Ahead of the Climate Summit to be held in Santiago on 2-13 December, these Festivals represent one of the most important areas of support that the EU is providing to the government of Chile, together with a wide range of activities via Euroclima+, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the UN Environment Programme.   

The Citizen Festivals of the COP25 will take place in each one of Chile's 16 regions, from 5 October to 30 November, as well as in Santiago in the margins of the COP itself, from 1 till 7 December. Each festival is open to the public and free of charge and will feature artists, workshops, food carts, talks and more, all focused on creating greater awareness about climate change and the actions that each can take to care for the planet.

“We want this Summit in Chile to be something that commits the entire Chilean society, with concrete climate actions. These COP25 Festivals are part of the citizen agenda that seeks to educate, sensitize and mobilize people, inviting to act and be part of the change” said during the Minister of the Environment of Chile, Carolina Schmidt, during the launch.  

The European Union will be present in all 17 festivals through the EU Delegation as well as EU Member States present in the country in order to outline the EU's ambition in climate action.

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The first Regional Festival of the COP25 Citizen Agenda was held on Saturday 5 October in La Serena (Chile's fourth largest city, located north of Santiago). The event included a beach cleaning activity, in which the EU Head of Delegation to Chile, Stella Zervoudaki participated with the Minister of Defense, the Undersecretary of Environment and the Regional Government, as well as regional and national press, university students, schoolchildren and Marines. 

On the Festival's mainstage, Head of Delegation Zervoudaki addressed the crowd of 10,000 people, referring to the EU's commitment in the field of climate change and its support for local climate action and Chile's role as President of the COP25. She also held a workshop for on the EU's policies on climate change the role of the EU in the Climate Summit.

The COP25 Citizen Festivals continued the next day on Sunday 6 October in Chillan (the regional capital of the Southern region of Ñuble), where the Festival was inaugurated by the Head of Political, Press and Information Section, Quentin Weiler, and the General Manager of COP25, Cristian Varela.

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The EU welcomed Chile's ambitions to make the COP25 into "a COP for action". This is a key opportunity to strengthen the global consensus on the public policies required to lower emissions and implement the necessary economic and cultural changes. "We are certain that if our citizens demand, internalize and implement the necessary cultural, political and economic changes, we can ensure a future for the next generation," said Stella Zervoudaki, EU Head of Delegation to Chile.

The EU has therefore been working closely with the Ministry of Environment to support the Presidency of Chile through multiple activities such as: the Citizen Agenda, direct support to the Government's team, promotion of green employment, work with scientists, activities with vulnerable groups, Activities to promote environmental awareness , youth participation, among others.

FIND ALL THE ACTIVITIES AT: https://www.cop25.cl/