On Virtual Roads to Zimbabwe

My first review for the art website thisistomorrow, on the exhibition of Zimbabwean artist Kudzanai-Violet Hwami at Gasworks, London

http://thisistomorrow.info/…/kudzanai-violet-hwami-15952km-…

Kudzanai-Violet Hwami: (15,952km) via Trans-Sahara Hwy N1

Gasworks

19 September - 15 December 2019

Review by Melissa Chemam

Kudzanai-Violet Hwami’s first show in London is a glorious exploration of her Zimbabwean roots and ideals. Her exhibition at Gasworks, titled ‘(15,952km) via Trans-Sahara Hwy N1’, is the first institutional solo exhibition by the young artist, born in 1993 in Zimbabwe. Hwami left Zimbabwe aged nine because of the country’s significant political upheavals and is now based in London. 

The brightness of the colours used in the artist’s portraits of everyday Zimbabwean life is striking. Working with oil on canvas, she has created for this series a collection of scenes ranging from a medicine man picking the plants he needs to treat patients, to children playing in a courtyard, parents holding their baby, people in mourning and elegantly dressed women getting ready for a meeting among others. In half of her work exhibited here Hwami has used maps as background patterns, locating different geographical landmarks within the works. 

The large-scale canvases are built up through a process resembling collage though they are made of oil. In the second room, smaller canvases are exhibited, representing animals and totems, wooden masks and statues, as well as children and family scenes. These use more collage techniques, red backgrounds and photographic patterns. 

Visibly inspired by her own childhood memories and troubling images from her youth, as well as found images, Hwami has managed to make them her own. Each painting is thought of as an overlap of narratives, stories and representations of black bodies in many forms. In so doing, Hwami is addressing her ideas and ideals of her own family and her roots, as well as the legacies of colonialism. 

The artist explains that she is working from her personal experiences of “geographical dislocation and displacement”, a theme that is indeed deeply present in all these paintings. Displaying a few portraits of peaceful elderly figures, she also exhibits some still lives which highlight an explosion of intense colours: bright yellows, vibrant greens, warm browns, purple flowers and blue backgrounds. “Her intensely pigmented paintings combine visual fragments from a myriad of sources such as online images and family photographs, which collapse past and present into bold afro-futuristic visions,” notes the gallery’s text. The energy and mobility of her paintings are striking, and her research and forms question ideas around power politics and dis/placement. 

Hwami has sought a way reconnect with present-day Zimbabwe, and spent four weeks working at Dzimbanhete, an artist-run space close to Harare. She described the experience, however, as an estrangement, feeling “removed and othered” through this contemporary experience in her country of birth. 

The paintings exhibited at Gasworks are a result of this confrontation between the artist’s idealistic notions of belonging or rootedness and her actual experience travelling back to Zimbabwe in times of change. The exhibition is a unique, refreshing and powerful insight into the artist’s personal geo-political journey.

Published on 29 September 2019

A leaked climate change report written by the NASA/NOAA shows the US government is aware of global warming

I just published this on Public Pressure:

Wikileaks shares NASA report on climate change

 

by Melissa Chemam

A leaked draft of a climate change report written by the NASA/NOAA in the US in June 2017 reveals that global warming is real and it is linked to human economic activities, especially industrial production and carbon emission.

It was posted today on Wikileaks’s social media channels where you can download the full report. It also demonstrates that the US government has been informed of the causes and effect of global warming, recent weather disasters and climate change in general.

The conclusion is quite clear: US scientists have researched in details the reality of climate change and handed out their findings to the government.

