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UN announces Common Ground Initiative with Advertising’s ‘Big Six’ in support of the SDGs
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the launch of a first-of-its-kind initiative developed among the six largest communications businesses globally in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon announcing the Common ground Initiative. Photo Credit: United Nations

“Today, the communications industry is taking a historic, first-of-its-kind step to beat poverty, injustice and inequality,” said the Secretary-General, speaking at the Lions Festival of Creativity, Cannes. “The six biggest communications businesses in the world have risen to what some may have said was an impossible test: they have agreed to put their differences aside in support of a joint unique and exciting initiative to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.”

The Secretary-General emphasized that success required a serious, 15-year partnership for humanity. He called the new initiative both an example and a challenge to all of us to find our own common ground for the common good.

 

Ban Ki-moon with five of the six firm leaders at the Lions Festival of Creativity, in Cannes. Photo Credit:

Common Ground was developed by leading advertising companies, including Dentsu, Havas, IPG, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe and WPP.

In a joint statement, Tadashi Ishii, Chief Executive Officer and President of Dentsu; Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Havas; Michael Roth, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IPG; John Wren, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom; Maurice Lévy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Publicis Groupe; and Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and Chief Executive Officer of WPP, said:

“The Common Ground initiative recognises that the global issues the UN has identified transcend commercial rivalry. By working in partnership to support the Sustainable Development Goals, we want to demonstrate that even fierce competitors can set aside their differences in order to serve a wider common interest. We hope others in and beyond our own business decide to do the same.”

 

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with winners of the Cannes Young Lions competition in France. Photo Credit: Eskinder Debebe

“The timing is right for this type of innovation,” elaborated the Secretary-General. “We are in the first year of implementing a 15-year plan. Getting it on track at the beginning is critical to achieving our goals at the end. The communications industry is famous for its creativity and energy. The United Nations fully supports channelling this dynamism towards answering the greatest challenges facing our planet and humanity.” 

The sustainable development agenda, unanimously adopted by world leaders in September 2015, is the most ambitious anti-poverty, pro-planet agenda ever agreed, with the SDGs anchored at its centre. The agenda clearly defines the world we want – applying to all nations and leaving no one behind. 

How does the Common Ground work?

The new collaboration will start immediately, with two immediate objectives:

  • to come together to help to address the Sustainable Development Goals and
  • to encourage other industries to follow suit and find their own common ground.

Kick-starting the Common Ground programme will be a global advertising campaign, with space donated by key business and thought-leadership publications.

In addition, the six companies have agreed to provide a development fund for each of the winning ideas in the Cannes Young Lions competition, which this year was devoted solely to the SDGs. These funds, a first for the Young Lions Contest, will be used to develop the winning concepts and provide them the strongest possible chance of being put into practice. 

You may find more information here.

 

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Film4Climate Video Competition Aims to Inspire Climate Solutions
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The Film4Climate Global Video Competition invites aspiring filmmakers from around the world to express their vision for a sustainable future by creating a short film or video about climate action

Winners will be honored at official awards ceremony at COP22 climate summit in Marrakech, Morocco in November 2016.

With more than 170 countries signing the Paris Climate Change Agreement in April, the momentum for climate action is finally global and ambitious.

While to many the climate debate may seem remote from daily life, the small decisions that we all can make—how much water we use, the products we buy, how we vote—are personal and possible. And they become easier the more we are aware of the consequences.

Already much of society is choosing to engage in a climate-friendly economy, to invest in renewables, conserve energy, and promote climate-smart agriculture and resource conservation. Cities and the private sector are shifting their behavior, building resilience to climate impacts and putting a price on carbon pollution.

But the poorest in the world do not even have the luxury of choice. For them, climate change is an immediate, life-threatening danger. Striking images and personal stories help us understand the need for immediate action—by all of us, at all levels.

The World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate program, with the direct support of Vulcan Productions, the Italian energy company Enel and The Global Brain are offering filmmakers the chance to tell these stories and to create messaging that will impact us all and spur action. Partnering with the United Nations and the government of the Kingdom of Morocco, the climate solutions and actions depicted in these films will be celebrated at the United Nations COP22 Climate Summit in Marrakesh in November.

[video: youtu.be/b9B9l_XIRq0]

The Film4Climate Global Video Competition is open to all, between the ages of 14–35, to submit a short film up to 5 minutes in length, or a public service advertisement up to 60 seconds long anytime between June 20 and September 15, 2016. Submissions are accepted through film4climate.net or through Connect4Climate's Facebook page.

" Climate change is a real and global threat affecting people’s wellbeing, livelihoods, the environment and economies. Communication is a powerful tool in furthering understanding of its impact and inspiring action to tackle it. " - Sheila Redzepi, Vice President of External and Corporate Relations, World Bank Group

An elite panel of film industry producers, directors, and writers chaired by Bernardo Bertolucci will choose the winning entries. They will be distributed globally as examples of how society is embracing the climate challenge and taking actions to transition to a low-carbon resilient future.

[video: https://youtu.be/Iv1opp7Gsds]

Renowned film director Fernando Meirelles will again join the jury for this competition: “Climate change is the biggest challenge humankind will face in the next century and what has to be done to mitigate the effects of climate change must start with us, from bottom to top.”

Throughout history when young people have finally had enough of excuses and failure from the older generation, they have gathered together or voted together to demand change. It is often said that this generation is the first to end poverty and the last to tackle climate change. The Film4Climate Global Video Competition aims to show how that change will take place.

The competition is a chance for young filmmakers to let their voices be heard in an impactful way. To vividly illustrate the type of actions that need to be taken immediately and to show us the sort of world they want to be living in and to leave for their children.

Connect4Climate youth leader and filmmaker Slater Jewell-Kemker: “So often youth are sidelined or silenced or made into photo-ops. It is important to remember that we are more than just the smiling, happy youth of tomorrow. We are the inheritors of this planet, and we need to be listened to.”

The limiting factor of the climate decision-making process is not necessarily the unwillingness of policy makers, rather the lack of political and social capital. Leaders need to feel supported and empowered by citizens and the younger generation in order to make the right, bold climate decisions.

Youth have the ability to see beyond boundaries and into the heart of the matter, which is that we are all human, connected, and only together will we make the climate crisis into the greatest opportunity for this generation.

Films have the power to inspire. Young people have the energy. The Film4Climate competition aims to bring together these two vital ingredients to build the socio-political capital for climate action and highlight climate solutions around the world.

Lucia Grenna, Program Manager, Connect4Climate​: "#Film4Climate Competition is a change for young people to tell the world a story that may change the world."

Find our more about the competition and download flyers and the social media kit in this article.

World Premieres Film Festival 2016

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The World Premieres Film Festival 2016 - WPFF celebrates the power and magic of film by showcasing the works of critically acclaimed, upcoming film directors from across the globe. It is the magnificent evolution of the world's demographics and social trends, the increasing number of viewers, and openness in film appreciation has compelled the creation of such an event - June 29 to July 10 - in the Philippines.

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Desertification: #Photo4Climate Finalist Photo of the Week
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World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was captured beautifully by Adil Moumane, the winner of this week's #Photo4Climate Instagram Challenge. Congratulations! Keep raise awareness on climate change with your unique photos!

Here is the original caption:


I took that one in a village called Mhamid elghezlain , a lot of people her lose their houses because of#desertification and They moved to other places and let their houses #climatechange.
Photo Credits: Adil Moumane

Film4Climate Global Video Competition

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The Film4Climate Global Video Competition invites aspiring filmmakers from around the world to express their vision for a sustainable future by creating a short film or video about climate action.