Climate Academy Students Engage with MEPs
For the past five years, students from the Climate Academy have had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Overshoot Day event at the European Parliament.
This event, organised by the NGO Globe.eu - led by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) - focuses on raising awareness about the overconsumption of resources and the urgent need for sustainable solutions.
This year, on Tuesday, 21 April, the event took place in the VoxBox studio, a cutting-edge space located in the heart of the European Parliament. The studio’s open layout and advanced technical setup allowed us to share our discussions live, with custom branding and video loops that highlighted the importance of our mission.
We had the honour of engaging with three influential MEPs: Manuela Ripa (President of Globe.eu), Sara Matthieu, and Bruno Tobback. Six of our students - Sofia Tama, Pélagie Barbier, Karolina Venturi, Amaury Chauve, Slav Karaslavov, and Bruno de Loma - led the conversation, asking critical questions about Europe’s environmental challenges. Our discussions focused on the current backlash against climate policies, the future of the Green Deal, and whether Europe can transition to 100% renewable energy. We also explored solutions for managing the circular economy, e-waste, and fast fashion.
The debate was lively and thought-provoking, with our students confidently building on the MEPs’ responses to deepen the conversation. Our growing expertise in climate issues has even caught the attention of the President of the European Parliament, Ms. Roberta Metsola, who took time out of her busy schedule to meet with us and take photos—a moment we’ll never forget! You can find the full stream of interviews with students and MEPs through this link: https://youtu.be/0gm5e6fI1LA.
The Overshoot Day event was a truly enriching experience. It gave us, as students, a rare chance to engage directly with policymakers, while also allowing MEPs to hear firsthand the concerns and ideas of young Europeans.
Thanks to the VoxBox studio, our voices reached an even wider audience, amplifying the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for bold action.
Students of the Climate Academy would like to thank Ms Roberta Metsola, Ms Manuela Ripa, Ms Sara Matthieu, Mr Bruno Tobback and Mr Roland-Jan Meijer.
