The European Climate Pact Annual Event 2026: Together in Action, held in Brussels in March 2026, brought together thousands of citizens, local communities, and stakeholders to move from awareness to concrete climate action.
Sustainability was embedded not only in the content but also in the event’s organisation, making this summit a particularly relevant case study for the Allez l’Éco interview series and our exploration of innovative solutions in the field of sustainable events. Participants were encouraged to adopt low-carbon mobility solutions and were made aware of the impact of their travel choices through a carbon footprint calculator integrated into the registration process. The event avoided gadgets and printed materials, while offering high-quality plant-based meals.
The conference highlighted the growing importance of co-creation, participatory processes, and justice-oriented transitions within Europe’s climate action landscape. A daily “Walk in Nature” in the EU quarter offered participants a tangible way to experience and reflect on the themes discussed inside the Charlemagne building. Several sessions focused on responsible, truly sustainable (de-greenwashed) communication, alongside a strong emphasis on social objectives. In particular, discussions addressed inclusive energy transitions and the role of the Social Climate Fund in enabling citizens—especially vulnerable groups—to participate in innovative energy solutions. These themes echoed the core message of Agenda 2030: “No one should be left behind in this transition.”
In this interview, we talk with Monica Bernardi, Guido Martinolli, and Andrea Rosso, all Climate Pact Ambassadors, about their key takeaways and how to translate these ideas into local action.
Interviewer: What key message or takeaway will you bring with you from the sessions and discussions you participated in?
Monica Bernardi (Associate Professor, University of Milan‑Bicocca, Italy):
What I bring back with me from this year’s European Climate Pact Annual Event is a sense that something is shifting, not necessarily in a linear or reassuring way, but in a deeper, more demanding direction. Or at least is what I want to hope for. There is less comfort in the conversations and more tension. And I think that’s important because we are moving beyond a phase where raising awareness is enough. What is emerging instead is a need to take position, to engage with contradictions, to stay within the complexity of the present moment, with determination. In this context, being a Climate Pact Ambassador feels less like a role of dissemination and more like a space of responsibility. A responsibility to hold together different worlds (from science to institutions, local actors and local communities) without simplifying them. I leave Brussels with the feeling that climate action today requires of course commitment, but not only, it also needs a certain form of intellectual and civic courage, the willingness to question dominant narratives and to resist simplifications, insisting on justice even when the discourse is moving elsewhere.
Guido Martinolli, PhD
There are many people who are really pushing in the right direction. This also includes a large part of the European Commission. It gives a strong sense that there is real momentum and commitment behind climate action, although it still needs to grow further.
Andrea Rosso
First of all, I would like to start with a quote that was highlighted during one of the sessions and that perfectly captures why I chose to participate (on a voluntary basis and even by taking days off): “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.” — Seneca.
During those days, what truly stood out to me was the collective energy created by people driven by motivation, passion, and a genuine sense of purpose. I realised that what often drives meaningful climate action is not only technical competence, but also creativity in communicating climate issues, as well as enthusiasm and care for others.
Sustainability is a broad and often misused concept, but everyone has a role to play in it. What really makes the difference is the level of commitment, passion, and attention we bring to our surroundings and communities.
From a more practical perspective, I attended a session on misinformation and climate delay tactics, which was delivered through a very engaging “Bingo Game”. We explored more than ten techniques commonly used in fake news and interlink them with newspaper headlines: from emotional manipulation (appealing to feelings instead of evidence) to cherry‑picking (selects only the data or time period that supports the claim, ignoring the rest) or misusing weather/climate. This interactive approach made the learning process both effective and memorable.
I also participated in a cooking workshop where we prepared a vegan tuna burger using “Food Climate Cards” which illustrate the environmental impact of different ingredients. It was particularly interesting to learn how certain food combinations can influence overall impact. For example, how rice cultivation, typically associated with high methane emissions, can have a lower impact when integrated with crab farming systems that help mitigate methane emissions.
Interviewer: Was there a particular presentation, speaker, or session that offered you new insights or sparked your interest in a specific aspect of climate action?
Monica Bernardi:
Many! One of the moments that stayed with me the most was listening to reflections on the need to decolonise climate knowledge and to meaningfully integrate Indigenous perspectives into global scientific frameworks. It was not just about “adding voices”, but about questioning how knowledge is produced, validated, and then used within climate governance. It is something relatively new for our societies, but I think it is a crucial step if we want to move beyond extractive and hierarchical approaches. And it is also something I try to bring into my teaching.
