Environmental Justice Conference:

Shared Earth, Shared Responsibility

Register here

Mondo and the Estonian Environmental Law Center invite you to the international Environmental Justice Conference: “Shared Earth, Shared Responsibility”, taking place in Tallinn on April 10th.

As the first-ever international conference in the Baltics to focus on environmental justice, this event will provide a unique platform for diverse perspectives on the topic, featuring speakers from around the world. Participation is free with prior registration here.

The conference will include seven sessions addressing the ethical and political dimensions of environmental change— environmental justice.

Extreme weather conditions and issues such as erosion, biodiversity loss, and access to clean water—many of which are driven by climate change—are becoming increasingly concerning. At the same time, it is evident that communities already in vulnerable situations suffer the most. For example, while the average Ugandan’s carbon footprint is just 0.1 tons, the average Estonian’s is 73 times larger, at 7.3 tons per person in 2023.

At the conference, we will discuss who is responsible and who bears the costs when those suffering the most have the smallest climate footprint. Through examples from Kenya, Ukraine, Estonia, and beyond, we will explore solutions for systemic change on a global scale.

program

speakers

Prof. Dr. Joyeeta Gupta

University of Amsterdam, India/Netherlands
Joyeeta Gupta is co-chair of the Earth Commission while also working as a professor of environment and development in the global south at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research of the University of Amsterdam and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. She was the lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. She has also been on the scientific steering committees of several international programmes.

Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti

Green Generation Initiative, Kenya
As the founder of the Green Generation Initiative, Elizabeth Wathuti works to nurture environmental consciousness in young people and has planted 30,000 tree seedlings in Kenya. She is named one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the Africa Youth Awards.

Aisha Huertas

The Climate Reality Project, USA
As the diversity & justice initiatives director for The Climate Reality Project, Aisha Huertas oversees global climate justice projects within her organisation. Before taking on this role, she founded the advocacy and justice department in the Epicopal Diocese of Virginia, which led to Episcopalian support in the call to cancel the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Aisha earned her master’s from Emerson College and her bachelor’s from Louisiana College.

Dr. Benjamin Klasche

CEEShub, Germany/Estonia
Benjamin Klasche is a lecturer in politics and international relations at Tallinn University. He is also Co-Director of the Central and Eastern European Security Hub (CEEShub). His book, A Relational Approach to Governing Wicked Problems (Palgrave MacMillan 2023), co-authored with Peeter Selg and Georg Sootla, argues for a need to rethink governance as a process to spur its potential for addressing problems such as the Climate Crisis.

Abigael Kiprono Kima

Hivos for the Voices for Just Climate Action Programme, Kenya
Not only does Abigail Kima serve as a Project Officer at Hivos for the Voices for Just Climate Action Programme and sit on the Board of the International Ethics Advisory Board (IEAB) at Woxsen University in India, she also is the producer and host of the Hali-Hewa podcast. Her interest in environmental issues began during her time at Kenyatta University and her contributions to environmental conservation have earned her much recognition.

Rashid Abubakar Iddrisu Wari

WIACT, Ghana/Spain
Rashid Iddrisu is the Founder/CEO of World Institute of Africa Culture and Traditions (WIACT) in Sawla, rural northern Ghana as well as the Culture Environmental Human Development Association (CEHDA) in Spain in 2007 where he is a legal permanent resident. As a migrant who had to face difficult conditions upon arriving in Barcelona, he works to ease this process in Spain, while also working in Ghana to increase opportunity, making migration less necessary.

Sandro Gujabidze

CENN, Georgia
Sandro Gujabidze is an agronomist who works to promote sustainable food systems and address global environmental challenges. At CENN, he is largely involved in agricultural development projects while also actively helping to communicate these critical topics to younger generations.

Kelli Eek

Mondo, Estonia
Kelli Eek is the head of communications at Mondo – an Estonian organisation aiming to reduce global inequality. Mondo focuses on five programmes in 12 countries. Kelli has more than 15 years of experience as a journalist and communications specialist.

Prof. Aveliina Helm

University of Tartu, Estonia
Aveliina Helm is an ecologist and conservation biologist with interests in development, dynamics, conservation, and restoration of biodiversity. She is an expert of The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and is one of the lead authors of IPBES Regional Assessment for Europe and Central Asia, and currently serves as a review editor for the Invasive Alien Species Assessment.

Anastasiia Bushovska

Ecoaction, Ukraine
Anastasiia Bushovska is an energy policy expert at the Ukrainian environmental NGO Ecoaction. She focuses on the just transition of coal regions in Ukraine, working directly with communities and NGOs from the regions.

Dr. Ivo Krustok

SEI Tallinn, Estonia
Ivo Krustok has over 18 years of experience in environmental science and policy, with a PhD in energy and environmental engineering from Mälardalen University, Sweden. He worked for the Estonian government for eight years in various roles including representing Estonia as an environmental attaché in the EU. He currently works in SEI Tallinn as the head of the climate systems and energy policy unit.

Kristo Elias

Estonian Public Broadcasting
Kristo Elias is a TV and radio journalist with more than ten years of experience, working for the Estonian National Broadcasting’s nature and environment programs “Osoon” and “Ökoskoop”. Last year, Kristo went to Ukraine to cover the impact of the war on the nature and environment there and how conservationists and scientists continue to do their work every day despite the war.

Kädi Ristkok

Estonian Cleantech Association, Estonia
Kädi Ristkok leads the Estonian Cleantech Association and Cleantech for Baltics think-tank. Working at the intersection of the private and public sector, she focuses on bringing to life the socio-economic potential of a cleaner economy.

Kairi Saar-Isop

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Kairi Saar-Isop joined the Estonian Foreign Ministry in 1997 and has worked there on different positions, including postings to Estonian Embassies in Paris and Washington. Since 2014 she has focused on development issues and is currently the Director General of the Department for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid.

Triinu Ossinovski

Mondo, Estonia
Triinu Ossinovski is the board member of Mondo and she leads the development cooperation and humanitarian aid activities.

Kertu Birgit Anton

Estonian Environmental Law Center, Estonia
Kertu Birgit Anton is an Estonian law student and climate activist. She has been active in the Estonian branch of the youth climate justice movement Fridays for Future since its beginning in 2019. There, among other tasks, she coordinates the group’s lawsuit to prevent the operation of a new state-owned fossil fuel plant and keep oil shale in the ground. She also works as a junior legal expert on climate law at the Estonian Environmental Law Center.

Mart Valner

Environmental journalist, Estonia
Mart Valner is an Estonian environmental journalist and communication expert. He has hosted environmental radio shows on different radios in Estonia for more than 11 years. Mart also worked as a communication manager and climate advocacy specialist in the Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation for several years and has participated in and organized different trainings about climate justice journalism.