Science at the Heart of the Vatican’s Pan-European Climate Summit

The Vatican Pan-European Climate Resilience Summit, held from 28 to 29 August in Vienna, brought together mayors, youth leaders, scientists, innovators, and policymakers to tackle Europe’s most urgent climate threats. It was hosted by the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences with European partners; the summit spotlighted solutions in mitigation, adaptation, and societal transformation. Outcomes from Vienna will feed directly into the 2026 Vatican Global Summit, shaping a Universal Protocol for Climate Resilience to protect people and ecosystems across generations.

This was a Summit of hope, and one of the key participants was Ingmar Rentzhog, Founder and CEO of the global, pro-planet platform We Don’t Have Time. One of the things We Don’t Have Time did was to create a special video, which discusses the importance of facing the reality of the climate crisis and not denying scientific facts. This short film emphasises the need for people to speak up and take action, as the majority of the global population wants to address the issue.

Importantly, this film highlights the Vatican and the Pontifical Academy, which are working together to bring people from different backgrounds together to raise awareness and make a change. The video also mentions the inclusivity of the event and the importance of making science a priority.𝅺

And a highlight for me is that my book, What Will Your Legacy Be? – Conversations With Global Change-Makers About The Climate Crisis, has a walk-on part in the film. Can you spot it?