The Mediterranean Climate Festival – Earth Day Med 2025 took place at various locations throughout the city of Palermo, providing a transnational space for dialogue and the creation of a united voice for the environment. Thanks to its central position in the Mediterranean basin, Sicily preserves the memory of ancient cultures that have passed through the region over the centuries and is today a point of arrival for those fleeing conflicts and poverty, often exacerbated by climate change.
During the festival we talked and discussed about Climate Change with expert panels, citizen assemblies, public debates, as well as moments of play, learning, and art, engaging a diverse audience—including families, activists, students, civil society, and institutions.
We inaugurated the festival with a walking tour in the Favorita Park, led by Prof. Giuseppe Barbera (Tree Crops, University of Palermo), accompanied by the sounds of Francesco La Bruna (violin) and Fabrizio Augugliaro (accordion). An opportunity to rediscover the urban landscape and natural heritage, such as the thousand-year-old olive tree of Palermo.
Together with LIPU, we dedicated a day to the students of the “IIS Vincenzo Ragusa – Otama Kiyoharaa” high school. With them, we discussed the importance of sustainable agriculture for our health and that of the planet, through an educational event aimed at raising awareness and enhancing their local territory, environment, and health.
During the festival we have hosted the 4th Citizens’ Assembly of the Building Bridges project. The Palermo assembly aimed to explore how the Mediterranean region can be a laboratory to go beyond climate diplomacy and redefine climate boundaries. In the first phase of the day, we involved experts, civil society actors, public officials, and citizens in an international conference to discuss the challenges of inclusive ecological planning, with a focus on food, water, and energy. In the second part of the day, participants had the opportunity to take part in two workshops: the first aimed at defining the role of cities, research, institutions, and activists, and the importance of networking, and the second focused on reflecting on the relationship between food systems and climate change. We also hosted the final assembly of the Building Bridges project at Teatro Garibaldi in Palermo. Over these days participants have had the opportunity to engage in discussions on key climate change issues, focusing on energy, water, and food.
On Friday, a call to action brought volunteers and students together to clean up the cliffs of Foro Italico, actively taking part in the care of shared public spaces.
Saturday was dedicated to workshops for adults and children. The first two workshops explored themes such as nutrition, fermentation, and the importance of making conscious food choices. Later, a workshop for children offered them the chance to explore artisanal and artistic ways of working with earth and soil.
The festival ended with a sunrise yoga session, celebrating the end of a week full of events and reflections on climate, environment, and Mediterranean.
The festival is promoted by: Fondazione Studio Rizoma in collaboration with ECCO – the Italian climate think tank, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the University of Palermo and EStà – center for Sustainability and University Transition.