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Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Launches RHRN Fashion

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:53:05 GMT

A Global Platform Uniting Fashion, Climate Justice, and Human Rights — From the United Nations to the Sidewalk

Built in partnership with United Nations Human Rights, RHRN Fashion debuts with a global Oxford Saïd Business School panel on “Fashion, AI and Trust” on June 5 — and a grassroots Re-Purpose Fashion pop-up in Boulder on May 30, presented by Apocalypse, Boulder’s iconic vintage & second hand store , inviting the public to up-cycle, stencil, and wear the movement.

BOULDER, CO — Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance(RHRN) today announced the launch of RHRN Fashion , a global platform built in partnership with United Nations Human Rights to advance climate justice and human rights through fashion. Guided by Executive Director Nell Tercek — a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and Politecnico di Milano in Italy — RHRN Fashion brings together craft and innovation to help set a new standard for responsible fashion, elevating a new generation of designers and creators redefining the industry with transparency, responsibility, and care for both people and planet.

What makes RHRN Fashion distinct is where it operates. The platform moves fluently between two altitudes: the institutional treetops — shaping policy, dialogue, and narrative alongside United Nations Human Rights, Oxford’s Saïd Business School, and global cultural leaders — and the grassroots sidewalk , where independent designers, community organizers, and everyday participants turn ideas into action through local pop-ups, repair circles, and creative reuse.

RHRN Fashion is designed so that a conversation held at Oxford’s Saïd Business School can, within days, be lived out on a street corner anywhere in the world — and so that a garment stenciled at a farmers market can, in turn, inform the conversations happening at the UN.

RHRN Fashion positions fashion not as an industry alone, but as a cultural and ethical system capable of shaping behavior, influencing global narratives, and accelerating systemic change. The platform will debut through two integrated activations — one institutional, one deeply local — in the lead-up to UN World Environment Day on June 5.

“Every garment tells a story — of who made it, what it cost the planet, and who chooses to wear it,” said Nell Tercek, Executive Director of RHRN Fashion . “RHRN Fashion is about rewriting that story at every altitude: at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where we are convening the global conversation on fashion, AI, and trust; and in Boulder, where a stencil and a secondhand shirt can become a declaration of values. If you can repurpose a shirt, you can help repurpose an industry.”

At the Treetops: The Oxford Saïd Business School Panel — “Fashion, AI and Trust”

As a flagship session of the 2026 Right Here, Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit — hosted annually by Oxford’s Saïd Business School and United Nations Human Rights — the Oxford Saïd Business School panel will be broadcast globally on June 5, examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping fashion and the implications for trust, transparency, and human rights.

The 2026 summit, themed around climate technology, AI, and human rights, is co-hosted by universities worldwide. It provides a natural and urgent context for fashion as a critical lens through which trust, transparency, and accountability can be explored at scale. The inaugural summit convened participants from 55 countries, establishing it as a leading global platform for youth engagement at the intersection of climate, technology, and human rights.

At the Grassroots: Re-Purpose Fashion Pop-Up — Boulder, May 30

If Oxford’s Saïd Business School is where the conversation is set, Boulder is where it comes to life. On Saturday, May 30, 2026 , RHRN Re-Purpose Fashion — led by Allyson Sirois — will activate a pop-up in collaboration with UN Human Rights, Oxford’s Saïd Business School, CU Boulder, and community partners. Presented by Apocalypse , Boulder’s iconic vintage & second hand store , the pop-up invites the public to experience circular fashion firsthand — and to wear the movement.

Attendees will be invited to:

Buy or bring a garment — anything secondhand, thrifted, or already in their closet.
Upcycle it on the spot with help from designers and Re-Purpose volunteers — repair, reshape, reimagine.
Stencil “rePURPOSE” onto the piece — a visible badge of values, and a signal of belonging to a growing global movement.
Enter the week-long repurposed design competition , with winners announced at the RHRN Global Youth Climate Summit on June 5 — a direct bridge from local action to global recognition.

The premise is simple: fashion can thrive without exploitation. What we wear becomes not only an expression of identity, but a declaration of values. By stenciling rePURPOSE onto a reused garment, participants aren’t just wearing a logo — they’re joining a movement where sustainability is beautiful, practical, and within reach of everyone.

" The fashion industry has spent decades telling people their closet isn't enough. We're doing the opposite — by using a shirt you already own and showing you how to breathe new life into it, we can be the catalyst that leads everyone to a bigger purpose. The 'rePURPOSE' mark is how you recognize each other in a crowd. When the gears start turning, that's when the movement starts." said Allyson Sirois, Director of RHRN rePurpose Fashion.

How to Join the Movement

Wherever you are — Brooklyn, Boulder, or Bangalore — the movement is local everywhere. Participation is simple and open to all:

Buy secondhand. Choose upcycled over new.
Repurpose it. Repair, restyle, or reimagine what you already own.
Badge it. Stencil or paint “rePURPOSE” onto your garment and wear your values.
Share it. Follow @rhrn_fashion on Instagram and @rhrn.fashion on TikTok, and tag your pieces #rePURPOSE.

About the Right Here, Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit

The Right Here, Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit — hosted annually by Oxford’s Saïd Business School and United Nations Human Rights on World Environment Day — is the flagship convening of a global movement that redefines climate action as a human rights imperative. The inaugural summit brought together participants from more than 55 countries and activates youth leadership at the intersection of climate, technology, and justice.

About RHRN Fashion

Right Here, Right Now Fashion (RHRN Fashion), developed in partnership with United Nations Human Rights, harnesses the power of fashion to advance climate justice and human rights. The platform brings together designers, makers, and innovators who are redefining fashion through sustainability, transparency, and respect for people and planet. Through its applied initiative, Re-Purpose Fashion, it advances a circular model grounded in repair, reuse, and reinvention — transforming fashion from an industry of environmental impact into a force for equity, creativity, and systemic change.

MEDIA CONTACT

info@righthererightnow.global

United Nations Human Rights, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Announce Multi-Year Plan

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:46:45 GMT

United Nations Human Rights, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Announce Multi-Year Plan to Host the Global Youth Climate Summit at Oxford on UN World Environment Day

Geneva, Switzerland – 10 December 2025 – On UN Human Rights Day, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights), Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (Oxford Saïd), and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN) announced a multi-year plan to host the Right Here, Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit annually on UN World Environment Day (5 June).

The annual Summit will be jointly hosted by Oxford Saïd and UN Human Rights, with co-hosting support from leading universities worldwide, including the University of Colorado Boulder. The Summit will convene young leaders, scholars, policymakers, educators, and innovators to advance human rights-based climate solutions.

“Climate change is already harming the rights of millions of people - and young people refuse to accept a future defined by loss and injustice,” said Astrid van Genderen Stort, Chief of External Engagement and Partnerships at UN Human Rights. “This annual summit seeks to support youth voices in shaping the policies, technologies, and decisions that will define our shared future.”

The multi-year initiative establishes Oxford Saïd as the annual home of the RHRN Global Youth Climate Summit, positioning it as a central, youth- and university-driven pillar of the wider RHRN Global Climate Alliance ecosystem. The summit will serve as a touchpoint for collaboration and capacity-building related to human rights-based climate action across campuses and communities around the world.

