EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis

The annual EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis on 15 July was established in a joint declaration by European Parliament, European Council and European Commission on 13 July, 2023. Despite its name, it is not limited to the European Union but shall be a day of remembrance for the victims of the climate crises worldwide.

According to the declaration, its purpose is "[…] commemorating said victims in Europe and worldwide, and to raise awareness among stakeholders and the general public of concrete steps they can take at their level to contribute to prevent these disasters from happening in the first place and, be better prepared for and respond to climate disasters."

As supplementary material, a multi-page „Communication toolkit“ was provided as a PDF file, which contained ideas and suggestions for people who want to become active on this day and raise awareness for the topic.

On occasion of the day's introduction in 2023, Frans Timmermans, signer of the declaration for the European Commission, visited regions in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands which had been affected by the 2021 European floods.

In 2024, a ceremony was held at the junction of Rue de l'Arbre Bénit, Rue du Prince Albert and Chaussée d'Ixelles in Ixelles, Brussels. According to the announcement for this day, among others Janez Lenarčič (European Commissioner for Crisis Management), Zakia_Khattabi (Belgian Minister of Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal) and Annelies Verlinden (Belgian Minister of the Interior, Institutional Reforms and Democratic Renewal) as well as the founder of Climate Justice for Rosa, Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts, were attending. As part of the event, a musical performance was planned with arrangements by David Van Reybrouck and Jef Neve, written by them in honor of the victims of the 2021 Belgian floods, and performed by Hanne Roos and Marlon Dek. Climate Justice for Rosa is a non-profit organization named after Rosa, a 15-year-old girl who drowned in these floods.