Connect4Climate looks back on 15 highlights in 2014 celebrating climate action with a view of advancing the climate movement in 2015. We are so thankful to all of you for taking on climate change.
15: Jury Calls for Climate Action
Award-winning film directors and producers, and international organization representatives called for youth around the world to share their climate change messages through the Action4Climate competition. See the messages from Bernardo Bertolucci, Fernando Meirelles, Marc Foster, Mika Kaurismaki, Pablo Trapero, Rachel Kyte, Wim Wenders, Atom Eogyan and Bob Rafelson.
14: Years of Living Dangerously Launched at World Bank
A Special Preview of the documentary mini-series Years of Living Dangerously and Discussion on Climate Change was arranged by Connect4Climate.
“I hope the stories here will be a wake-up call” - World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
13: Earth Day Shoutout: Let’s Act on Climate Change
To celebrate Earth Day Action4Climate trailer was compiled from the 230 films from 70 countries, from Kiribati to Uganda, Brazil to the Netherlands.
Lucia Grenna, Connect4Climate Program Manager, explains, “It is a story of drought in Sub-Saharan Africa, floods in Southeast Asia, extreme weather and regret from the Philippines. It is a story of advancing climate solutions. There is a face to be shown and a story to be told. Our commitment is to empower youth, share their experience and solutions, and bring local stories to a global audience.”
12: Athletes call for climate action
Sport is universal. So is climate change. Athletes are dedicated, ambitious, and leaders, and they work together in teams to overcome a challenge - all characteristics that we need to take on climate change. That's why Connect4Climate launched #Sport4Climate, a global communication initiative that showcases how sport is tackling one of Earth’s most formidable foes.
11: Innovating Waste Solutions, Celebrating Climate Action
Cittadinanzattiva (Active Citizenship), an Italian nonprofit devoted to civic participation, organized the "SpreK.O. - Cittadinanza in Festa 2014" festival from May 2-4, to promote sustainable choices and raise awareness of waste issues. Earthday Italia and Connect4Climate partnered with Cittadinanzattiva for the event.
With more than 1,000 visitors at the event Rokia Traoré, recognized as one of Africa’s most innovative singers and songwriters, was formally celebrated as a new Connect4Climate Global Leader for her commitment and dedication to supporting climate change action around the world. She performed selections from her newest album, “Beautiful Africa.”
10: Knowledge4Climate Action - Publication
Connect4Climate and the University of Warsaw co-hosted Be the Movement, an international workshop addressing the means of expanding and strengthening the global climate change movement during the November 2013 United Nations-sponsored climate change talks in the Polish capital. The workshop was an inspiring gathering of climate change activists, youth and concerned professionals.
“The workshop hopefully would help inspire youth to join the fight against climate change. After all, it is their future that we are trying to protect, and no one will fight for the future of the youth more than the youth themselves.” -Wael Hmaidan, Director, Climate Action Network – International
Five main needs on how to strengthen the climate action movement were identified and discussed: message for new audiences; empowering educators; innovating campaign strategies; considering costs; and leading for solutions. The workshop confirmed that urgent and bold action is required to tackle climate change.
Read the 14 ways to advance climate action.
9: The Fight against Desertification is Working
To keep that hope alive, hundreds of thousands of people across the world recently celebrated World Day to Combat Desertification, along with many at the World Bank, to raise public awareness about desertification, and promote a global collective response, especially in Africa.
The global observance organized by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and hosted by the World Bank in partnership with the Global Environment Facility, TerrAfrica and Connect4Climate, focused on the theme of ecosystem-based adaptation, with a rallying call“Land Belongs to the Future – Let’s Climate Proof It.”
8: #Action4Climate Times Square Takeover
Connect4Climate partnered with MTV Voices to celebrate youth climate action documentaries, exhibiting a 30 second compilation of Action4Climate competition submissions on two massive Broadway displays on Times Square from 22 July until 29 July 2014. New Yorker’s where challenged to ask what is your #Action4Climate?
7: Top Football Stars Kick-off Interreligious Match For Peace
On September 1st 2014, Connect4Climate under it's #Sport4Climate Initiative teamed up with Pope Francis and some of the world’s most famous footballers for the first ever Interreligious Match For Peace.
The game took place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome and will showcase the talents of superstars such as Javier Zanetti, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Samuel Eto’o, Andrea Pirlo andRoberto Baggio. It was a historic moment in the charitable sports calendar that brought together people of different religions to celebrate interfaith harmony, solidarity and sporting excellence.
6: 73 Countries, More Than 1,000 Businesses Support a Price on Carbon
Carbon pricing helps lower overall emissions while giving businesses the flexibility to find their own most efficient solutions. China lead a list of 73 countries, 22 states, provinces and cities, and over 1,000 businesses and investors who signaled their support for carbon pricing at the UN Climate Leadership Summit. Together, the governments represent 54 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 52 percent of global GDP.
5: People’s Climate March Calls for Action
Days before world leaders gathered at the United Nations Climate Summit in New York, the People’s Climate March inspired more than half a million people to participate in public demonstrations.
“Action, Not Words,” was the core message of marches and solidarity events worldwide, calling for leaders to take ambitious and immediate action to mitigate climate change.
4: Action4Climate Films Featured in Poem That Brought World Leaders to Tears
Ban Ki-moon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore kicked off the UN Climate Leaders Summit with strong calls for climate action, but it was a mother’s poem to her six-month-old daughter that triggered a standing ovation from the United Nations General Assembly.
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner presented “Dear Matefele Peinam” as part of her speech, with a video playing in the background showing climate action from all around the world. Footage from the young filmmakers who sent in their sorties to the Action4Climate competition was featured in the visuals accompanying the moving presentation.
3: Celebrating Solutions for Climate Change
In a show of climate solutions, Connect4Climate was invited to announce the winning entries of the Action4Climate documentary challenge at the Sustainia Awards Ceremony in Copenhagen on 30 October.
Connect4Climate was honored to deliver the global youth message for climate action, as depicted in the Action4Climate films, to an audience of more than a thousand people. The Action4Climate winning entry The Trail of a Tale was screened after the winning entries were announced.
On stage Max Edkins from the Connect4Climate team quoted World Bank Group President Jim Kim’s message that “we will never end poverty if we don’t tackle climate change.” He highlighted that the poor are already being affected the most, and emphasized that the solutions are at hand. All we now need is a behavioral and leadership shift for climate action.
2: Best Films on African Screens as World Talks Climate
Connect4Climate partnered with AfriDocs to present a week of climate change films to coincide with the United Nations Framework on Climate Change COP meeting in Lima, Peru. During this week some of the world’s best climate films will be screened across sub-Saharan Africa.
The documentary films from across the globe bring the discussions between countries back down to a human level, as they share stories of how climate change is already affecting some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Highlights included Black Ice, Char – The No-Man’s Island, There Once Was An Island, Climate for Change, Carbon for Water and the Action4Climate winning films.
1: Mandela’s Inspiration for Climate Action
It’s hard to believe that the world has been without Nelson Mandela for more than a year. We remember him for his leadership, his wisdom and his ability to bring people together. His legacy inspires me to help advance the global movement for climate action.
.@NelsonMandela Inspiring #COP20 Leadership "Make Our World a Sustainable Source" - #Madiba http://t.co/7lW3QBMQb7 pic.twitter.com/dFqZhp4n9m
— Connect4Climate (@Connect4Climate) December 7, 2014
Looking forward at 2015
COP20 concluded in Lima opening the doors for climate action. A number of important steps forward were taken to advance the global movement to take on climate change and still many more need to be taken.
2015 will be an important year for people and planet.
Tell us your 15 plans for climate action in 2015 – what is your #action4climate?
