Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told journalists at the sidelines of the conference “Europe and the present” organised by the Público newspaper that climate change needed a response that was global and not “from state to state.”


He also said it was a “good idea” for young people to think about the future and said that multilateralism was important, pointing to the role of the United Nations and organisations that “encourage dialogue” around the world and among young people.


Thousands of young people took to the streets in 112 countries on Friday, with pupils calling for politicians to take concrete actions against climate change.


The weekly protests started last year by 16-year old Swedish student Greta Thunberg, who was nominated for a peace prize.


Protests were scheduled in Portugal in at least 26 cities including Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Aveiro, Covilha, Evora and Faro, as well as in Madeira and the Azores archipelagos.