Acceptance speech by President von der Leyen at the European Sustainability Award – Prix Film4Climate in the context of the 35th European Film Awards, via video message

Dear Raluca, Ahmad and Vilhjálmur,
thank you so much!

And thanks to the European Film Academy and the jury.

What an honour!

And what a powerful message you are sending with this award.

Movies can really pull at your heartstrings. They can make you laugh and cry. They can turn the spotlight on an important issue. They can make people embrace a cause. And that is exactly what our planet needs right now.

We all need to take action for our climate. And that is the basic idea behind the European Green Deal. Yes, the European Union can show the way. We have set targets and goals. We are investing massively in the transition – from fossil fuels to clean energy.

But governments can only do so much. It is up to every person, every community and every industry to change.

And I am so glad that the European film industry is taking this commitment seriously. Because you have the power to change hearts and minds. You can make people see that everyone can make a difference for our planet.

I would like to dedicate this prize to all film-makers that will bring our climate conscience one step forward.

Thank you so much again.

Long live Europe, and long live European cinema!