The Climate Pact pays tribute to victims of global climate crisis

To mark the third annual EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis on 15 July, events across the EU honoured those lost to and affected by the climate crisis and called for further action to reduce the risk of climate impacts.

In Brussels, the occasion was commemorated with a ceremony opened by the European Commission Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera, followed by Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, and the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, MEP Antonio Decaro. Attendees also heard from citizens affected by the climate crisis, represented by Climate Pact Ambassador Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts from ‘Climate Justice for Rosa’, and a violin recital by Pact Ambassador and composer Bartu Elci-Ozsoy.

All speakers reflected on the lives lost and destruction caused by the climate crisis and emphasised the need to act now to cut emissions, build resilience and protect people and communities from the impacts of climate change. 

These messages were echoed across the EU as the European Climate Pact organised commemorative activities in 10 EU countries.

Commemorations across the EU

As climate change increasingly threatens lives, health, and livelihoods across Europe and the world, these activities highlighted both the human cost and the power of collective resilience.

In Romania, a secondary school in Turnu Magurele, whose roof was destroyed by a 2022 storm, transformed the disaster into a moment of collective learning. The Climate Pact organised a workshop in this school, honouring their resilience.

A full-day event in Torrent, Spain, took participants through the reconstruction of the city after it was devastated by floods that hit the Valencia region in October 2024.  Survivors of the floods emphasised the need for stronger climate action and greater attention to the psychological consequences of climate disasters. In a roundtable, experts highlighted the need for adaptation measures to face potential future flooding in the area.

In Pombal, a Portuguese city that was affected by the Pedrógão Grande wildfires, the European Climate Pact Community collectively painted a public mural in tribute to the victims. The mural was accompanied by a plaque reading, “Let this tribute inspire us to take action, solidarity and collective responsibility for a fairer, more sustainable and resilient future”.

Meanwhile, Lithuania and Hungary hosted documentary screenings, sparking debates about how the climate crisis is affecting our daily lives.

The EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis was established by the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission in 2023 to honour those who lost their lives to the climate crisis, but also to raise awareness of actions people can take to reduce their risk of climate impacts and climate disasters. It is marked annually on 15 July.

To reflect on this day, you can watch the replay and view photos of the commemoration ceremony held in Brussels on 15 July 2025. For more ways to get involved, explore activities organised by the Climate Pact community across Europe to mark the EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis.