We Are Uniting for Climate! At COP23
Youth Climate Action Awards Ceremony at COP23
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“Showcasing the power of young people as key players in reaching innovative and ambitious solutions to combat climate change”
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Pacific Dancers, Singers and Youth Voices to Connect Virtually with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23)
This week, on the 15th and 16th of November, local perspectives on climate change and Pacific culture will take centre stage in Suva to be showcased and shared around the world through performances by some of Fiji’s most powerful performers and youth orators.
The events, “Fiji live to COP23: Uniting for Climate Action”, will be streamed through Facebook Live directly into the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), happening in Bonn. Taking place on two nights – November 15th at 9:30 pm in Fiji (9:30 am in Bonn) and November 16th at 9:15 pm in Fiji (9:15 am in Bonn) from the University of the South Pacific (USP), the events will reach the entire conference as well as a global audience through social media. On Thursday, His Excellency the President of Fiji will also address the audience to introduce and launch the final event.
The events will include performances from the Fiji Conservatorium of Music, Pasifika Voices Choir, and the Oceania Dance Theatre, and speeches from two finalists in the Children’s Forum Oratory Competition, held last month, who will share what it means to unite for climate action. Ms. Anne Dunn, Miss Hibiscus and Miss Pacific Islands 2016, will host the two events upon her return from the COP where she is currently speaking as a youth climate ambassador for Fiji.
"One of our Presidency’s top priorities has always been to make a direct connection between the climate conference and the people of Fiji in order to impress on the global community just how urgent this issue is for us and for all Pacific Islanders. We want people in Bonn and around the world to hear directly from the Pacific why we all need to unite for climate action."
Akini Qauqau, Cultural Manager for the COP23 Presidency
The live events will showcase how Fiji and the Pacific islands are moving further, faster, and together for climate solutions.
"We’re excited to be bringing the voices and culture of Fiji and the Pacific live to the delegates at COP23. Now is the time for action, to raise ambitions and roll out climate solutions and investments. That is why we have been supporting the “Uniting for Climate Action” campaign for COP23."
Max Edkins, Program Manager, Connect4Climate, World Bank Group
This year, over 25,000 delegates are attending the COP in Bonn; the Fiji live events will be shown on screens around the entire conference centre and in the main Pavilion.
“We see the world through the stories we make to define who we are and where we are going. Singers and dancers, from time before history, help us change our story to meet new challenges and climate change is telling us that we need to change our story fast. Good luck and thank you to all the performers of Fiji!”
Patricia Espinosa, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary
The Facebook Live stream will be hosted on the Fijian COP23 Presidency Facebook page, open to everyone across the world to watch and experience first-hand the voices and culture of the Pacific Islands. The events will be seen in Bonn during the critical high-level segment of the conference when the negotiations are finalised and actions to be taken are confirmed. It is hoped these messages, direct from Fiji, will help inspire strong commitment and action by delegates in Bonn.
“Fiji live to COP23: Uniting for Climate Action” initiative is a partnership between the Fijian COP23 Presidency, Connect4Climate program of the World Bank Group, and UNFCCC. It is supported by the University of the South Pacific (USP), Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Italy’s Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea and implemented by Apidae Development Innovations, Australia. The live broadcast is a part of the “Uniting for Climate Action – Further Faster Together” communication campaign for COP23.
Key facts
WHEN
Wednesday, 15th November, 9:30 pm in Fiji / 9:30 am in Bonn Thursday, 16th November, 9:15 pm in Fiji / 9:15 am in BonnWHERE
For those in the Bonn Zone: The event will be streamed on the large screen in the exhibition area, as well as on screens throughout the Bonn Zone. For those in the Bula Zone: The event will be streamed on the screens on the New York plenary meeting room. For those around the world: The event will be streamed live on the COP23 Presidency’s Facebook page.|
Green Shanghai’s Connect4Climate Competition: Winner Announcement
During the Green Shanghai’s Connect4Climate Competition, NYU Shanghai received more than 160 amazing photos, which show the attitude and thoughts towards climate. Thanks to all the participants!
The winners will be contacted in the next two days for receiving their prizes. The first 50 people who submitted their photos will receive a ¥50 voucher for FIELDS tomorrow!
Here are the six winners picked by the jury:
Prize: Ginger 500 RMB voucher, and a feature on Connect4Climate social media
“This is a shoot of China’s urban jungle. Slowly seeing less and less of this city as the years and pollution gets worse.”
By Killian Hauser
Prize: Ginger 300 RMB voucher
“Taken in northern Xinjiang, this pictures precisely epitomizes how two key factors of climate-light (temperature) and wind (rainfall)-shape the world. From right to left, on every hill, there is a sharp distinction of vegetation between the windward slope (the right side) and the leeward slope (the left side) because of different light and rainfall. From bottom to the top, we can also see the differentiation of plants due to the change of altitude. It's a precious moment when a grand concept -- "climate" manifests itself through a single picture."