Read the full leaked draft NASA/NOAA US climate change report

NASA/NOAA US report on Twitter

NASA/NOAA US Report on Facebook

photo: Extinction Rebellion in Melbourne by Julian Meehan

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Find out more about Wikileaks:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Cover photo: Extinction Rebellion in Melbourne by Julian Meehan

link to the story: https://www.publicpressure.org/wikileaks-shares-nasa-report-on-climate-change/?fbclid=IwAR2GDuB49_9zq2kL391X6wCIka-YflrI-UQfUDGxuy8IRZkt_zu8-dWjnZg

Reportage : L'Angleterre face à l'alcoolisme

Mon dernier reportage en Angleterre pour la DW (en français) : cette fois, sur la lutte contre l’alcoolisme l'alcoolisme - en 2e partie de l'émission "Vu d'Allemagne" 

Dans la seconde partie de ce magazine, reportage en Angletterre où la société civile combat les ravages de l'alcool.

L'Angleterre face à l'alcoolisme

Dans la deuxième partie du magazine, Vu d'Allemagne prend le chemin de l'Angleterre. Sur place une étude récente vient de montrer que la lutte contre l’alcoolisme est en perte de vitesse dans cette partie du pays, par rapport aux autres régions. En cause : des coupes budgétaires massives dans les services de désintoxication. Des chercheurs parlent d'une "épidémie nationale" ! Et tout cela au moment même où d’autres études confirment que les Britanniques boivent plus que les habitants des autres pays du monde. 

La société civile prend donc les devant. Une association a par exemple choisi de venir en aide aux enfants de personnes alcooliques, souvent traumatisés et qui risquent davantage de tomber dans l'alcool eux aussi. Melissa Chemam a rencontré bénévoles et professionnels.

 https://www.dw.com/fr/armes-cigarettes-menstruations-le-bundesrat-allemand-sintéresse-aux-sujets-du-quotidien-en-angleterre-lalcoolisme-épidémie-nationale/av-50567989 

'Inertia Creeps' in DC

Massive Attack in Washington DC yesterday: 

'Inertia Creeps', sounds like a good summary of our current politics!!

Climate Week is upon us

Climate Week is upon us. Listen to Greta Thunberg, George Monbiot, Naomi Klein and Extinction Rebellion at this very key moment of our struggle to protect our world’s ecosystems. 

By Melissa Chemam

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This week sees the opening of the Climate Week in New York City, taking place from September 23 to 29. Run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York, by The Climate Group – an international non-profit focused on accelerating climate action, this Climate Week comes after a couple of days of protests held by school strikers all over the world. 

Ahead of the launching day of the protests, 16 year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and British journalist and climate change expert teamed up to release this explanatory video, titled ‘Use Natural Climate Solutions To Protect Nature’, published by the activist group formed in the UK a year ago, Extinction Rebellion.

Use Natural Climate Solutions To Protect Nature:

“Right now, we are ignoring this natural climate solutions”, Greta says. “We spend 1000 times more on global fossil fuel subsidies than on natural based solutions. This is your money, it is your taxes, and your savings.”

However, a large amount research indicates that living ecosystems like forests, mangroves, swamps and sea-beds can pull enormous quantities of carbon from the air and store them safely. Simply. Estimates have found that protecting these natural systems could provide more than a third of the emissions reductions needed to keep to global heating below 1.5 degrees Celsius while also enhancing the resilience of people and nature across the world to climate change.

Despite this obvious knowledge, natural climate solutions only receive around 2% of the funding spent on climate change mitigation globally, and too few people have heard about it. 

This short, independent film (produced by Gripping Films Ltd., an independent London-based science and nature film company that specializes in telling positive stories to change the world) “was made to make nature a part of the climate conservation,” added Extinction Rebellion. 

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This is an important week for climate protesters and for all of us.

Timely, last week saw the release of a keenly crucial book: Naomi Klein’s new essay, titled On Fire. 

According to her publishers, “On Fire gathers for the first time more than a decade of her impassioned writing from the frontline of climate breakdown, and pairs it with new material on the staggeringly high stakes of what we choose to do next.”

And the journalist/activist also released a video, aimed at the president of the United States of America, addressing his will to commit to plastic production and meat consumption:

What’s in a (Trump) Straw?

