Living Planet Report 2018: Aiming higher
The Living Planet Report, WWF’s flagship publication released every two years, is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. The Living Planet Report 2018 is the twelfth edition of the report and provides the scientific evidence to what nature has been telling us repeatedly: unsustainable human activity is pushing the planet’s natural systems that support life on Earth to the edge.
 
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Earth Challenge 2020: A Citizen Science Initiative
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April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. In recognition of this milestone, the Earth Day Network, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the U.S. Department of State are launching Earth Challenge 2020 as the world’s largest coordinated citizen science campaign.
 
Earth Challenge 2020 will engage millions of global citizens and will aggregate and collect more than one billion data points in areas including air quality, water quality, biodiversity, pollution, and human health. Citizen science volunteers around the world will collect and share Earth science data on an unprecedented scale, providing new insight on the state of our environment to drive meaningful action.
 
Right now, we are inviting citizen scientists of all ages and concerned global citizens to participate in defining the critical research questions that will guide Earth Challenge 2020.
 
The process is open to the public and we are encouraging everyone to participate.
 
Earth Challenge 2020 is recruiting research questions via a simple web form. The site includes instructions for submitting research questions as well as sample questions.
 
In addition, we invite questions to be submitted via Twitter by using the hashtag #EC2020. Questions should center around what is impactful to you and your community, such as the following:
 
How much plastic is in my water? #EC2020 @Earth_Challenge #citsci
 
Are invasive species being effectively managed? #EC2020 @Earth_Challenge
 
How does air quality impact the health of my community? #EC2020 @Earth_Challenge
 
Research questions may be submitted from October 22, 2018 to November 22, 2018. After research questions have been collected, the Earth Challenge 2020 research team will analyze submissions for common themes, distilling the questions for review and refining by an expert panel.
 
The panel will choose the final research questions that will guide Earth Challenge 2020. Selections will be made based on criteria including level of global interest, geographic diversity, global impact, partnerships, and feasibility. The final research questions will be announced early 2019.
 
The timeline for Earth Challenge 2020 spans eighteen months. In 2019, hackathons will be hosted around the world to help create the technologies that will underpin Earth Challenge 2020 and encouraging existing citizen science projects to join our efforts. Finally, in April 2020, a new mobile app and global data collection campaign will launch with the objective of collecting one billion data points by Earth Day that year.
 
With the support of valued partners and global citizens, Earth Challenge 2020 has the potential to be the largest coordinated citizen science project ever attempted on Earth.
 
To learn more about Earth Challenge 2020 please contact here.
 
Earth Challenge 2020 Partners
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Voting now open in Global Youth Video Competition 2018
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Voting is open for the 2018 Global Youth Video Competition, in search of the best of the best from the 40 short-listed videos on the themes ‘Responsible production and consumption’ and ‘Green and climate-friendly jobs.’
 
This year’s competition attracted a record 209 entries from youth from 105 countries. The organizers have completed the difficult task of finding the 20 best in the two theme categories. Now it’s your turn!
 
Each view counts as a vote, until 28 October. So, have a look, and share the videos you consider the best at inspiring action on climate change.
 
The short-listing judges considered each video’s clarity in delivering its message, its innovation in delivering its message, and technical quality. You can keep these criteria in mind as you view and share the videos.
 
Responsible production and consumption - Global Youth Video Competition 2018
 
 
Green and climate friendly jobs - Global Youth Video Competition 2018
 
 
 
The 2018 Global Youth Video Competition was launched by UN Climate Change’s Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) team, in partnership with Television for the Environment (tve), and with support from the Global Environment Facility-United Nations Development Programme Small Grants Programme, Connect4Climate and BNP Paribas. Young people between the ages of 18 and 30 were called on to participate.
 
The two winners will travel to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018, all-expenses paid. There they’ll work with the communications team of UN Climate Change covering the highlights of the conference.
Connnect4Climate at COP24

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The Connect4Climate program joins the UNFCCC Katowice Climate Meetings, COP24, from 2-14 December. We are broadcasting live interviews every day from the MDB Joint Pavilion, 1-2pm (local time) on our Facebook page. Follow our #MDBTalks to get the latest.

Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018 report launch - End Poverty Day

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Fewer people are living in extreme poverty around the world, but the decline in poverty rates has slowed, raising concerns about achieving the goal of ending poverty by 2030 and pointing to the need for increased pro-poor investments, the World Bank finds.
 
The report launch event will be webcast on World Bank Live at 12:30 PM EST on Oct. 17.
 
Planet in Focus - 19th Environmental Film Festival

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Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival (PIF) is Canada’s premier environmental film festival. Now in its 17th year, the festival has evolved to include year-round programming including a monthly screening series and national and international tour stops. The annual festival takes place every October in Toronto and features films with an environmental theme, an industry series, and a school program.
 
1st International Forum of Environmental Film Festivals
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Winners of 2018 UN Climate Action Award announced
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The United Nations Climate Change Secretariat announced on September 27 the 15 recipients of the 2018 UN ‘Momentum for Change’ climate action award which will be recognized at the UN Climate Conference (COP24) in Poland.
 
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, talks about the winners of 2018 UN Climate Action Award.
 
Activities range from a mobile app that promotes the fight against food waste and hunger worldwide to an entire government that is taking 100% responsibility for its greenhouse gas emissions.
 
Representatives from the following five winning activities spoke about their solutions to climate change at a special event co-hosted by The Climate Group at Climate Week in New York City:
 
         Creating the Greenest Football Club in the World - Forest Green Rovers | United Kingdom: The Forest Green Rovers are bringing eco-thinking, sustainable living, and renewable technology to football fans.
 
         Catalytic Finance Initiative | Global: Bank of America Merrill Lynch is working with partners to mobilize approximately USD 10 billion for innovative and high-impact climate mitigation and sustainability-focused investments.
 
         Santiago Biofactory | Chile: Water utility company Aguas Andinas is transforming Santiago’s three wastewater treatment plants into “biofactories” that convert wastewater and sewer sludge, a wastewater treatment byproduct, into clean energy.
 
         Carbon Neutral Government Program | Canada: In 2010, British Columbia became the first government at the provincial, territorial, or state level in North America to take 100% responsibility for its greenhouse gas pollution.
 
         Sri Lanka Mangrove Conservation Project | Sri Lanka: Seacology, a nonprofit environmental conservation organization, is helping Sri Lanka become the first nation in history to preserve and replant all of its mangrove forests.
 
Other winners include:
 
         “Yalla Let’s Bike”, a women-powered initiative that aims to end verbal harassment of female cyclists in Syria while simultaneously fighting climate change;
 
         Monash, Australia’s largest university which has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2030, and;
 
         Climate-Efficient School Kitchens and Plant-Powered Pupils, which is providing healthy, climate-friendly meals in German schools.
 
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, about the winners of 2018 UN Climate Action Award
 
“These inspirational leaders, from communities, governments, businesses and organizations, come from all corners of the globe and all levels of society. Their winning projects range from transformative financial investments to women-led solutions to protect people and the planet. Through their leadership and creativity, we see essential change,” added UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
 
The Momentum for Change initiative, spearheaded by the UN Climate Change secretariat, shines light on some of the most practical examples of what people across the globe are doing to combat climate change.
 
Selected initiatives, called ‘Lighthouse Activities,’ demonstrate the unprecedented amount of climate action happening around the world. This announcement is part of a wider effort to mobilize action and ambition as national governments work toward implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals at COP24 in Poland.
 
The 15 winning activities fall within one of Momentum for Change’s four focus areas: (1) Planetary Health, (2) Climate Neutral Now, (3) Women for Results, and (4) Financing for Climate Friendly Investment. All activities will be showcased at a series of special events during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland (2-14 December 2018).
Youth Unstoppable Call to Action

[video:https://youtu.be/zniDSDvrbfk]

Connect4Climate launched the Youth Unstoppable Call to Action Video at the United Nations on September 25, 2018.

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The Green Carpet Fashion Awards Italia 2018
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Connect4Climate’s X-Ray Fashion was presented during the announcement of The Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Milan, Italy. 

Created by MANND, and directed by renowned fashion photographer and filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini (Franca: Chaos and Creation), X-Ray Fashion immerses the viewer in the reality of the situation behind the clothes we wear and encourage positive action. The seven scenes of the film consist of 360-degree live-action footage that imparts a stunning, photo-realistic atmosphere. The transitions between the scenes consist of a CGI environment that allows the viewer to walk between the different scenes. This cinematic experience is a pioneering VR piece that tests the implementation of physical and sensory effects through settings that incorporate heat, wind, scent an shifting terrain. By adding multidimensional sensorial effects, the filmmakers seek to draw the participant into an immersive physical experience that enriches storytelling in a new way.

The X-Ray Fashion is the winner of the Uniting4Climate global VR pitch competition implemented under C4C’s Film4Climate initiative. The virtual reality experience is produced by Connect4Climate alongside philanthropist Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions and carbon-neutral company Alcantara.

[video:https://vimeo.com/290093378]

On September 19, Milan-Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, in collaboration with Eco-Age with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development, ITA and Comune di Milano offered a tantalising glimpse of this year’s line-up for second edition of The Green Carpet Fashion Awards Italia at la Scala on September 23.

13 award categories were unveiled at a press conference in Milan, alongside the first A-list presenters, actresses Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett and iconic model Cindy Crawford.
 