In addition, I found the session on food led by Alice Casiraghi & co. particularly inspiring; it has opened up a reflection on how deeply climate action is embedded in daily life since food becomes a lens through which issues of sustainability, culture, inequality, behaviour intersect. It reminded me that transitions are not only designed at the policy level, but also practiced, in everyday life, often quietly, through everyday choices, routines, social relations….
I also loved the session I have designed and led, the workshop “Data, Nature and Smart Communities: Co-creating a Just Digital-Green Tomorrow”, around 50 participants have worked together on concrete urban scenarios and it has emerged that sharing tools (like the Urban Transition Canvas) helps in making complexity negotiable and to connect different forms of knowledge.
Finally, I found the public conversation with Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra particularly interesting. What stood out to me was the shift in framing, from managing climate risk to building resilience. At the same time, the discussion made visible the distance that still exists between policy ambition and its implementation in practice. And I think this is exactly where spaces like the Climate Pact become important, to go beyond policies, communicate and question, translate, and bring them closer to local realities.
Guido Martinolli:
I mainly attended the plenary sessions, which were a great way to get an overview of the current state of the art. What motivated me the most was seeing the determination to make climate action happen; not just talking about it, but really driving it forward.
Andrea Rosso:
The session on climate misinformation and delay tactics was particularly impactful. What made it stand out was its interactive format, which transformed a complex and often abstract topic into something tangible and easy to grasp.
Through the “Bingo Game,” we were not only introduced to the different techniques used to distort or delay climate action, but we were also actively involved in identifying them in real- world examples, such as newspaper headlines. This hands-on approach helped me better understand how pervasive and subtle these tactics can be.
This session reinforced the importance of communication in climate action, not only in spreading accurate information but also in equipping people with the tools to critically assess what they read and hear. It highlighted that tackling climate change is not only a scientific or technological challenge, but also a communication and societal one.
Interviewer: How do you think we should both individually and as a society translate the ideas or discussions from the conference into concrete actions or initiatives in our local territory?
Monica Bernardi:
The key word for me is connection. We often talk about the gap between policy and practice, between institutions and citizens, between knowledge and action but what the conference made very clear is that this gap cannot simply be “filled”, it needs to be continuously worked through. So, at an individual level, this means taking seriously the role of communication, not as simplification, but as a careful, responsible translation of scientific knowledge into public discourse, especially in a time so marked by misinformation (and a workshop about this was equally interesting). At a local level, I believe much more in processes than in solutions. So, co-creation spaces, participatory tools, forms of situated experimentation became real tools to be engaged in a just transition. And at a broader level, perhaps the most important task is narrative since we need to resist the idea that the transition is only about speed or efficiency. It is also about direction, about justice, about the kind of societies we want to inhabit and co-create. The challenge, then, is to keep these dimensions together, without collapsing complexity, but also without becoming paralysed by it.
Guido Martinolli:
We need to get out of the “sustainability bubble” and bring it into all areas of society. For example, in some sectors like sports, sustainability is still not really considered. But athletes are strong role models for young people; what they do, even small things like drinking from plastic bottles on TV, can influence behaviors and culture of next generations.
That’s why it’s important that all sectors of society reflect sustainable behaviors. Leadership and role modeling are key to driving real change.
Andrea Rosso:
One of the key takeaways is the importance of strengthening connections between ambassadors.This includes sharing funding opportunities and collaborating on projects that can bring climate action to life at the local level. At the same time, there is a strong need to build networks across borders. For example, as an Italian ambassador, I realised I was not connected with other Italian ambassadors living in different European countries. Creating these connections could foster valuable synergies and help build stronger, more coordinated actions.
Another crucial aspect is strengthening the link between Climate Pact Ambassadors and local institutions. For the initiative to have a real impact, it needs to be more visible and recognised by policymakers. This could be supported through practical tools provided to Ambassadors, such as access to institutional contacts, letters of support, or official recognition frameworks. In this sense, the role of ambassadors should be further institutionalised at the political level.
Finally, it is important to acknowledge that being an ambassador also requires resources. Organising events, travelling, and participating in international initiatives all come with costs.Without adequate financial support, these opportunities risk becoming unequal, especially for young ambassadors. While many of us are willing to dedicate our time and even take personal leave to contribute, a more structured support system would ensure broader and more inclusive participation.
The reflections shared by Monica, Guido, and Andrea brought valuable and original insights that help deepen our understanding of the summit. Climate action is not only about policies or technologies—it is about people, partnerships, and the courage to ‘question dominant narratives’ and translate ambition into everyday practice. From Brussels to our local communities, the challenge remains the same: to build a transition that is not only effective, but also just, inclusive, and deeply rooted in collective action.