For more than twenty years, Naomi Klein’s work has chronicled the exploitation of people and the planet and demands for justice. On Fire is supposed to capture the “burning urgency of the climate crisis, as well as the energy of a rising political movement demanding change now.” At a time where the largest wild forests on our planet are literally “on fire” indeed. 

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Extinction Rebellion is to launch a new set of protest from 7 October 2019, worldwide. In the meantime, they produced a series of other films to help us all grasp the serious impacts of global warming and careless use of fossil fuels. One, 

To close the Climate Week, than band Massive Attack will give an benefit DJ set on the 28th of September in NYC for Extinction Rebellion (details at the https://www.websterhall.com/event/382747-webster-hall-new-york-tickets). 

The band has been supporting the Extinction Rebellion movement since its beginning a year ago, giving a DJ set in London in April, the same day Greta Thunberg came to talk to activists in Marble Arch, Central London. They also soundtrack this important film on the role of citizens’ assemblies on climate and ecological justice, directed by ex-Reuters reporter Patrick Chalmers, with his All Hands On production:

The Deliberate Rebellion | Extinction Rebellion

The music for the film provided by Massive Attack is an exclusive remix of their track ‘Hymn of The Big Wheel’, from their first album Blue Lines, a strong take on the urgent need to care about environmental issues, written as early as 1991.

This is an important week. Share, learn, join us. 

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Melissa Chemam is a journalist, broadcaster and author, who has worked for the likes of the BBC World Service, CBC, France 24, Radio France Internationale, as well as many magazines, and for the filmmaker Raoul Peck, on post-colonial issues. Since 2003, she has been based in Prague, Paris, Miami, London, Nairobi, Bangui, and Bristol, travelling into more than 40 countries, and reporting on human rights, Europe-Africa relations and refugee rights. Her first book, Massive Attack – Out of the Comfort Zone, retells the story of the artists who came out of the city of Bristol, England, known for their rebellious spirit.

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I wrote this this morning for the website Public Pressure. The available text is online here:

https://www.publicpressure.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-greta-and-the-climate-week/

You have stolen (our) dreams and (our) childhood

Turning point!!

These words almost made me cry.

Most of my life, I've know this economic system was wrong for us, for life, for the planet, and I've been mostly met with rejection and people commenting on how much of a left-winger idealist I was.

All these years, unheard.

Luckily, this child is young enough, white enough, middle-class enough, wealthy enough to have stopped her life and get heard.

And thought I deeply regret that no world leader has listen to activists or scientists or powerful journalist like Naomi Klein I'm grateful for Greta.

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More on this soon... Such an important day. Hopefully, change is gonna come!

Greta Thunberg to world leaders: 
'How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood' 

'You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,' climate activist Greta Thunberg has told world leaders at the 2019 UN climate action summit in New York.

In an emotionally charged speech, she accused them of ignoring the science behind the climate crisis, saying: 'We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about it money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth - how dare you?'

UN secretary general hails 'turning point' in climate crisis fight.

(One of) My New Place(s): BIMM Bristol

My new place - from next Monday!
Honoured to plunge into this new adventure...

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Why Music Journalism? | BIMM

ALL ABOUT MUSIC JOURNALISM COURSES AT BIMM

KEY FACTS:

• Degree course
• Industry-leading tutors
• Well-balanced classes — a mix of theory and practical 
• Excellent internships and opportunities
• Elite masterclasses
• Access to BIMM Connect an exclusive networking service

Successful Music Journalists are made at BIMM and our three-year degree produces some of the best Music Writers in the modern music industry today. 

A BIMM degree is designed to bring out the best in our students. We’ll teach you business skills to land your dream job and our tutors will give you the knowledge and drive to become a world-quality Music Journalist.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR BIMM JOURNALISMCOURSE

During your BIMM journey, you’ll be supported by a team of talented tutors who have years of experience and the inside know-how to help you crack the industry. 

