The concerns of the young people taking part in the demonstrations are legitimate

03/13/2019

Already 14,000 signatures from scientists as a declaration of support for the protests of the Fridays for Future movement

Greta Thunberg is calling for it and thousands of young people are joining in to make their concerns heard. Stemming from the global Fridays for Future movement, in which young people regularly take to the streets for climate protection and the preservation of our natural livelihoods, **German, Austrian** and **Swiss scientists** are now also supporting these protests in the joint statement at <link http: www.scientists4future.org>www.Scientists4Future.org.

Under the motto "Action must be taken now", climate researchers aren't just looking favourably upon the demonstrations taking place — they're going a step further and backing young people in their actions, and doing so with their **names**. This support, which is far from merely symbolic, takes the form of active participation by climate researchers in current protest movements, and breaks for the first time with the cliché that theory-driven science and hands-on society have seemingly different approaches.

"We see it as our social responsibility to point out the consequences of insufficient action. For instance, the Austrian federal government has set targets in its climate and energy strategy that will fall far short of meeting those of the Paris Climate Agreement — and even for these targets, concrete measures and financial resources are still lacking," said **Thomas Schinko**, researcher at IIASA and coordinator of early-career scientists at CCCA, at the press conference in Vienna.

The Climate Change Centre Austria organised press conferences in both Vienna and Graz to mark the publication of the statement. These took place in parallel with a main press conference in Berlin as well as in other D-A-CH cities.

"The demands of the pupils are entirely justified and scientifically substantiated. The key message of the statement is that far too little is being done to address climate change, and it is essentially a declaration of support for the content being championed by the pupils," said renowned climate researcher **Helga Kromp-Kolb** at the press conference in Vienna.

Where does Austria need to go and what do the Paris climate targets require here? "Austria has set itself targets in its climate and energy strategy that fall far short of what the Paris Agreement demands, and even for those, neither the necessary measures nor the financial resources have been put in place. Against this backdrop, which is clear for Austria on the basis of climate and transformation research, the concerns of Fridays For Future are entirely justified; respect and admiration for these committed young people," emphasised **Gottfried Kirchengast**, climate researcher at the University of Graz.

ZAMG Director **Michael Staudinger** adds that the rise in temperature is almost entirely attributable to human activity. We are already beginning to feel the effects. For example, the number of heat-related deaths last year exceeded that of road traffic deaths.

Transformation research has already made its contribution to social change — now it's a matter of implementing this globally and at scale. There's certainly no shortage of civil society participation at the moment. Accordingly, an unprecedented symbiosis is emerging — currently in the form of **14,000 signatures**, representing science's endorsement of what young people are doing.

Several rectorates of Austrian universities have also thrown their support behind the initiative and informed their academic staff. These include the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, the University of Innsbruck, the University of Salzburg, and the University of Graz. **Peter Riedler**, Vice-Rector for Finance, Resources and Site Development at the University of Graz, highlights the university's role as a place of knowledge and its mission to engage with young people, where science acts objectively and clearly, while also working with commitment towards the future.

The <link https: www.scientists4future.org stellungnahme external-link-new-window internal link in current>statement can still be <link https: twitter.us20.list-manage.com external-link-new-window internal link in current>signed by researchers from all disciplines until **14.03.2019**. Because researchers agree: the climate crisis affects all fields of research and can only be solved collectively.

Climate and environmental law specialist **Eva Schulev-Steindl** presents two climate litigation cases in which courts reached positive decisions in what initially appeared to be hopeless situations, including the case <link https: www.nationalgeographic.com environment youth-climate-change-lawsuit-grows-support external-link-new-window internal link in current>"Juliana v. United States" (2015).

**Klement Tockner**, President of the Austrian Science Fund, also agrees: "The scientific facts are clear, the pupils are speaking plainly. The protest by young people is absolutely justified, as they are the ones who will bear the consequences of inaction. They are creating the necessary attention around the dramatic impacts of the climate crisis."

Finally, **Marlene Seidel, Lena Stuhlpfarrer**, **Jakob Prettenthaler (FFF Graz) as well as Katharina Rogenhofer and Johannes Stangl (FFF Wien)** once again call on pupils and young people to take part in the demonstrations in order to bring about change — inspired by role models such as children's rights activist Malala.

More information about Scientists For Future can be found <link internal-link internal link in current>here.

----------------------------------------------------CLIMATE DEMO----------------------------------------------------

The **International Climate Demo** takes place on **15.03.2019**!

Details of the demonstrations taking place across Europe are available at <link https: www.fridaysforfuture.org>www.fridaysforfuture.org, and for Austria at: <link https: www.fridaysforfuture.at>www.fridaysforfuture.at!

---------------------------------------------SIGNATORIES---------------------------------------------

Signatories in Austria include, for example (as of 12.03.2019, over 1,100 Austrian researchers have already signed): Prof. Dr. **Ulrich Brand**, Prof. Dr. **Martin H. Gerzabek**, Dr. **Heinz Hutter**, Prof. Dr. **Georg Kaser**, Prof. Dr. **Gottfried Kirchengast** (Austrian coordinator), Prof. Dr. **Helga Kromp-Kolb** (Austrian coordinator), Prof. Dr. **Reinhold Lang**, Prof. Dr. **Lukas Meyer**, Prof. Dr. **Nebojsa Nakicenovic**, Prof. Dr. **Franz Rauch**, Prof. Dr. **Renée Schröder**, Prof. Dr. **Eva Schulev-Steindl**, Prof. Dr. **Sigrid Stagl**, Dr. **Michael Staudinger**, Prof. Dr. **Karl Steininger**, Prof. Dr. **Klement Tockner**, Dr. **Isabella Uhl-Hädicke**, Prof. Dr. **Verena Winiwarter**.

------------------------------------------------PRESS CONFERENCE------------------------------------------------

On Tuesday 12.03.2019, two press conferences took place in Vienna and Graz.

For Vienna, the following took part: Univ.-Prof. Dr. **Helga Kromp-Kolb** (CCCA & climate researcher BOKU Vienna), Dr. **Michael Staudinger** (CCCA & Director ZAMG), Dr. **Thomas Schinko** (CCCA early-career working group & early-career researcher IIASA), Univ.-Prof. Dr. **Klement Tockner** (President FWF), **Katharina Rogenhofer** and **Johannes Stangl** (FFF Wien).

For Graz: Univ.-Prof. Dr. **Gottfried Kirchengast** (CCCA & climate researcher University of Graz, ÖAW), Univ.-Prof. Dr. **Eva Schulev-Steindl** (CCCA & climate and environmental law specialist University of Graz), Dr. **Peter Riedler** (Vice-Rector Finance-Resources-Site Development, University of Graz), **Marlene Seidel**, **Jakob Prettenthaler** and **Lena Stuhlpfarrer** (FFF Graz).

Until **14. 3. 2019** there is still the opportunity to show your support at <link http: www.scientists4future.org>www.Scientists4Future.org.!

**Media information – Press conference Scientists4Future and Fridays For Future 12.03.2019**:

**Materials from the press conference Scientists4Future and Fridays For Future 12.03.2019** are also available to **download online** at <link https: www.ccca.ac.at typo3 www.wegcenter.at downloads external-link-new-window internal link in current>www.wegcenter.at/downloads **(entry "March 2019: Knowledge Transfer/Media")**.

**The following Austrian press reports are already available:**

**Newspaper articles:**

**Radio reports:**

**TV:**

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Photo: CCCA, Uni Graz

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The concerns of the young people taking part in the demonstrations are legitimate