A New Global Platform is Born: Venice Climate Week

Six days, seven venues, over twenty cultural and scientific partners, and nearly one hundred speakers from around the world: Venice Climate Week is the new Italian event created to celebrate World Environment Day and World Oceans Day.

From June 3 to 8, 2025, the city of Venice will host the first edition of Venice Climate Week, conceived and curated by Riccardo Luna in collaboration with the Future Food Institute. This international week is dedicated to climate change, sustainability, and regenerative economic models—aimed at reigniting dialogue among institutions, citizens, businesses, activists, scientists, and artists. Live coverage will be provided by Ansa.it and Sky TG24, with Corriere della Sera as media partner.

Context

Venice Climate Week was created as an open platform of events to foster broad, meaningful, and inclusive dialogue on the state of our planet and the urgent need to collectively reimagine the ecological transition. Ten years after the Paris Agreement and the publication of Laudato Si’, its mission is clear: to “inspire individuals and organizations” to refresh their goals, tools, and narratives. The event takes place in conjunction with two symbolic UN observances: World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8).

Organizers

The initiative is conceived and curated by Riccardo Luna, journalist and Italian innovation advocate, with a longstanding commitment to sustainability. He was the first editor-in-chief of Wired Italia and served as Italy’s Digital Champion. In 2023, he co-curated the Sky TG24 documentary Earth4All and the World of Francis, exploring Pope Francis' climate advocacy. In 2024, he conducted the only Italian interview with Al Gore, later meeting the Pope together with Gore. He curated two photographic exhibitions on climate change at Gallerie d’Italia (2023 and 2024), and promoted a climate petition that collected 200,000 signatures, presented to President Sergio Mattarella. He is currently a columnist for Corriere della Sera. The event is produced by the Future Food Institute, a global innovation ecosystem founded by Sara Roversi to tackle the most pressing challenges of the global food system. Through research, education, and entrepreneurship, FFI fosters the transition toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and regenerative future. With offices in Italy and abroad, the Institute connects institutions, businesses, and communities to drive positive impact through solutions that blend technology, culture, and sustainability. Venice Climate Week collaborates with key institutions including UNESCO-IOC, NATIVA, Venice World Sustainability Capital Foundation (VSF), CMCC Foundation, SEA BEYOND, The Human Safety Net, Ocean Space, Ca' Foscari University, IUAV, Venice International University, the City and Region of Venice, and leading environmental and sustainability organizations like Marevivo, WWF, Legambiente, and ASviS.

Venues

The event will take place in prestigious locations across Venice, including Ca’ Foscari University, IUAV, Le Corderie dell’Arsenale, Ocean Space, the Procuratie Vecchie, the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, and the M9 Museum in Mestre. And of course, Casa Sanlorenzo, which opens its doors for the Venice Climate Week. This newly restored space, designed by Piero Lissoni and conceived by Sanlorenzo—a symbol of Italian yachting excellence worldwide—serves as a bridge between past and future, a meeting place to foster stimulating dialogue with the world of art and culture. During the days of VCW, it will host the 'Sanlorenzo Talks,' a series of conversations on innovation and the environment featuring outstanding speakers. Venice, a city of timeless beauty, fragility, and resilience, offers the perfect stage for dynamic dialogue among stakeholders, weaving together threads of climate science, economy, and culture. The city is also home to the CMCC, the National Center for Biodiversity, and UNESCO-IOC’s Ocean Literacy office.