LECTURES TO PREPARE YOU FOR A CAREER IN MUSIC

You’ll be taught the fundamentals of journalism and will be chasing down your own stories and scoring interviews with the hottest bands. You’ll also collaborate with your peers and harness BIMM’s cutting-edge facilities to sharpen your writing skills and business acumen. During the course, you will learn:

• Music and Digital Media
• Music Business
• Journalism in Context
• Artist Development and PR
• Engaging with Industry Contacts
• Global Communication
• Professional Development

Aside from your core classes, you’ll also be exploring potential career pathways through research and your Professional Project; as well as, learning about the vital business skills that drive the music industry.

Why Choose Music Journalism at BIMM

BIMM, The British and Irish Modern Music Institute, has colleges in eight cities where music matters most – London, Berlin, Dublin, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Hamburg and Brighton – and is proud to be the largest and leading provider of contemporary music education in the UK, Ireland and Europe.

WHO WILL BE TEACHING YOU AT BIMM

Studying at BIMM means that you’ll learn from a variety of sources. From our experienced and accomplished tutors to our exciting masterclasses that allow you to get up and close to some of the biggest names in music journalism. 

TUTORS

BIMM has produced some of the most successful names in Music Journalism and some of these industry icons will be teaching you how to follow in their footsteps.

MASTERCLASSES

BIMM students get special access to our famous Masterclasses. During these talks, you’ll meet some of the biggest names in Music Journalism, learn from them and get answers to all your crucial questions.

STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES

We’re proud that so many BIMM students have become successful in the music industry and professionals such as Jade Foster, The Kooks, Marina and the Diamonds, Jamie Skinner, Jules Pestano and James Bay have all walked BIMM’s halls. Go to the BIMM success stories page to find out more.

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Come and see us: https://www.bimm.ac.uk/bristol/

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STAPLES: BRISTOL with Danny Nedelko

Bristol is a city with an unquestionably rich music and cultural heritage. We caught up with Heavy Lungs frontman, IDLES homie and all round great bloke Danny Nedelko, to get his five 'STAPLES' of Bristol's music scene.

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And to finish, my piece on The Exchange for The Bristol Cable: 

https://thebristolcable.org/2018/12/fat-paul-and-the-the-exchanges-rebirth-as-bristols-first-community-owned-venue/

Fat Paul and the Exchange’s rebirth as Bristol’s first community owned venue

For the past decade, he has been one of the key “behind-the-scene” players in Bristol’s music scene, and now building a new era at The Exchange.

Melissa Chemam7th December, 2018

In the familiar surroundings of Cafe Kino ‘Fat Paul’ Horlick and I meet to discuss his part in saving The Exchange, by turning it into Bristol’s first ever community owned music venue.

The ‘DIY’ club on Old Market is not the only music venue currently under threat in Bristol. On the way from the Bearpit, I pass Lakota and Blue Mountain on Stokes Croft; the former has announced it will be closing in the next few years, the latter the Cable revealed has been bought by developers of student accommodation who are registered in the tax haven of Luxembourg.

Keep going and you get to the Canteen – one of the few survivors following the saga over the future of Hamilton House. Just like Westmoreland House, whose demolition began on November 21st, the whole of Stokes Croft is undergoing a complete transformation. For better or worse, depending on your perspective.

“When I was living here, the area was still a nightmare, marred with poverty, drug dealing, noise, insecurity,” says Paul, who first moved to the area 33 years ago, in a building facing Café Kino. “It has changed… and is continuously changing.”

With change comes opportunity, too. The team behind the Exchange, who used to own the Croft here in Stokes Croft have a solution that might inspire others in the fight to defend nightlife.

In October, they launched a campaign to become a Community Benefit Society, a set up where everyone gets one share in the enterprise regardless of whether they put in £250 or £25,000. In this way all shareholders equally own the society and can have a say in how it’s run.