“At Oxford Saïd, we believe education is the catalyst for lasting change,” said Josephine Fawkes, Director of Global Inclusion and Youth Education, Saïd Business School. “The Right Here, Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit convenes young leaders from across the globe, offering a growing platform where they can learn from one another, develop bold solutions, and turn inspiration into action. Their shared commitment and collective power will shape the future of our planet - and we are proud to help elevate their voices.”

“Around the world, young people are rising - organizing, innovating, and refusing to accept a future defined by crisis. This summit is a powerful reminder that when institutions genuinely support young people through action, trust and access – they help turn potential into leadership. By aligning with youth voices, Oxford Saïd, UN Human Rights, and the RHRN Global Climate Alliance are creating the conditions for us to lead with purpose and build the future we all deserve,” says Aniba Khan, winner of Oxford Saïd Climate Change Challenge 2023 and an active participant of the RHRN Global Youth Climate Summit 2025.

The theme for the 2026 RHRN Global Youth Climate Summit focuses on ensuring climate technologies for mitigation and adaptation are aligned with human rights obligations. It also focusses on developing the tools needed to ensure a just transition to sustainable economies and societies that uphold human rights. The Summit will explore the human rights risks and opportunities of current and emerging technologies like renewable energy systems, resilient infrastructure, data and early-warning tools, and AI in the context of climate action and identify strategies to ensure these risks are mitigated and human rights are upheld.

The Summit will be hybrid, hosted physically at Oxford Saïd and livestreamed globally, enabling broad participation while limiting travel and associated environmental impacts. Young people from 12 regions will contribute through dialogues, case studies, and presentations on the intersection of climate change, human rights, and climate technology, highlighting scalable solutions that strengthen resilience and protect communities on the front lines.

“This renewed commitment by Saïd Business School builds directly on the success of our inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit last June, which engaged participants from 55 countries,” said David Clark, Founder of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. “Oxford Saïd’s leadership and steadfast support for youth-led climate justice have been invaluable, and I am deeply grateful for their partnership. Together with UN Human Rights, we are working to support youths in advancing transformative change for people and planet.”

ABOUT

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

Launched at COP26 with global partner UN Human Rights, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance seeks to place human rights at the center of global climate decision-making. The Alliance brings together universities, youth, policymakers, scientists, technologists, cultural leaders, and media organizations to advance human rights-based climate solutions through summits, education, and global engagement programmes.

UN Human Rights

UN Human Rights represents the world’s commitment to protecting and promoting human rights for all. Climate change poses an urgent threat to rights including food, water, health, housing, culture, and life itself. The Office works to advance climate action that is grounded in human rights and support the central role of those most affected by climate change - including youth, Indigenous peoples, women, and marginalized communities - in global climate responses.

Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is a vibrant and innovative business school, embedded within a 900-year-old world leading university. It creates programmes and ideas that have global impact and reach, and educates educate leaders, change makers and innovators across every industry and sector. The School´s groundbreaking research and exceptional teaching transforms individuals, who transform businesses, which transforms the world. Saïd Business School´s focus is to create impact from within.

University of Colorado Boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder is Colorado’s leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876. Home to five Nobel Laureates and world-renowned atmospheric and geological sciences research, CU Boulder’s vision is to transform lives in service to a just and sustainable world. CU Boulder hosted the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with UN Human Rights in 2022 and is proud to support the upcoming RHRN Global Youth Summit through its Conference on World Affairs, Buckley Center for Sustainability Education and Center for African & African American Studies (The CAAAS | The Cause).

Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit Brings Together Universities Across Six Continents To Explore Human Rights Solutions to the Climate Emergency

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:58:41 GMT

Joint Statement from United Nations Human Rights, the University of Oxford, the International Universities Climate Alliance, and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

OXFORD, UK – When we first envisioned the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , we hoped to ignite a new kind of global conversation—one rooted not just in climate science, but in the language of dignity, equity, and justice.

Launched in the historic Sheldonian Theatre with opening remarks by Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford , and Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights , the Global Summit began with a powerful broadcast of BBC’s Justin Rowlatt in conversation with leading voices from government, policy, economics, and youth movements.

Hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the University of Oxford , the Summit brought together leading government figures and universities from across six continents. Over one extraordinary week, it united global experts, Indigenous Peoples, environmental human rights defenders, academics, youth leaders, and artists to discuss human rights solutions to the climate crisis.

Speaking in support of the Summit, Volker Türk , UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated: “The law and science are aligned - human rights must be part of all solutions to address climate change and protect people.” He added, “The use of fossil fuels must be brought to a close,” and emphasized, “Together, we need to take a stand for climate action, climate rights, and climate justice.”

"I am profoundly grateful to our hosts UN Human Rights, the University of Oxford, and IUCA - for bringing together our extraordinary co-host universities around the world, and to all those whose vision and dedication made this landmark Summit possible,” said David Clark , Founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. “Together, we proved that global unity remains our most powerful force for advancing climate justice.”

Convened by the International Universities Climate Alliance

This global academic achievement would not have been possible without the leadership of the International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) , whose coordination across regions and institutions enabled the seamless integration of research, events, and engagement. IUCA played a central role in aligning academic priorities, ensuring equitable participation, and making this unprecedented collaboration possible.

A 24-Hour Global Academic Plenary — and a Planetary Conversation

At the Summit’s core was a groundbreaking more than 24-hour Global Academic Plenary , a live broadcast that circled the globe—handing the climate justice conversation from Oceania, to South East Asia, to Africa, to Europe and then the Americas. Each partner crafted a regionally grounded session, rich with local expertise, urgent insight, and bold proposals for change. The hybrid event facilitated a global conversation without the need for mass air travel.

The Global Plenary is available to watch on demand here .

Here’s how co-host partners helped write a chapter of this global event:

The University of the South Pacific (USP)

Suva, Fiji
USP opened the global plenary with a powerful expression of youth leadership from Pacific Island nations on the frontlines of rising seas. Cultural performances and speeches on intergenerational rights set a moral compass for the entire Summit.

Monash University

Melbourne, Australia
Monash centered Indigenous-led climate adaptation and explored climate impacts through film, dialogue, and performance. The program spotlighted the intersection of environmental destruction and cultural survival—affirming cultural rights and the human right to health.

UNSW Sydney

Sydney, Australia
UNSW Sydney focused on just transitions, with an emphasis on highlighting voices from climate-vulnerable communities. The UNSW program brought together perspectives and practices from across the Southern Hemisphere and underscored the university's deepening commitment to: a sustainable society and planet; economic and social prosperity; and global collaboration, all pillars of the new UNSW Strategy: Progress for All.

University of Nairobi

Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi delivered a robust and inclusive agenda focused on human rights, climate finance, adaptation, and regional justice. Featuring the African Development Bank and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the session linked global systems to African solutions.

University of Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa
UCT led a two-part session on embedding human rights into university teaching and research. With a strong focus on post-colonial injustice and decolonizing climate curricula, the university helped chart a path for the next generation of climate scholarship.

University of Oxford

Oxford, United Kingdom
The University of Oxford convened researchers, practitioners, and students for panels on the transformative power of law, unearthing injustice in the corporate supply chains of the green transition, and the intersection of human rights and climate change in conflict zones.

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado, USA
CU Boulder addressed water insecurity, pollution, and migration—culminating in a keynote by Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier. The discussion emphasized the importance of multilateral collaboration, youth engagement, and community involvement, with a focus on using data to track impacts, communicating more clearly to advocate for solutions, and reconnecting with nature to renew how we appreciate and protect our environment.

