State of Europe 2025 - Securing a Safe Climate for All
Time
11:45 - 13:00 CET
About
Cities Alliance President María Fernanda Espinosa participates in the State of Europe 2025 high-level roundtable, a full-day gathering of European and international leaders to reflect on the choices shaping Europe’s future. As part of the session “Not giving up: securing a safe climate for all,” she will bring a global perspective on how to sustain collective action amid overlapping crises and shifting power dynamics.
Taking place just weeks before COP30, the discussion will explore how renewed cooperation across generations, sectors and regions can rebuild trust and drive more inclusive, forward-looking approaches to shared challenges. Her participation echoes many of the priorities that Cities Alliance supports through its work on resilience and inclusion in cities worldwide.
As global power balances shift and urgent crises crowd the political agenda, climate action risks being pushed to the margins. But the stakes could not be higher. A safe, stable climate is not just an environmental concern – it is an economic necessity, a security issue and a matter of justice for current and future generations.
Climate action remains a core concern for European youth; many young Europeans surveyed by Debating Europe support a “triangle of cooperation” approach, where the EU, national governments and businesses work together to drive the green transition.
Climate action must remain at the core of decision-making. With just one month to go before COP30, and as many countries fall behind in submitting updated climate commitments, we need to take stock of where we stand – and where we must go. Inaction, or even delay, is no longer a neutral stance.
Alongside mitigation, adaptation to climate impacts must be brought to the forefront of political and economic strategy. From droughts and floods in Europe to extreme weather across the Global South, the consequences of a changing climate are already here.
A new public-private sector partnership is needed to reframe climate action and step up commitments, both domestically and internationally. Decarbonisation and climate adaptation must be viewed as the future DNA of the private sector, shaping its business model.
This collaboration is central to economic transformation, strengthening geopolitical resilience and enhancing societal well-being. It requires joint investment in a green and just transition, the reshaping of financial systems and the integration of sustainability and adaptation across all sectors – from energy and transport to agriculture, tech, services and manufacturing.
The discussion is part of the State of Europe high-level roundtable, convened by Friends of Europe within the Festival of Politics and Ideas: Europe matters: now or never.