Danmark har sin egen BKA – Bedsteforældrenes KlimaAktion, i sin tid etablert med direkte inspirasjon fra Norge. Og selvsagt kommer også de til Oslo i august, for å delta på konferansen for European Grandparents. De har tro på økt samarbeid med besteforeldreaktivister i andre land, og håper å kunne samles om felles aksjoner.
«Som bedsteforældre anerkender vi vores ansvar overfor dem, der kommer efter os. De unge, børnene og dem, der vil blive født i næste uge og i næste årti og i næste århundrede. De har brug for en planet, som lever og blomstrer i al dens udsøgte mangfoldighed. Vi har ingen ret til at stjæle denne dåbsgave fra dem.»
Name: Johannes Yde
Age: 77 years old
Name of your organization: Bedsteforældrenes KlimaAktion (Grandparents’ Climate Action)
What are the main topics your organization concentrates on?
– Topics: From the transformation of everyday habits to major societal transitions of energy, transport, agriculture, housing, production, public and private consumption.
– Methods: BKA employs a wide range of methods to address climate change. We contact local and national politicians; we have street actions and undertake demonstrations within the framework of Danish law. We cooperate with other climate and green organizations, including youth organizations.
– Street actions are often performed with humor and hope for the future, all in order to catch the attention of the public and the media.
Why did your organization join the EGC? BKA took part in the initial online network meetings a year ahead of the founding meeting in December 2023. BKA shares the notion that working together on a European level increases our chances of being heard in the EU parliament and influence politicians to fight harder to prevent damages caused by climate change. Via the EGC we also get inspiration from other climate organizations and broaden our network.
Why did you join the organization? A few years ago, I saw a graph of the carbon concentration in the air. In the year 1947 when I was born, CO2 emissions began to rise. The older I get, the higher the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere gets.
What do you expect to get out of the Oslo summit? I expect to gain a better understanding of EGC and also to see what the EGC can accomplish in terms of influencing climate awareness among politicians and citizens. In international contexts, it is important to keep climate issues at the forefront of everyone’s mind. I find it important that we agree on concrete climate actions across our borders.
Name: Eva Riemer
Age: 66
Name of your organization: Bedsteforældrenes KlimaAktion (Grandparents’ Climate Action)
Why did you join the organization? I felt so alarmed by scientists’ climate warnings and the lack of political climate action that I searched for like-minded people who wanted to push for climate action. And as a grandparent, the BKA seemed like a natural group for me to join when I retired from the labour market.
What do you expect to get out of the Oslo summit?
- To meet old and new climate friends in real life instead of online meetings.
- A common sense of togetherness and will to push for political climate action on the European level.
- Enthusiasm and willingness to actively join EGC working groups and “back-office” functions which need to be fulfilled in a voluntary organization.
- Inspiration and ideas to action and cooperation on the national and transnational levels.
- Hope and a will to keep fighting together for climate action, for the sake of future generations.
Name: Mogens Jørgensen
Age: 72 years old
Name of your organization: Bedsteforældrenes KlimaAktion (Grandparents’ Climate Action)
Why did you join the organization? Simply to give my share in the effort to fight climate change to secure the future of my grandchildren.
What do you expect to get out of the Oslo summit?
Meeting again face to face in Oslo will strengthen our connection and commitment. The world has changed for the worse since December 2023. Climate has dropped down the general political agenda in Europe. The security situation has worsened and risk of war is rising. Funding is channeled to armament instead of climate change.
- I expect us to face the reality of the situation in Europe head on and together
- I expect us to focus on what we can do together despite the dark period we have entered
- I expect us to commit to put increased effort, energy and work into the growth of the EGC, all for the future benefits of our grandchildren.