Universidade de São Paulo (USP)

São Paulo, Brazil
Bringing together a minister, the President of COP30, diplomats, the COP30 High-Level Champion, academics, frontline leaders, and youth activists, USP hosted a powerful pre-COP 30 dialogue linking climate justice and human rights. With a focus on the Amazon, Indigenous and traditional communities, and favelas, the event called for ethical climate finance, a just transition, and inclusive governance in Brazil.

The University of the West Indies

Kingston, Jamaica

The University of the West Indies coordinated a panel discussion with youth voices from different Caribbean islands (Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, Barbados and Bermuda) who shared their perspectives on climate justice which included topics on postcolonial climate reparations, mental health, climate migration, climate finance and the need for equitable climate action. A short video was also included which provided an introductory visual context to the discussion. Support was aptly provided by the UN-OHCHR Caribbean Regional office.

Himalayan University Consortium (HUC)

Kathmandu, Nepal

The Himalayan University Consortium engaged community, science, and decision-makers in human rights-based climate action, through a four-way conversation between a community member, a scientist, a policy maker, and an Indigenous knowledge holder from countries in the Hindu Kush Himalayas on climate action.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Stockholm, Sweden

In a forward-looking dialogue, KTH challenged global leaders to reimagine the Sustainable Development Goals beyond 2030, integrating planetary boundaries and human dignity into a new framework for global ambition.

UN Human Rights & the International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA)

Understanding climate ambition as a human-rights imperative, three expert panel conversations were facilitated by UN Human Rights and the International Universities Climate Alliance. The panels considered key topics at the intersection of climate change and human rights leading into COP30, including; Advancing gender equality in climate action; Human rights, climate finance and the road to 1.3 trillion; and Integrating human rights in NDCs 3.0.

UN Human Rights

In recognition of the critical role of journalism in advancing environmental and human rights agendas, UN Human Rights convened a regional panel of journalists from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Mekong region. The discussion explored the intersection of climate reporting, press freedom, access to information and community engagement in Southeast Asia.The panel highlighted the importance of cross-border collaboration, multi-stakeholder engagement, and investing in local journalist networks to ensure climate journalism can thrive as a tool for accountability and justice in the region

Oxford: 38 Events Anchor the Summit in Local Community

As host, the University of Oxford staged 38 distinct Right Here, Right Now events , turning the event into a week-long climate-justice laboratory. Highlights included:

Photography 4 Humanity: A Lens on Climate Justice, a photo exhibition curated and presented by Fotografiska
Volker Türk’s Linacre Tanner Lecture , which set the ethical tone of the week
A high-profile event at the Sheldonian launched by Irene Tracey , Volker Türk, which featured Justin Rowlatt from the BBC interviewing Kate Raworth , Vanessa Nakate , and Lord Alok Sharma, among others.
Call for Code Climate Challenge showcased tech for climate action with Founding Partner IBM and Global Impact Partner UN Human Rights
The Bonavero Climate and Law Conference , laying the foundation for legal accountability
Global Youth Climate Summit presented by Oxford's Saïd Business School to ensure that young voices lead

UNSW Sydney: Climate Warriors

Presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas and UNSW Engineering, in association with the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. Climate Warriors brought together four transformative voices; renewable energy expert and former Biden administration advisor Saul Griffith, Solar Citizen CEO Heidi Lee Douglas, climate activist Grace Vegesana along with host and journalist Craig Reucassel, who unpacked the power and limitations of grassroots action, climate innovation and community-driven change.

Artists and Icons Lent Their Voices

Cultural influence played a pivotal role in amplifying the message of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. A chorus of global stars - icons of music, film, and activism lent their names and social voices to support the Summit’s urgent call for climate justice.

Among them were Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Annie Lennox, Jeremy Irons, Dave Matthews, Chelsea Handler, Billie Jean King, Neil Young, Carole King, Cyndi Lauper, Pierce Brosnan, Katherine Langford, Margaret Cho, Jason Mraz, Rachel Platten , and Laura Pausini - each bringing their influence to promote climate justice.

In addition, multi-platinum recording artist Ellie Goulding delivered a powerful live performance during a special Right Here, Right Now Climate Concert—seamlessly uniting music and message.

A Defining Moment in Global Higher Education - and Climate Justice

This Summit marked an extraordinary convergence between United Nation Human Rights and leading universities around the world - uniting in a singular, urgent voice to center human rights within the global response to climate change. It demonstrated the immense power of academia when policy, law, science, the arts, and youth come together - in the collective pursuit of climate justice.

From here, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, United Nations Human Rights, the University of Oxford and the International Universities Climate Alliance will build on this momentum - expanding partnerships, seeking to develop global curricula, and advance the next wave of human rights-centered climate solutions. Right Here. Right Now.

'Fall back in love with nature': A climate forum's call to lead with heart

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 23:54:23 GMT

Sheila Watt-Cloutier said she believes that educating people about the human impacts of climate change can bring the world together, even in times of political uncertainty and conflict.

When asked what she would do if every government around the world became aligned on climate action, with unlimited resources for one year, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, longtime advocate for the rights of the Arctic’s Inuit peoples and Indigenous groups worldwide, didn’t hesitate.

“I would continue doing what I’ve been doing for 30 years but in much more of a full force,” said Watt-Cloutier. “I would build a team and get the younger generation mobilized in bigger ways than we have. They're the ones who have given me a lot of inspiration, and they're fighting for their future.”

Watt-Cloutier delivered a powerful plenary keynote Thursday in Boulder. She was also a featured speaker at the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit held at CU Boulder in 2022.

The day’s conversation centered on climate change’s disproportionate burden on women, youth, Indigenous people and communities who are historically unseen—and the need to ensure solutions focus on those most affected. NPR Newscaster Lakshmi Singh moderated the discussions.

Watt-Cloutier said she believes that educating people about the human impacts of climate change can bring the world together, even in times of political uncertainty and conflict.

“We're all in this together as a common humanity,” Watt-Cloutier said.

Joined by three other members of the CU Boulder community, including environmental studies professor Amanda Carrico, environmental human rights graduate student Naia Zuluetaand environmental engineering graduate student John Ecklu, Watt-Cloutier and the group outlined three ideas to guide the work toward climate solutions.

“Do things that bring you back to nature, and you will start to protect what you love.”

Turn research data into tools for change.

Around the world, about 3.6 billion people are living in areas highly susceptible to climate change. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, those in low-income and marginalized communities bear most of the impact.

A persistent problem is the lack of data for these communities. Zulueta noted that over a third of countries worldwide still lack routine indoor air quality monitoring.

“No data means no visibility, and no visibility means no accountability,” she said.

At the same time, the panelists emphasized that the world has enough data to understand the scale of the climate crisis and to mobilize action. An important step is making that information accessible and actionable.

Ecklu at CU Boulder’s Mortensen Center in Global Engineering and Resilience has been working on water well monitoring in Kenya. Prolonged droughts have forced local people to rely heavily on deep water wells called boreholes. But frequent breakdowns in Kenya’s boreholes are severely threatening water access for the communities.

To address the issue, Ecklu and team installed sensors that can detect signs of borehole failure and alert local engineers before wells completely collapse.

“We need to be more intentional about how the data we are collecting can better serve local communities,” he said. “Accessible data is helping communities become more resilient.”

Put a human face to the issues.

But statistics alone are not enough. More than once during the event, the group returned to the idea that reframing climate change as a human rights issue is essential.