This is similar in many ways to the Bristol Cable’s model, whose members contribute a minimum of £1 a month to own a part of the co-op and steer its direction.

“I cannot claim to own anything of the Exchange now,” says Paul

So why did the Exchange team decide to take this route? “We had experienced some difficulties with the council, in every way,” laments Paul. “I was working with Matt Otridge and Pete, and we were literally working all the time for free! We couldn’t afford to give ourselves any wages; we started running the venue out of passion only. We opened the Exchange six years ago in 2012, but it was never easy. But as we also needed the help of other people, we were aware of the fact that it was unfair for them…”

So something needed to change. Raising money, not from venture capitalists, but gig-goers and locals was the solution they came upon.

Bristol’s first community owned venue

By the time the community share offer ended on 31 October the 400 shareholders, mainly locals and fans of the venue, including a generous donation from the Fleece’s owner Chris Sharp, had raised an investment of £300,000. The new arrangement means that in January 2019, the Exchange will become Bristol’s first community owned venue.

The funds will allow them to make significant changes to the venue. Just as important to their future success will be a new ethos, or as the team declared after the completion of the campaign “the enthusiasm and ideas that our new co-owners will bring”.

Since 2012, the venue has been open almost every night, for gigs or charity events. But now the 400-something group will be able to bring in new ideas for events and musicians to perform. From January 2019, the leading team will launch improvement work,and a rebuilding of the stage, but want to keep it organic in the spirit of their newly formed co-op.

For the love of Bristol music

Music fan and drummer, Fat Paul is also known for his talent as a DJ. His sets are remembered for their lists of pagan folk music, from Tibetan monks to ritual themes, crossed with punk music.

Paul has also launched independent labels to give new artists a platform and free them from the regular commercial pressures.

The most successful has been Invada, created with Geoff Barrow, founding member of Portishead. Invada released all the albums for Dope and Barrow’s own band, BEAK> which he launched with Billy Fuller and Matt Williams in 2008. Paul is completely uncomfortable with the success. Invada is a label that is now “too big and selling too much”, he says.

To produce even more underground music, he launched the label Environmental Studies here in Bristol, which “doesn’t have to sell”, giving the artists no boundaries to their creativity. Documentary filmmaker Katie Bauer, who directed a film on Paul Horlick this year (named Dead Man’s Money), released her album Post via Environmental Studies.

2019 is going to be a busy year for Fat Paul, and the new owners of the Exchange too, as they struggle to keep up the good work in trying times.

“I cannot claim to own anything of the Exchange now,” says Paul, who still works seven days a week to run the venue. “We now vote all the important decisions together, of course not every detail every day or even every week, and we’re putting into place a new team of managers. We want the Exchange to continue as it is, really.”

Nature: Through her eyes - Women and climate change

A very interesting festival linking fight again climate change and feminism!

Here is the press release:

 Nature : Through her eyes 

3 days of discussions, screenings, celebration 

Perpignan, France, 19-20-21 October 2019

The lion’s story will never be told if the hunter is the only one to tell it. 

(African proverb) 

Shannon Benson - Image by Russell MacLaughlin

Traditionally the white male adventurer’s brief, women are underrepresented in storytelling about nature and wildlife. Films, texts and photographs that explore the natural world have often prioritized male contributions. 

How do female creators position themselves in relation to the wilderness? What is their point of view ? What does their perspective offer ? Does their interest in interpersonal relationships, kinship ties and individuality help us reconnect to the species with which we share the earth ? Do they allow us to see things differently ? 

As we enter the period of the sixth mass species extinction and a global climate crisis, the human connection with the natural world has become one of the greatest challenges of our century. With increasing evidence that human health is inextricably linked to our interaction with nature, these challenges offer a crucial opportunity for women to bring their own perspective to the portrayal of the wild world. 

It is important now more than ever to give space to the female point of view. 

