In parallel to the Law, Justice and Development Week, the Connect4Climate Digital Media Zone presented in Washington D.C. an interactive media hub where students, NGOs, private and public sector representatives gathered to underline the urgency of climate action in tackling climate change.
“What COP22 showed us is that decarbonization is the leading driver of what happens next." Achim Steiner, former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) opened the Law, Justice and Development Week and the Connect4Climate Digital Media Zone, this December 5th, with a powerful speech underlining the role of private companies leading the way to a clean and sustainable future that relies on renewables as its only source of energy. Achim Steiner was joined by the World Bank Group president, Jim Yong Kim, Laura Tuck, Sustainable Development Vice President of the World Bank, Mafalda Duarte, Program Manager of the Climate Investment Funds, and Sheila Redzepi, Vice President of the World Bank Group External and Corporate Relations accompanied by the three young activists Victoria Barrett, Paola Hernandez, and Brian McDermott, Alliance for Climate Education (ACE).
More than 30 climate change and social development experts, academics, young leaders and climate leaders enriched a four-day program of panels, short talks, conferences and screenings of Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary Before the Flood and Years of Living Dangerously, that brought together an online audience of over 65 thousand people through our Facebook live videos, and more than 30 million impressions were reached on twitter using the hashtag #C4CZone.
Connect4Climate Digital Media Zone at the World Bank. Photo: Kaia de Rose
Over the week our conference attendees had the opportunity to listen from influential leaders on the importance of the Paris Agreement, the link between justice, human rights and climate change, the role of green bonds and social enterprises, how food insecurity ignites conflict, the position of youth taking on this issue, the importance of forests, and what is the path that governments, the public and the private sector companies, and individuals need to follow in order to accomplish the climate goals signed one year ago in Paris during COP21.
“We need to reshape the energy sector around the world”, said Patricia Beneke, director and regional representative of the United Nations Environment Programmes (UNEP) Regional Office for North America, sharing an optimistic view of the future. The solution? Putting a price on carbon, advised the present speakers over the four days. “Carbon pricing is an elegant simple solution that saves the environment and generates money", affirmed Tom Kerr, Principal Climate Policy Officer of the International Finance Corporation. "30% of emissions are being covered by a #priceoncarbon but we need to create a carbon market", added James Close, director of the World Bank’s Climate Change Group.
Achim Steiner opened the week with a message that would echo during the Connect4Climate four-day Digital Media Zone: “Young people have the power to make this moment not only be heard but to succeed.” A message that our audience carried home, a message that we hope will ignite a vital and imperative climate action required globally to protect upcoming generations’ future.