“We can no longer just think our way through these issues of climate change,” Watt-Cloutier said. “We have to feel our way through, and we've got to connect as a common humanity.”

Sheila Watt-Cloutier gives keynote remarks at the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit plenary event in Boulder.

She described how melting Arctic sea ice isn’t just an environmental loss. It’s the disappearance of an entire way of life for Indigenous communities. “The ice is our life force. It’s our highway that brings us out to the supermarkets. It’s our organic farms, which bring us highly nutritious food we need.”

For Watt-Cloutier, one solution is leadership rooted not in anger and force but in empathy and connection.

“We can never underestimate the impact when we take a big action toward something that we feel is so important to us. Don’t let the politics of things stop us,” she added.

She will be speaking more about conscious leadership in her upcoming podcast, A Radical Act of Hope.

Embrace nature-based solutions

Finally, speakers urged a shift away from carbon-heavy, industrial responses to climate change to solutions from nature.

Ecklu highlighted a Colorado-based example along the Yampa River, where restoring wetlands is helping to filter water runoff from nearby farms before it reaches the river. Nature-based solutions like this improve water quality while supporting biodiversity and ecological health.

Watt-Cloutier echoed the importance of reconnecting with nature, which holds the wisdom needed to sustain it.

“In the Arctic, we just absolutely love our land, and Indigenous peoples around the world are the same. We love nature because of what it gives us, and the love allows us to be stronger in our fight to defend our way of life,” she said.

She urged city dwellers to rediscover that bond.

“Do things that bring you back to nature, and you will start to protect what you love.”

Right Here, Right Now: Global Climate Summit comes to Oxford

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 22:42:22 GMT

Right Here, Right Now: Global Climate Summit comes to Oxford

Right Here, Right Now is a global climate summit bringing together leading thinkers and practitioners at the intersection of climate change and human rights for a 24-hour global academic plenary broadcast live across time zones. This year, hosted by the University of Oxford, the summit centred around 5th June, UN World Environment Day, with events lasting from the 2nd – 8th June. The events include a “Party for the Planet” on Broad Street, an Ellie Goulding concert, and a late night at Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum, as well as talks and seminars hosted across the city. At 8pm BST (or 7pm UTC) on 4th June, the summit was launched in Oxford, with a welcome by Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. At 10pm, it began its tour around the world, starting with The University of the South Pacific for a panel on climate change in the Pacific and youth perspectives on climate justice. It was 1pm (BST) the next day, 15 hours in, by the time the summit returned to Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, for three panels under the title of Beyond Borders: Human Rights in a Changing Climate.

Dr. Alice E. A. Evatt moderated Oxford’s portion of the summit (a task which included the frequent ringing of a bell to keep speakers to time). She emphasised her department’s research: net zero. Introducing the themes of the session, she noted that recently companies have had more rights than the environment, and more rights than individuals, as well as the power to enforce their will. She summed this up in a single word: “perverse.” Speaking as a representative of the University, she noted that universities across the globe have a responsibility to bring human rights to the fore.

The first panel was entitled Human Rights in Climate Action: The Transformative Power of Law. The panel consisted of Professor Lavanya Rajamani (Faculty of Law, University of Oxford), Professor Elisa Morgera (UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change), Professor Ekaterina Aristova (Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, University of Oxford), as well as Nele Schuldt from the Oxford Sustainable Law programme, and Oxford Human Rights Student Society Co-President, Joshua Hess.

Professor Rajamani began the panel by talking about the Paris Agreement, acknowledging that without it, we would not be on our current track. She then explained that the Paris Agreement has reached the limits of what it can deliver by itself. Finances are falling short, and more needs to be done. She explained that human rights is essential in a climate context because it takes us away from the self interest of states, and puts the focus on people and on the planet. Human rights is included in states’ responsibilities, even where sustainability is not. Rajamani closed by calling for remedies for climate harms, and also called for climate justice and greater human rights protections.

Professor Elisa Morgera began by explaining the transformative potential of human rights in discussions surrounding climate change: through a focus on human rights, states can be convinced to put humanity on a safer path by prioritising a safer climate. She then deplored the fact that the systemic root causes of climate change have not been front and centre in discussions of climate change, and this is because those systemic causes are protected by powerful industries. The fossil fuel industry is related to almost every aspect of climate change: plastic production, petrol, air pollution, water pollution through extraction of waste products, global warming, and the displacement of Indigenous populations, to name just a few. By looking at climate change through the lens of human rights, a focus has been placed on the fossil fuel industry as the root cause of climate change, as well as the impact of the fossil fuel industry on economies and individuals’ lives. Professor Morgera then explained that climate change may be global, but its effects are disproportionate: women, children, and those with disabilities are most affected, and certain states are more affected than others. It is with this in mind that we should think about what measures will be most effective in the fight against climate change. Morgera lamented that 10% of the richest people in our societies have the power and finances to mitigate climate change, but instead choose to contribute to and benefit from it. She called on states to regulate the private sector in order to limit climate change, saying that they have an international obligation to fight climate change in ways which go beyond those laid out in the Paris Agreement. She closed by calling for justice for climate change activists who have been attacked or killed for speaking up, and called for climate based solutions to protect the most vulnerable groups across the globe.

Professor Ekaterina Aristova said that the fossil fuel industry has been aware of its environmental impacts as early as 1954, and noted that whilst the Paris Agreement has been influential, it does not impose restrictions on private actors. She commended the UN Guided Principles on Business and Human Rights for extending to apply to climate change in 2023, as part of a more global recognition that climate change has immediate (as well as long-term) impacts on human life. She hoped that this would fundamentally reshape how businesses operate: whereas previously use of water was not recognised as problematic, she hoped that there would now be the recognition that this would restrict or affect the water of local communities. She commended the law for finally beginning to catch up with science. She closed with a hopeful remark: the business should, with new legal guidance, be able to better identify risks and build trust with stakeholders (i.e. local communities).

Joshua Hess ended the panel with a remark that we need a shift to view climate and environmental issues as inseparable from human rights issues.

The second panel was entitled Unearthing Injustice: Human Rights and the Business of Extraction. The panel featured Dr Jessica Omukuti (Oxford Net Zero, University of Oxford), Dr Samira Barzin (Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford), Phil Bloomer (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre), Quynh Le Tran (Amnesty International), and Katya Narendratanaya (MSc student, University of Oxford).

The panel began with Dr Samira Barzin, who said “today I am just Samira” – a fellow individual. As the daughter of an immigrant, she spoke about uncovering the invisible. She explained that she became an economist because she wanted to understand the root causes of injustice. Throughout her speech, which focused mainly on mining practices, she emphasised our role in the system: as individuals, as consumers, as members of this University. She asked the students in the Sheldonian: what is the world that you want to live in? As much as climate activism is about power dynamics, it is also about those of us who make up the system. She called for everyone to think about “what can you do right here, right now.”

Quynh Le Tran lamented that due diligence is failing within private industries. He explained that there is no independent verification, and that most companies rely on self-reporting, which is doomed to be ineffective. Even third party audits lack transparency. He also noted ineffective grievance mechanisms, and that communities currently lack real access to remedy. He said that community rights are often overlooked: that Indigenous and local rights exist in policy, but not in practice. He then lamented the weak enforcement of policies — that voluntary commitments dominate, and actual laws are rarely robust or fully enforced. He called for better policies within a corporate context.