‘Change isn’t just on the horizon, it’s here and this year’s GCFAs reflect how the luxury industry and Italian supply chain is more resilient, agile and adaptive. This year’s awards show that the luxury fashion industry defined by Made in Italy is at the cutting edge of a global sustainability awakening’ - said Carlo Capasa, Chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana - The popularity of the GCFAs reflects the modern fashion industry and the modern sustainability movement that is based on evidence and outcomes. But these awards also honor the handprint, the human endeavor and commitment that goes into making world class products that are heirlooms of the future. That emotional resonance must be preserved and strengthened in order to be sustainable. It is why we are emotionally invested.’
 
Livia Firth said, ‘The issues within the global $3 trillion fashion industry are well known, and this year’s awardees are all about the solutions. Every recipient at La Scala is re-imagining and reworking the supply chain for the future and reinvesting in the planet and in people. La Scala is the night we can amplify bold and brilliant solutions to environmental and social crises. It is a night for the game changers!’
 
“The ICE Agency supports the Green Carpet Fashion Awards from its conception, and has renewed its support to the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana for this second edition. It is important that the aspect of sustainability is continuously and increasingly shared by producers and consumers all over the world, and with this award we want to highlight the achievements of the Italian fashion industry in this scope. They have contributed not only by increasing the performance of Made in Italy from an environmental point of view, but from an economic standpoint as well: being ‘green’ helps companies be more efficient and increase their exports,” Michele Scannavini, Chairmain of ICE Agency.
 
“Having achieved, for the second year running, an event with an international vocation like the Green Carpet Fashion Award means being able to bring the issues of environmental sustainability to the center of the debate in the entire fashion sector. Arguments that today, more and more, are a discriminating factor in purchasing choices, especially for millennials. We managed to give back to Milan the role of trailblazer in the fashion world, by addressing delicate issues that can no longer be postponed, such as attention to the environment and the protection and respect of men work”, comments the Councilor for Commerce, Productive Activities, Fashion and Design Cristina Tajani who continues. “The Green Carpet Award with Milano XL is a component of a strategy to promote Italian know-how that we hope will continue in the next editions of Fashion Week, counting on the renewed support of the Government, to make Milan the heart for the Made in Italy.”
 
Despite being a new addition to the fashion calendar, the awards have established themselves as one of the world’s foremost fashion events. Last year’s event attracted the biggest names in fashion and entertainment, with global coverage across fashion, entertainment, innovation, science, and environment platforms.
 
Green Carpet Fashion Awards Italia 2018 press conference. Photo Credits: Giulia Braga / Connect4Climate
Green Carpet Fashion Awards Italia 2018 press conference. Photo Credits: Giulia Braga / Connect4Climate
 
Hamish Bowles, Creative Director for the garden in La Scala Square and all elements of the GCFAs and Vogue International Editor at Large says: ‘The hummingbird motif that is threaded through the Green Carpet Fashion Awards gala was chosen as this tiny bird symbolizes industry, adaptability and resilience - all qualities that are integral to the concept of sustainability. We looked at nineteenth century imagery that bears witness to that era’s fascination with these extraordinary birds that continue to compel us with their seemingly weightless beauty - their lightness of being.”
 
The concept was originally created by UK based company Dresd’, the leading sustainable events agency, which chose the Hummingbird as this year’s theme.
 
The 2018 GCFAs reach further and more deeper and reflect a social and cultural shift in the fashion industry. The GCFA Leaders Award will award the individual who has done most to advance inclusion and accessibility in fashion in order to change the conversation for the long term. Alongside star designers and stars of stage and screen will be fashion’s new star communicators, including the world’s biggest stars of blogging and social media reflecting a continued evolution in communication.
 
One of the most eagerly awaited awards returning for 2018 is The Franca Sozzani GCC Best Emerging Designer, in memory of Franca Sozzani, the Vogue Italia editor who championed sustainability and diversity. Since the finalists were decided by a stellar panel of judges in July during Paris Couture Week, five finalists have been preparing for La Scala where one will be crowned the winner and receive a one-year business mentorship programme by The Bicester Village Shopping Collection.
 
One category winner has already been revealed. Suzy Menkes, the iconic fashion journalist was announced as the recipient of The Visionary Award at a special reception at the Venice Film Festival.
 
The 2018 Green Carpet Fashion Awards are set to become a similar unstoppable force. Winners will receive the iconic statuette symbolizing a woman and handcrafted by Chopard with fairmined gold.
 
A special thanks goes to our partners, which honour the values of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards and contribute with different initiatives to the success of the event.
 
This year’s partners include The Bicester Village Shopping Collection by Value Retail, Chopard, Borsa Italiana, ISKO, Technogym, The Woolmark Company, Gallerie d’Italia, Aquafil, Instagram. A special thanks for the support to Consorzio Franciacorta, S.Pellegrino, Richard Ginori and illy.

Connect4Climate is a World Bank Group Multi-Donor Trust Fund powered by Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development that drives climate action through advocacy, partnerships, and creative communications.

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