The VII Academy is excited to host a special event celebrating and highlighting women’s roles in the arts, including writers, photographers, filmmakers, as well as camera and sound operators. We will be exploring what a feminine perspective means to women, what they bring in their story telling and why it is important for society as a whole. We will be giving space for women’s ideas and work that are innovative and important for all audiences to see. 

The festival will be held in the dynamic city of Perpignan, France, from October 19-21st, 2019. Presenters hail from the media, literature, academia and research, and legal and commercial worlds. 

Programming will include professional workshops, seminars, film screenings, and mentoring. 

The festival offers a platform for women to share experiences between generations and across cultures, creating a mentorship network for young women entering the profession that will last long beyond the festival dates. 

The VII Academy is a not for profit foundation based in France, Bosnia and Thailand. Its mission is to provide tuition-free education in the fields of media practice to women and men from the majority world and to support vocational training and knowledge transfer initiatives to communities that are under-served or under-represented in the media. As a part of our mission, this festival will be a free event open to the public and will support the participation of panelists from across the world. 

Dates: 19, 20, 21 October 2019 

Venue 

HÔTEL PAMS - PERPIGNAN 

Organization 

The VII Academy 

In collaboration with 

Association VISA pour l’image, Perpignan, International Center of photojournalism, Cinéma Castillet, University of Perpignan 

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PROGRAM

Friday, October 18th

AM : Documentary film screening and Q&A for primary schools (Cinema Castillet) 

PM : Documentary film screening and Q&A (Cinema Castillet) 

Saturday, October 19th

09:00 Arrival of participants – Welcome coffee 

10:00 Opening remarks (Salon Verrière) 

10:30 Discussion – "A feminine perspective in pictures" (Salon Rose) 

What is particular about the female perspective in films and photographs about nature and the wild world? Are there subjects that interest women, which are not addressed by men? Do women look at the wild world differently? This panel will explore the unique, innovative, and often collaborative approach women creators employ in the visual arts. The panel invites a selection of international women from a wide array of experiences and roles to discuss what the female narrative in pictures brings. 

14:30 Discussion – “Women in the field, barriers and solutions” (Salon Jaune) 

What is it like to be a woman on an all-male shoot? What physical and technical barriers are challenging and what technical advice do professionals have for women who are starting out? This panel includes sound engineers, cinematographers and photographers that can address a wide range of technical questions, and discuss how they’ve developed unique styles in their work. 

14:30 In parallel - Cultural visit of the historic city of Perpignan 

17:00 Documentary film screening and Q&A with the director (Cinema Castillet) 

Sunday, October 20th

9:00 Welcome coffee and one-on-one sessions with speakers 

Informal conversations over coffee with panelists, speakers and attendees offer an opportunity for attendees to ask targeted questions, receive specific advice, share projects, and discuss possible collaborations. 

10:00 Discussion – "Nature Writing, from a female point of view" (Salon Rose) 

How do female writers portray nature in works of fiction and essays? How does culture color that perspective? Nature writing has long been the domain of primarily white male writers. Today, women are staking their claim on the genre in original ways. How does their perspective enrich what the Scottish author Kathleen Jamie has called the archetype of “A lone, enraptured male.” 

10:00 In parallel - Documentary film screening + Q&A 

14:00 Discussion – "Inventory and exchange, the state of affairs" (Salon Jaune) 

How can we overcome obstacles to make women’s work about nature better funded and more visible? What are the budgets allocated to women in the television industry, the publishing world, and the world of photography? What are the possible problems and prejudices encountered and how have these industries changed over time? Established industry professionals will be discussing how they have navigated professional settings and what strategies they suggest for women entering. They will discuss pioneering women’s work and offer direct pitching and funding advice. 

16:00 Keynote speaker (Salon Rose) 

17:30 Authors readings followed by documentary shorts film screening (Cinema Castillet) 

Monday, October 21st: 

9:00 Portfolio reviews 

20 minute sessions with some of our panelists and other attending professionals will be scheduled for attendees interested in showing and receiving feedback on a selection of their work. 