Phil Bloomer outlined his transitional mineral tracker, which helped to show that Indigenous peoples are four times as likely to be affected by mining industries, since those in power view them as expendable, and they are also more likely to be on land with greater natural resources. Bloomer emphasised the building of shared prosperity, and importance of fair negotiations. He said that fast energy transition requires that the transition is fair, and that human rights must be at the core of all mineral change. We need smart regulation and business incentives to ensure shared prosperity and fair negotiations — bad companies only change when they face legal fines and consequences for their actions. He concluded that smart regulation accelerates, not slows, innovation and transition. He also called for a public opinion strong enough to counter the voices of corporations in politicians’ ears.

Dr Jessica Omukuti closed the panel by urging listeners to think about where they spend their money, and think about where it goes. To ensure that it is not worsening human rights around the world.

The third panel was entitled At The Frontlines: The Intersection of Climate Change, Conflict and Human Rights. The panel featured Andrew Gilmour (former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights), Michael Phoenix (Head of Research and Campaigns, supporting the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders), Dr. Shruti Nath (Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford) and Tabina Manzoor (Margaret Thatcher Scholar, University of Oxford).

Andrew Gilmour opened the panel by explaining that the intersections between climate change, conflict, and human rights is a new concept. There is a (slowly) growing understanding that climate change is the greatest threat to human rights ever envisaged. He also explored the double tension of human rights violations being the result of conflict, whilst simultaneously conflict is often a result of human rights violations and climate change. He continued that climate change can exacerbate tensions in a myriad of ways: it makes conflict more likely, more complicated, and harder to resolve, often involving tensions surrounding finite resources. Deprivation is also a factor in radicalisation: there is evidence that droughts often lead to recruits for terror groups. Gilmour closed with the reflection that Darfur was the first genocide of the 21st century, and it was also the world’s first climate war.

Michael Phoenix opened by acknowledging that climate change is a major human rights crisis, and that climate justice is about defending human rights for all. He discusses multiple examples of people in conflict zones combatting and/or monitoring climate change, even when it puts them at risk, for example climate activists in Afghanistan, who had to flee the country in 2021. Phoenix invited us to question who profits from this? Who profits from conflict? Who profits from the expansion of fossil fuels? When atrocities happen, someone is profiting. He closed by saying that universities, including Oxford, have investments in the companies that profit from this.

Dr Shruti Nath began by saying that climate change is multi-faceted. She repeated Gilmour’s assertion that climate change — and a lack of resources caused by climate change — leads to conflict. She also noted that conflict takes away the resources of a state to deal with climate effects, like drought or flooding. Three of the most compelling statements she made were that climate change does not respect borders, saving lives after a disaster is far harder than protecting them with preventative measures, and 50% of disasters were predictable ahead of time.

The conversation then turned back towards Michael Phoenix, who commended those universities which have already set up shelter programmes. He called on universities to take steps towards divestment from fossil fuel companies and arms companies. He emphasised that we need actions, not words.

Andrew Gilmour continued by expressing that he would like for climate finances to go to less stable or less developed states, or states which are in conflict, noting that at the moment almost all climate finances go to relatively stable states.

Benjamin Schachter, Human Rights Officer and Environment team leader at United Nations Human Rights, offered some closing remarks. He said that it has been thrilling to see the engagement in Oxford and how that’s been replicated across the UK. He said that climate change affects peoples’ rights every day: massively and terribly, but that this can be stopped. In uncertain times, human rights must be our compass. He called for solidarity, empathy, peace and rights.

Oxford’s own Alexis McGivern and Valery del Carmen Salas Flores offered closing remarks, before the conference moved to the Americas. They emphasised that we must hold our own institutions accountable, especially when it comes to divestment, and again emphasised that delivering climate justice means delivering human rights for all. They called for international solidarity. They acknowledged the extreme gap between wealth and poverty, and also gaps in access. The climate compounds existing issues, including poverty, gender inequalities, and colonial legacies. They acknowledged the difficulty in envisioning another way of living. They also recognised the multilevel trust deficit: climate negotiations have been going on for decades, but action has been hesitant, and so it is understandable that there is mistrust in the ability for cooperative change. There is no easy answer: this is a complex crisis, but there are things we can do.

The pair continued by explaining potential solutions. We must ensure that all actors are recognised and invited to the table, including local communities. We must be honest with ourselves. They closed by emphasising that we need to move beyond a human-centric lens, and understand the rights of the ecosystem.

Myles Allen, a professor at Oxford, and the husband of Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey, used the spare time allotted to Oxford for a final call for the greater union of universities.

At 9:30pm (BST) on 5th June, the 24-hour summit ended at the UN Human Rights, with some closing reflections and a call for human rights-based climate action: right here, right now.

Striking images showing environmental destruction aim to ‘inspire action’

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 22:30:30 GMT

As part of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit held at the University of Oxford in June, an exhibition titled “Photography 4 Humanity: A Lens on Climate Justice” documents the effects of global warming and environmental pollution on communities from around the world. Here, children collect plastic waste from Inle Lake, Myanmar.

(CNN )— Tree-covered mountains rise behind a pile of trash, children run through the orange haze of a dust storm, and a billboard standing on parched earth indicates where the seashore used to be before desertification took hold. These striking images, exhibited as part of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , show the devastating effects of climate change.

The summit, held at the University of Oxford in the UK and supported by UN Human Rights (OHCHR), aims to reframe climate change as a human rights crisis and spotlight climate solutions. It works with everyone from policymakers to artists to get the message across.

“Photographers document the human rights impacts of climate change, helping to inform the public and hold governments and businesses accountable,” said Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for the OHCHR, via email. “The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit shows the power of collective action — uniting storytellers, scientists, indigenous leaders, and others to advance climate solutions rooted in human rights.”

Coinciding with World Environment Day on June 5, the exhibition — titled “Photography 4 Humanity: A Lens on Climate Justice” — features the work of 31 photographers from across the globe, all documenting the effects of global warming and environmental pollution on their own communities.

Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations around the world. Despite emitting far fewer greenhouse gases , low-income nations are suffering the most from extreme weather events and have fewer resources to adapt or recover.

Photographs at the exhibition show the effects of desertification, flooding and plastic pollution. A black and white image shows the ruins of a house in West Bengal, India, sloping towards the Ganges River, with the owner sitting alongside. Riverbank erosion is degrading the environment and displacing communities in the area. Photographer Masood Sarwer said in a press release that the photo depicts the “slow violence” of climate change: “These are not sudden disasters, but slow-moving, relentless ones — shaping a new category of environmental refugees.”

Another photo, taken by Aung Chan Thar, shows children fishing for trash in Inle Lake, Myanmar. The lake was once a pristine natural wonder but now faces the growing threat of plastic pollution. “This image of children cleaning the water symbolizes the importance of education and collective action in preserving our environment for a sustainable future,” he said.

Organizers hope that the exhibition will help to humanize the climate crisis. “Our mission is to inspire new perspectives through photography,” said Pauline Benthede, global vice president of artistic direction and exhibitions at Fotografiska, the museum of photography, art and culture that is curating the exhibition at the summit. “It draws attention to the human rights issue at the heart of global warming, which affects both the world’s landscapes and the people that live within them.”

“Photography is the most influential and inclusive art form of our times and has the power to foster understanding and inspire action,” she added.

