard Heiserer, CEO of Jugend Eine Welt. “Young people in the Global South need access to education, training, and sustainable future prospects. The experiences of our Don Bosco partners show that ecological responsibility and social development can be achieved together.”