BERLIN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The German Green party has initiated the so-called "Politics4Future" initiative together with green politicians from the Netherlands, Sweden and Brussels, the German Green parliamentary climate spokesperson told Xinhua on Friday.
"The initiative Politics4Future wants to provide an answer to the demands of the FridaysForFuture movement," said Badum, the initiator of the Politics4Future group.
"Because the young people who take to the streets in Europe are right: the climate crisis is the challenge of our century," emphasized Badum.
The main goal of the new initiative would be "to find European solutions to the climate crisis and put an end to the climate blockade of recent years," said the Greens' climate spokesperson.
Badum told Xinhua that the Politics4Future initiative was demanding a minimum price for greenhouse gas emissions and more stringent climate targets in the European Union.
On Friday, the global climate youth movement Fridays for Future announced that rallies were planned at more than 1,600 locations in 120 countries.
In Germany, climate strikes were planned in more than 280 cities, according to the German branch of Fridays for Future.
The local police in Berlin said that 10,000 participants were registered for the climate demonstration taking place in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
For months, pupils and students around the world have been protesting during school hours on Fridays for more ambitious climate action, following the example of the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The fact that the protests take place during school hours has sparked debate in Germany and politicians and the public remained divided.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said that the climate protests by German students sent "positive vibes" to the country's politicians.
The president of the German Bundestag Wolfgang Schaeuble told the German editorial network (RND) on Friday that it was "good that young people are exerting pressure. It is a courageous sign and it can make things move".
The leader of the German liberal FDP, Christian Lindner, however, had said that climate change solutions were "a matter for professionals" because "one cannot expect children and young people to see all global connections".
According to a recent YouGov survey, the majority of Germans were also against pupils demonstrating during school time on Fridays.
At the same time, a large majority of Germans surveyed believed that climate protection should be taught in German schools, according to YouGov.