Superstar Ellie Goulding to perform at the United Nations Human Rights -supported “Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert” being held at the New Theatre Oxford on 6 June 2025

Sat, 31 May 2025 21:21:01 GMT

Climate justice awareness concert hosted by United Nations Human Rights, the University of Oxford and the Recording Academy - aims to call urgent world attention to the human rights impacts of the escalating climate crisis.

Ellie Goulding is the latest to lend celebrity star power to the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, which is supported by Celine Dion, Cher, Green Day, Jack Black, Leonardo DiCaprio, Barbra Streisand, Neil Young, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, and more.

LONDON, UK (30 May 2025) — United Nations Human Rights (UN Human Rights)-supported Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (Right Here, Right Now) is proud to announce superstar singer/songwriter and climate justice activist Ellie Goulding will perform an intimate acoustic set at the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert to be held 6 June at New Theatre Oxford in Oxford, England. This concert hosted by United Nations Human Rights, the University of Oxford, and the Recording Academy® - aims to call urgent world attention to the escalating human rights implications of the climate crisis.

The live concert is being held as part of the UN Human Rights, University of Oxford-hosted Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, the largest climate justice summit of its kind, taking place 4 -7 June 2025.

Goulding has worked with the UN as a Global Environmental Ambassador, and has used her unique platform to amplify the voice of the voiceless, and encourage political discussions on climate change to match the ambitions of young people across the world. When asked about her message to delegates ahead of COP27 in 2022, she said: “It’s to the policymakers and world leaders to step up and be brave. The politics of all of this just needs to be braver. You know, the things that were promised at COP26 (2021) should be fulfilled and should be put into action. All we hear are just empty promises all the time. It's just really exhausting. We honestly just want real action.”

“UN Human Rights and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance are honored Ellie will perform at the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert, as she has helped spotlight the growing human rights implications of climate change while pressing policymakers around the world to act,” said David Clark, Founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. “When an artist of Ellie’s stature uses her platform to champion climate justice, the world pays attention.”

“Music is humanity’s greatest natural resource,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. “It heals, unites, inspires, and drives meaningful change. Marshalling its power to move our world forward is exactly why the Recording Academy exists, and why we have partnered with UN Human Rights the past three years.”

Said Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy: “We’re proud to stand alongside United Nations Human Rights and the University of Oxford in this urgent call for climate justice, and honored to support Ellie Goulding—a true artist and advocate—as she lends her voice to this important cause.”

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance supported by universities, youth and the myriad elements of the climate justice movement has garnered support from celebrities that include Celine Dion , Cher , Green Day, Jack Black, Leonardo DiCaprio , Barbra Streisand , Neil Young , Carole King , Annie Lennox , Cyndi Lauper , Pierce Brosnan, Billie Jean King, Camila Cabello , Laura Pausini , Joss Stone , and Kesha , to name just a few. Since launching in 2021 at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has emerged as a leading multi-stakeholder partnership for climate justice, bringing together human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates, and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action.

“To face the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, we need to fundamentally – and urgently – rebuild our relationships with nature, our economies and society,” said Astrid Van Genderen Stort, Chief of External Engagement and Partnerships at UN Human Rights. “This requires radical and transformative change supported by a whole of society effort. By bringing together diverse elements of the climate justice and human rights movements, I hope that the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit – alongside other such initiatives – can advance partnerships and concrete steps to increase accountability for climate harms and catalyze human rights-based climate action for people and the planet.”

The global programme takes place online, with partner universities around the world taking turns to lead the Summit, which is being livestreamed in Oxford’s iconic Sheldonian Theatre. Alongside the concert and online global programme, a local community-focused series of events is taking place in the city of Oxford, including photography exhibitions, interactive workshops, public lectures and panel discussions. For more information on the Summit, visit: http://www.oxfordsummit.org/

Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a dedicated Right Here, Right Now climate fund at MusiCares® to help musicians affected by climate change. MusiCares® is the leading music charity providing music professionals health and human services across a spectrum of needs.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rebekah Alperin

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance /

Storyboard Communications

reb@gostoryboard.com +1.310.770.1045

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit

Sat, 24 May 2025 20:07:54 GMT

Championing human rights-based research and teaching towards climate justice in Africa

The African Climate & Development Initiative (ACDI) is proud to be a partner in the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit hosted by the United Nations Human Rights and the University of Oxford, convened by the International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA). The Summit brings together convening global experts from various sectors to discuss impacts, obligations and effective responses and solutions to the human-rights climate crisis. ACDI and UCT are part of a worldwide education coalition contributing to the 24-hour global plenary, which will be co-delivered by universities and partners across the world and broadcast live across time zones on 5 June. Join us for our session:

Championing human rights-based research and teaching towards climate justice in Africa

When: 5 June 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 SAST

Where: Environmental and Seminar Room 5, Geographical Sciences Building, Upper Campus, University of Cape Town and Online (Zoom)

Hosted by the African Climate & Development Initiative and the University of Cape Town

Please register for the in person event here or Register for the online event

The programme of this session on Championing human rights-based research and teaching towards climate justice in Africa will reflect on the role of universities in understanding and supporting a human rights-based approach to climate action and climate justice, taking into consideration both how universities are teaching and engaging in research and looking outwardly towards impacts in society.

This event brings together academics, legal experts, and practitioners to explore the intersection of human rights, climate action, and climate justice from an African perspective. It opens with a welcome address by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Professor Mosa Moshabela , followed by a framing session that outlines the global and regional positioning of human rights within climate governance, and highlights the unique challenges and opportunities faced by African universities. Attendees can expect two expert panel discussions : the first focuses on current human rights-based research contributing to climate justice, and the second examines how human rights approaches are being integrated into university teaching and curricula. The programme includes an open dialogue session for audience engagement on research and teaching needs, and closes with reflections and a handover to Oxford University. In-person participants are invited to stay for an informal networking lunch.

Time

Session details

Speaker(s)

10:00-10:10

Opening and Welcome: The role of research and teaching for climate justice – why does it matter given human rights challenges and climate injustices in Africa?

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town

10:10-10:30

Setting the Scene: Framing human rights, climate action and climate justice from an African perspective

How do the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement promote human rights and climate justice globally, how are these recognised in parts of Africa, and how are courts addressing the climate crisis through a human rights lens?
How do climate vulnerabilities and inequalities affect governance and action across scales in Africa, and what distinct role can African universities play in response?

Moderator: Nadine Methner
African Climate and Development Initiative, UCT

Melanie Murcott
Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, UCT

Darlington Sibanda
ACDI, UCT

10:30-10:35

Break

10:35-11:05

Panel 1: What human rights-based research are you doing to support just and equitable climate action, and what successes or challenges have you encountered?

Panellists:

Amber Abrams - Future Water Institute, UCT
Ruth Magreta - Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Gender and climate change adaptation)
Benyam Dawit Mezmur - Professor of Law, UWC, Children’s Rights
Nadia Sitas, SouthSouthNorth – Biodiversity and climate action

Moderator:
Nomasango Masiye-Moyo
Coordinator of the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa at Natural Justice

11:05-11:07

Break

11:07-11:37

Panel 2: How can and have human rights (and human rights-based approaches) been integrated into university teaching and learning on climate change?

Panellists:

Lesley Green – Professor, Earth Politics and Director of Environmental Humanities, UCT
Melandri Steenkamp - Global Environmental Law Centre, University of the Western Cape
Melanie Murcott - Associate Professor, Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, UCT

Moderator:
Nomasango Masiye-Moyo
Coordinator of the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa at Natural Justice

11:37-11:40

Break

11:40-11:55

Open Dialogue: What are the research and teaching needs to strengthen human rights-based climate action towards justice and equity in Africa?

