Circle U. Climate Day at the University of Vienna, 5 June 2025
“Participatory Climate Justice – Vienna as the Capital of Democracy in the Year of 2025”
On 5 June 2025, the Circle U. Climate Day, an initiative of the Circle U. Knowledge Hub on Climate, will take place for the first time and simultaneously at all nine universities of the Circle U. Alliance.
The Motto of the Circle U. Climate Day at the University of Vienna is “Participatory Climate Justice – Vienna as the Capital of Democracy in the Year of 2025”. The day will be held in cooperation with the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH) and the Children’s Office in the Ceremonial Halls of the Main Building. Knowledge created in research, teaching and by the Children’s Office of the University of Vienna is bundled for a broad audience.
The Event invites you to stroll through a Marketplace of Initiatives in the Main Ceremonial Hall and to get into conversation about projects and initiatives presented. In the Small Ceremonial Hall adolescents of the co-creative climate education project by DOCK for Change will present their vision of the future and introduce a program of interactive workshops and short lectures. A panel discussion on the topic will deal with questions of participatory climate justice, whereas additional activities invite you to participate.
The Circle U. Climate Day offers a platform for exchange between research, practice and the public in order to develop future perspectives on participatory climate justice for city of Vienna.
When: 05.06.2025, 10.00 – 17.00
Where: Main Building University of Vienna, 1st floor, Large & Small Ballroom, Senate Hall
The Circle U. Climate Day is open to visitors from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. To attend the event, no prior registration is necessary. We kindly ask you to register for selected program items.
Admission
09.30 / University of Vienna Main Building, 1st floor, Großer & Kleiner Festsaal, Senatssaal
Welcome
10.00 – 10.30 / Small Ceremonial Hall
The good future – kick-off with DOCK for Change
10.30 – 11.30 / Small Ceremonial Hall
Young people from two Viennese climate clubs and the Children’s Office of the University of Vienna open the Circle U. Climate Day with an inspiring journey into the good future! As part of the co-creative climate education project DOCK for Change, 20 children and young people worked together with 40 encouraging partners from science, business, politics and NGOs to develop an inspiring vision and set the mood for an exciting conference day: What could an ecologically sustainable, socially just and peaceful urban coexistence look like in 2045? What role does science play on the way there? And how can we take competent, rebellious action together?
Marketplace of initiatives
11.30 – 16.00 / Main Ceremonial Hall
The Marketplace of Initiatives will take place as the centerpiece of the event in the Great Hall of the University of Vienna. Research, projects and initiatives will shed light on climate change and climate justice from different perspectives and share their knowledge at market stalls in order to develop future perspectives for the city of Vienna together with you. The marketplace of initiatives is open to visitors from 11:30 – 16:00 without prior registration, we kindly ask you to register for the guided tours.
Guided tour through the Marketplace of Initiatives I
11.30 – 12.00 / Main Ceremonial Hall – please register
Climate Walk: Our path to socio-ecological democracy
12.00 – 13.30 / Meeting point: Stairs in front of the entrance to the main building – please register
Climate change affects us all – but not everyone is equally exposed to it. Some population groups feel its effects more strongly, while others have more opportunities to protect themselves. But how are social inequalities, political decisions and climate change connected? And how can we shape a just, socio-ecological future together?
These questions will be addressed at this Climate Walk, which is being organized by the Environment and Climate Research Hub in cooperation with the Verein Climate Walk. Together with experts from administration, science and practice, we will discuss how participation and democracy can contribute to a fairer – and greener – society – and how each and every one of us can become active.
Take the first step towards change with us!
Flash talks from research
11.45 – 13.45 / Small Ceremonial Hall
The Cimate Puzzle
12.00 – 15.00 / Senate Hall – please register
Using 42 playing cards based on the reports of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the climate puzzle enables exciting and solution-oriented discussions. As a team, link the causes and effects of climate change and work together to develop solutions to systemic challenges.
Guided tour through the Marketplace of Initiatives II
13.30 – 14.00 / Main Ceremonial Hall – please register
Panel discussion
14.00 – 15.00 / Small Ceremonial Hall – please register
Experts from research and practice address questions of participatory climate justice.
Climate Walk: How climate-friendly is our infrastructure?
15.00 – 16:30 / Meeting point: Stairs in front of the main building – registration is requested
How do you get to work or university in the morning? By car, bike, streetcar – or on foot? Your answer to this question depends not only on your personal preferences, but also on the infrastructure available to you. Not everyone has a public transport station on their doorstep, and not all districts have a well-developed network of cycle paths. You can find out why these inequalities exist and how we can overcome them at our Climate Walk.
This Climate Walk is organized by the Environment and Climate Research Hub and the Verein Climate Walk. Together with experts from “Geht-doch Wien”, the Vienna Mobility Agency and the University of Vienna, we will explore what climate-friendly mobility can look like. Join us to discuss challenges, solutions and visions for a sustainable future.
Join us and help shape the mobility of tomorrow!
Guided tour through the Marketplace of Initiatives III
15.30 – 16.00 / Main Ceremonial Hall – please register
Conclusion
16.15 / Small Ceremonial Hall
Please note: By participating in this event, you agree that the photos and videos taken during the event in which you can be seen may be published on the websites and social media channels of the University of Vienna as well as in print media to present our activities.