10:00 Discussion – "What could possibly go wrong ?" (Salon Rose) 

Women photographers, filmmakers, and authors often have an education that lacks any legal training. They begin their artistic professions as freelancers or on short term contracts. This discussion will be led by two lawyers, one French and the other English-speaking, and offers a basic understanding of rights and contracts. It will address challenges particular to women -wage parity, sexism, as well as how to fairly negotiate a contract. 

11:00 Documentary film screening (Cinema Castillet) 

12:30 Closing remarks (Salon Verrière) 

More on this soon:

https://www.climateweeknyc.org/climate-week-nyc-2019

Climate Week NYC 2019

Climate Week NYC will take place this year from September 23 to 29. Run in coordination with the UN and the City of New York, Climate Week continues to grow as the time and place for the world to showcase amazing climate action and discuss how to do more. The anchor events of Climate Week are growing, and the number of events in 2019 is set to far exceed the 150 events of 2018 - the largest ever. Climate Week NYC is run by The Climate Group, the international non-profit focused on accelerating climate action.

Supporting the Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit

During Climate Week NYC this year, the UN Secretary-General will be holding a Climate Action Summit on the Monday. Climate Week will support the Summit by providing a space for leading organizations around the world to extend action far and wide outside of the UN building and throughout the whole week.

In addition, the Climate Week Hub, due to being massively oversubscribed in 2018, will extend to two days - allowing a fantastic physical space for businesses, states, cities and the whole diverse frontier of global climate action to come together.

Climate Week NYC, September 23 – 29, 2019, New York City

Businesses, governments, academic institutions, arts organizations, individuals and non- profit organisations are invited to participate in the week-long events program including panel discussions concerts, exhibitions, seminars and more. 

Climate Week NYC 2019 Events will be categorized in the following programs (click to find out more or to register an event):

•    Youth & Climate Activism 
•    Energy Transition 
•    Industry Transition
•    Clean Transport, Buildings and Infrastructure
•    Food, Land and Nature Based Solutions
•    Climate Finance, Investment and Carbon Pricing
•    National Government Policy and Commitment
•    State, City and Local Action
•    Health, Equality and Justice
•    Sustainable Travel and Leisure
•    Resilience and Adaption to Climate Change

Opening Ceremony, Monday, September 23

The Climate Group will host the Climate Week Opening Ceremony on the morning of Monday September 23, ahead of the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit later that day. Annually, the event attracts CEOs, government ministers, governors, mayors and investors from around the world who are shaping markets and setting policy to make climate action a reality.

In 2018 speakers included world leaders such as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern and the President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, as well as Governor Brown of California, the CEO of Ricoh, Jake Yamashita, the CEO of ENEL, Francesco Starace and the President of Microsoft, Brad Smith, among others. All spoke of the dramatic and exciting changes being made in their industries.

For general enquiries please contact info@theclimategroup.org.

For media enquiries please contact media@theclimategroup.org.

For business development opportunities please contact sponsorship@theclimategroup.org.

Sustainable Travel & Leisure Program, Friday, September 27

The keynote event for the Sustainable Travel & Leisure Program is Building Sustainable Tourism Together, hosted by NYC & Company at the Javits Center. This event will feature keynote speakers alongside three panels exploring the latest sustainability considerations for our industry, particularly the hospitality, cultural and meetings/events sectors. This event will run simultaneously with four other sustainability-focused conferences at The Nest, which will combine at the general session and lunch for stimulating networking and conversation.

The Climate Group

The Climate Group’s mission is to accelerate climate action to achieve a world of no more than 1.5°C of global warming and greater prosperity for all. We do this by bringing together powerful networks of business and governments that shift global markets and policies. We focus on the greatest global opportunities for change, take innovation and solutions to scale, and build ambition and pace. We are an international non-profit organization, founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition.  

Visit TheClimateGroup.org