Moderator: Wandisa Phama
Executive Director, Centre of Environmental Rights

11:55-12:00

Closure and Handover to Oxford University

Britta Rennkamp
ACDI, UCT

12:00-13:30

Lunch with in person attendees

More About the Summit

The 2 - 7 June Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , will take place virtually and in person on the Oxford University campus. The summit will bring together thought leaders, communities, youth activists, Indigenous Peoples, and scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry experts from around the world for keynote addresses and panels exploring how climate change impacts fundamental rights, including the right to food, safe water, housing and health. The cornerstone of the summit is a 24-hour global plenary , which will be co-delivered by universities and partners across the world and broadcast live across time zones on 5 June.

Additionally, Learners and educators of all ages, from primary school classrooms to university research labs, are invited to engage in this event through the Right Here, Right Now Education Coalition. Participating institutions and individuals will receive free access to a coalition toolkit, including information on how to host watch parties and how to spread the word about the connections between human rights and climate change, and why that connection matters to everyone - Learn more about and join this global network of students and educators

Find the global plenary programme here

Future climate leaders take centre stage at Right Here Right Now Global Youth Summit

Tue, 13 May 2025 17:46:05 GMT

Students and educators globally will come together virtually on 6 June for the Right Here Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit, hosted by Saïd Business School and UN Human Rights.

OXFORD, UK, 13, May 2025 – This 24-hour virtual event, part of the wider Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit, will feature young voices and educators from 12 global regions engaging in discussions, sharing solutions and highlighting the crucial intersection between climate change and human rights.

Professor Soumitra Dutta, Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Management, Oxford Saïd, said: ‘At Oxford Saïd, we believe in nurturing leaders who can think globally and act responsibly. The Global Youth Climate Summit is a powerful platform for young people to articulate the challenges they face and drive the solutions we urgently need. Empowering youth to engage with the climate and human rights agenda is essential for building a sustainable and equitable future.’

The Global Youth Climate Summit builds on the Oxford Saïd’s broader youth engagement efforts, including the Oxford Saïd Global Climate Change Challenge, now in its third year. The Challenge invites high school students and teachers to propose innovative solutions and lesson plans at the intersection of climate change and health, biodiversity, food security, air pollution and water scarcity. Winners and finalists from the past two years of the competition will be prominently featured at the Summit, showcasing how youth-led innovation can inspire global action.

The virtual summit will feature pre-recorded case studies of school-led climate initiatives and live panel discussions between students and teachers, exploring critical themes including climate resilience, education, public health and indigenous knowledge systems.

Josephine Fawkes, Director of Youth Education and Global Inclusion at Oxford Saïd, added: ‘At Oxford Saïd, we believe education is the catalyst for lasting change. The Global Youth Climate Summit builds on the incredible work of the Oxford Saïd Global Climate Change Challenge, showcasing the determination and innovation of young people across the world. It is their ideas, energy and leadership that will define the future of our planet.’

The Right Here Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit will contribute to a broader agenda of the Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit, which includes a 24-hour academic plenary featuring leading scholars, policymakers and climate advocates. The initiative is supported by a coalition of partners including UN Human Rights, Oxford University, Oxford University Press and the International Universities Climate Alliance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW GLOBAL YOUTH SUMMIT GO HERE

United Nations Human Rights and the University of Oxford announce programme for landmark Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit

Tue, 13 May 2025 16:50:55 GMT

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit to bring together global audiences online and in-person in June 2025
On World Environment Day (5 June), universities from around the world will host a global plenary discussion on human rights and climate change over 24 hours
The University of Oxford announces a packed schedule of local events and activities, including public lectures, panel discussions, photography exhibits, and interactive workshops

OXFORD, UK, 13, May 2025 – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) and the University of Oxford are proud to unveil the official programme and participating institutions for the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit . This unprecedented summit will unite voices across continents to advance human rights-based climate solutions.

Unlike traditional summits that convene the world’s experts in a single location, often at great environmental cost, the second Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit pioneers a decentralised model that will unite people across the world around a cornerstone online event. First held at the University of Colorado Boulder in December 2022, this year the event will be virtually anchored at Oxford but connected with leading universities around the world - eliminating the need for mass travel and reducing environmental impacts.

Alongside the University of Oxford and UN Human Rights, the 2025 programme will see a number of international institutions, convened by the International Universities Climate Alliance, take a leading role as Summit co-hosts.

The University of Cape Town, University of Colorado Boulder, Himalayan University Consortium, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Monash University, University of Nairobi, Universidade de São Paulo, the University of the South Pacific, UNSW Sydney, and the University of the West Indies, will each participate in the livestream during the online global plenary.

The cornerstone of the multi-day summit, the 24-hour global plenary will take place on 5 June 2025 for World Environment Day.

A series of discussions across time zones to inspire human rights-based climate solutions around the world

Livestreamed on YouTube , the plenary will kick-off in Oxford at the renowned Sheldonian Theatre with an introduction from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Irene Tracey CBE FRS, FMedSci, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. This summit welcome will be followed by a dynamic discussion featuring Alok Sharma, Kate Raworth and Vanessa Nakate among others, and a performance by the Hot Poets.

The plenary baton will then be passed on to the University of the South Pacific, who will spotlight youth perspectives on climate justice and discussions on climate change in the Pacific. The University of the South Pacific’s hosted programme will feature Cynthia Houniuhi, President of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Dr. Eselealofa 'Ese' Apinelu, Tuvaluan High Commissioner to Fiji, and Lenora Qereqeretabua, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji.

The Summit’s Australian partners will follow, with Monash University presenting an interactive programme exploring Indigenous perspectives, the human right to health, and the unifying power of music across cultures in Asia and the Pacific. UNSW Sydney will host discussions on the human rights impacts of Australia’s fossil fuel exports and transforming partnership to resilience building through a dialogue on Indigenous Peoples and university engagement. This is followed by a conversation on advancing gender equality in climate action facilitated by UN Human Rights and the International Universities Climate Alliance.

The Himalayan University Consortium will then host a four-way conversation on human rights-based climate action between a community member, a scientist, a policymaker and an Indigenous knowledge holder from countries in the Hindu Kush Himalayas.

Moving through the time zones, the University of Nairobi is set to bring discussions of human rights and just transitions to the fore, as well as delivering talks on human rights-based climate finance and human-rights based climate adaptation and resilience in Africa. The University of Cape Town will then provide insights into the relationship between climate change and human rights in Africa and the ways that teaching and research can advance human-rights based climate action. The International Universities Climate Alliance and UN Human Rights will then convene a discussion on human rights, climate finance and the road to 1.3 trillion.

After that, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology will host a dialogue on how we can reframe the Sustainable Development Goals for a post-2030 world that is centred in human rights and planetary health. The online plenary will then return to Oxford, where topics will include the transformative power of international human rights law in climate action, the role of war in fuelling the climate crisis and vice versa, and business and human rights in the green transition. The final conversation facilitated by UN Human Right and the International Universities Climate Alliance will then take place, focusing on integrating human rights in NDCs.