By Wang Zixin
Prize: FIELDS 200 RMB gift card
“The human mark is but a punctuation. Photo was taken in Zhangye on Oct 1.”
By Yifei Li
Prize: Happy Buddha 100 RMB gift card
By 市井少年
Prize: Miss Bon Bon pineapple cakes and mushroom chips
“水墨 West Lake, Hangzhou My best effort to recreate the ancient ink paintings of ancient china, I traveled to Hangzhou after studying the legend of Lady Bai for years, only to find the same timeless beauty one foggy morning.”
By Justin Scholar
Prize: Heike-Mate case of bottles
“Dun Huang."
By Jean Baptiste White
Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP23
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The 8th Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF) takes place steps away from the COP23 ‘Bula Zone’. The event will be hosted on DHL’s lawn, in the shadow of the 162.5 meter Post Tower - a building powered by 100% certified renewable energy, with a cooling system that uses natural, local sources of wind and water, allowing it to consume 30% less energy.
International Federation (IF) Forum 2017
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This year’s IF Forum theme is "International Federation Impact - Leading the Way Towards a Sustainable Agenda." The 11th edition of the IF Forum will offer three days of targeted thematic sessions designed to be of specific value to the International Sport Federations' in attendance. In a collaboration between the International Olympic Committee, GAISF, ASOIF, AIOWF, ARISF, AIMS, and Associate Members.
Sustainable Energy For All at COP23
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Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) will be at the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23), the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Bonn, Germany, Nov. 6 – 17, 2017.
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2017 is set to be in top three hottest years, with record-breaking extreme weather
It is very likely that 2017 will be one of the three hottest years on record, with many high-impact events including catastrophic hurricanes and floods, debilitating heatwaves and drought. Long-term indicators of climate change such as increasing carbon dioxide concentrations, sea level rise and ocean acidification continue unabated. Arctic sea ice coverage remains below average and previously stable Antarctic sea ice extent was at or near a record low.
The World Meteorological Organization’s provisional Statement on the State of the Climate says the average global temperature from January to September 2017 was approximately 1.1°C above the pre-industrial era. As a result of a powerful El Niño, 2016 is likely to remain the warmest year on record, with 2017 and 2015 being second and/or third. 2013-2017 is set to be the warmest five-year period on record.
The WMO statement – which covers January to September - was released on the opening day of the United Nations climate change conference in Bonn. It includes information submitted by a wide range of UN agencies on human, socio-economic and environmental impacts as part of a drive to provide a more comprehensive, UN-wide policy brief for decision makers on the interplay between weather, climate and water and the UN global goals.
“The past three years have all been in the top three years in terms of temperature records. This is part of a long term warming trend,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “We have witnessed extraordinary weather, including temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius in Asia, record-breaking hurricanes in rapid succession in the Caribbean and Atlantic reaching as far as Ireland, devastating monsoon flooding affecting many millions of people and a relentless drought in East Africa."
“Many of these events – and detailed scientific studies will determine exactly how many – bear the tell-tale sign of climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas concentrations from human activities,” he said.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change which is hosting the Bonn conference, said: “These findings underline the rising risks to people, economies and the very fabric of life on Earth if we fail to get on track with the aims and ambitions of the Paris Agreement”.
“There is unprecedented and very welcome momentum among governments, but also cities, states, territories, regions, business and civil society. Bonn 2017 needs to be the launch pad towards the next, higher level of ambition by all nations and all sectors of society as we look to de-risk the future and maximize the opportunities from a fresh, forward-looking and sustainable development path, “she added.
Extreme events affect the food security of millions of people, especially the most vulnerable. A review of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) found that, in developing countries, agriculture (crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry) accounted for 26% of all the damage and loss associated with medium to large-scale storms, floods and drought.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the global health impacts of heatwaves depend not only on the overall warming trend, but on how heatwaves are distributed across where people live. Recent research shows that the overall risk of heat-related illness or death has climbed steadily since 1980, with around 30% of the world’s population now living in climatic conditions that deliver prolonged extreme heatwaves. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of vulnerable people exposed to heatwave events has increased by approximately 125 million.
In 2016, 23.5 million people were displaced during weather-related disasters. Consistent with previous years, the majority of these internal displacements were associated with floods or storms and occurred in the Asia-Pacific region. In Somalia, more than 760 000 internal displacements have been reported, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
The latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook indicates that adverse consequences are concentrated in countries with relatively hot climates and which are home to close to 60% of current global population.
Banner and thumbnail photo credit: Daryll Peter Griffith/Photo4Climate
World Bank Group Pavilion at COP23
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For the first time, the World Bank Group will be present at COP with a dedicated pavilion that will serve as a convening and networking hub to promote, discuss and share climate solutions with global leaders, media and online influencers.
Not in Bonn? Follow the Facebook Live sessions at the Connect4Climate Facebook page.
All times are CET
November 6 - Opening Day
