Over the past two years, the FOSTER - Future oriented Solutions Toward Environmental Resilience project has brought together citizens, local authorities, researchers, and civil society organisations from nine countries to explore how communities can better anticipate and respond to climate change.
On 17 September 2026, we gather in Vienna to present the outcomes of two years of participatory workshops, cross-border dialogues, research, and citizen engagement across the local paths— to reflect on the processes we have built together, and to open a wider conversation about the future of climate governance and civic participation in Europe.
The closing conference offers two complementary sessions: a morning of citizens' voices and policy reflection, and an evening of high-level debate.
Morning session | 10:00–14:00
The conference opens with a keynote by Anja Haider-Wallner (Deputy Governor of Burgenland, Austria) on climate change impact, management and public participation, followed by a reflection by Stefan Lütgenau on enabling participation in sensitive governance contexts. At the heart of the morning is a citizens' panel — seven voices from across Europe sharing their direct experience of participatory processes on climate change — followed by open debate and a harvesting of the FOSTER project's collective experience.
Evening session | 18:30–20:30
A high-level panel debate — Participation and Climate Change: How to Navigate Between Scylla and Charybdis — will bring together scientists, politicians, and civil society representatives for a structured dialogue on three guiding questions, followed by open debate and closing remarks.
The conference is held in English.
A detailed agenda will follow shortly.
Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please register below.