Next, plenary action heads over the Atlantic to the University of Colorado Boulder for a keynote from global advocate for Indigenous rights and health Siila (Sheila) Watt-Cloutier, before the University of the West Indies hosts a session on Caribbean youth perspectives on climate justice. The Universidade de São Paulo closes the event with sessions on addressing deforestation and its contribution to the climate crisis as well as the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the rights of future generations in the context of climate change, including messages from government ministers and the President of COP30, Ambassador André Correia do Lago.

Finally, a closing session led by UN Human Rights will bring together key voices from across the world to share reflections on the global plenary, focusing on human rights-based climate action that can be taken right here, right now.

Full details of the live online global programme are available on the Summit hub .

Inspiring events taking place at Oxford include a photography exhibition in the University’s Weston Library titled ‘Photography for Humanity: A Lens on Climate Justice’ presented by Fotografiska: the contemporary museum of photography art and culture, a late-night event in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum, and creative workshops on climate hope at the Ashmolean Museum and University’s Botanic Garden, as well as a range of other events for students, researchers, and the local community. The summit has already received support from a celebrity coalition that includes Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Billie Jean King, Neil Young, Ziggy Marley, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, Kyra Sedgwick, Margaret Cho, and many more.

More details of the Oxford local programme can also be found on the Summit hub .

ABOUT

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

Launched at COP26 in 2021 with global partner UN Human Rights, and supporters that included Leonardo DiCaprio and Quincy Jones, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN) has emerged as a leading global climate justice initiative. It is a multi-stakeholder movement, driven to promote human rights and climate justice. To drive sustainable change, RHRN collaborates with universities, young people, policymakers, academics, students, scientists, technologists, media professionals, business leaders, universities, young people and influencers from art, music, and sport to advance human rights solutions to the climate crisis. RHRN celebrity-driven social media campaigns to date have collectively reached nearly two billion followers with messages promoting human rights and climate justice.

UN Human Rights

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN). It represents the world’s commitment to the promotion, protection, and realization of the full range of human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through the voice and the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a staff of 2,000 in 92 countries, the Office aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere. Fighting climate change is at the very heart of the Office´s mandate, as it already negatively affects the human rights of millions of people around the world – human rights such as those to food, water, housing, health, decent work, development, a healthy environment, and even life itself.

University of Oxford

Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the eighth year running, and number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.

Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

International Universities Climate Alliance

The International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) represents leading climate research universities from across 23 countries who are committed to accelerating action on climate change. Universities are uniquely placed to share knowledge and expertise, not only in climate science, but in related research fields including adaptation and mitigation. We believe it is through globally coordinated collaboration that we can create greater insight and action.

CONTACT

Kaylois Henry

United Nation Human Rights

kaylois.henry@un.org

Rebekah Alperin

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

reb@gostoryboard.com

Lizzie Dunthorne

University of Oxford

news.office@admin.ox.ac.uk

Chaseley Cameron

International Universities Climate Alliance

universitiesforclimate@unsw.edu.au

2025 Call for Code Engages Developers to Build AI Solutions that Address Social and Humanitarian Issues

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:00:17 GMT

In its eighth year, Call for Code presents a series of SDG-focused hackathons throughout the year, kicking off with a competition to build AI agents

BOULDER, CO., March, 5, 2025 – Today, Call for Code Creator David Clark Cause , Founding Partner IBM (NYSE: IBM ), Global Impact Partner United Nations Human Rights , and Program Affiliate the Linux Foundation invite developers and problem solvers to participate in the 2025 Call for Code program to create projects and solutions that use AI to help tackle United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .

Since its launch in 2018, Call for Code has rallied developers globally to come together and create innovative solutions to help solve the world’s largest problems with technology. In 2025, the Call for Code Global Challenge will again ask how AI can address humanitarian issues to make a real difference for communities around the world.

“Call for Code is a unique global tech initiative, that inspires and empowers developers and problem-solvers from around the world to use their talent to innovate for social good,” said David Clark, Founder and CEO of Call for Code. “I am immensely proud that Call for Code, alongside its founding partner IBM, and with UN Human Rights, has helped ensure that technology serves as a catalyst for sustainability, climate and humanitarian action.”

This year, participants will have the opportunity to take part in five qualifying hackathon events as part of the year-long Call for Code Global Challenge in collaboration with IBM’s TechXchange Client Advocacy team. For each event, teams will build an original proof-of-concept solution based on a different SDG with technologies like watsonx, IBM's portfolio of AI products and IBM Cloud services. Each hackathon will include a different theme linked to one of the 17 SDGs.

The first qualifying hackathon will be held March 20 through March 31, 2025. In honor of UN World Water Day on March 22, it calls on participants to build a proof-of-concept for an AI virtual agent using watsonx.ai that can be put to work to address an issue that falls under the SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation. In addition, Call for Code will host a hackathon to tackle SDG 13 climate action as part of the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, the world’s largest human rights-based climate forum, hosted by UN Human Rights, the University of Oxford, and co-hosted by leading universities worldwide.

“From the very beginning, UN Human Rights has been honored to support Call for Code, recognizing that technology—when grounded in human rights—can be a powerful force for good,” said Ansar Mahfoudh, head of the Innovation and Analytics Hub at UN Human Rights. “Since helping launch this groundbreaking initiative almost a decade ago, we have supported those projects that champion innovation that serves humanity. We remain committed to ensuring Call for Code grows from strength to strength, by drawing on a community of socially-minded coders who place humans at the centre of tech and innovation solutions.”

“Call for Code is a unique opportunity to get hands-on with AI, build new skills, network with a community of like-minded problem solvers, and create solutions,” said Dinesh Nirmal, IBM Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “This year, there’s no-cost access to industry leading, enterprise-grade IBM software like watsonx.ai for participants. I am excited to see what teams build to make a positive difference.”

Teams, made up of one to five developers, can compete for prizes awarded in each hackathon. The top Call for Code solution from each qualifying hackathon will win $5,000 USD and one conference pass per team member to the IBM TechXchange Conference 2025 in Orlando. This is IBM's biggest technical learning conference of the year (official rules apply, tickets are non-transferable, and travel and lodging are not included). The qualifying teams will also have the chance to advance to compete for the 2025 Call for Code Global Challenge Grand Prizes, including a top cash prize of $50,000 USD. Top teams will also have the opportunity for open-source project support from the Linux Foundation. Grand prize winners will be announced in December.

Interested participants can register here before March 18, 2025 for the first hackathon, which runs from March 20 to 31, 2025. More details about each Call for Code qualifying hackathon will be shared on the Call for Code website as the year progresses.

About Call for Code Global Challenge
Developers have revolutionized the way people live and interact with virtually everyone and everything. Where most people see challenges, developers see possibilities. That's why David Clark, the CEO of David Clark Cause, created Call for Code in 2018, and launched it alongside Founding Partner IBM and Global Impact Partner United Nations Human Rights. In 2022 Call for Code was selected as the preferred innovation platform for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the largest public/private initiative in the world promoting climate justice.

Viviane Rakotoarivony Wins 2024 Photography 4 Humanity Global Climate Justice Photo Contest

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 23:16:13 GMT

Award-Winning Photograph Captures the Human Toll of Cyclone Freddy in Madagascar

(New York, NY — December 10, 2024) — Photography 4 Humanity, the photography platform for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, proudly announces Viviane Rakotoarivony as the winner of the 2024 Global Photo Contest. Her arresting photograph, Ambalakondro, Devastated by Cyclone Freddy, provides a powerful visual testament to the human cost of climate disasters and the urgent need for global climate justice.

The announcement, made on December 10th - United Nations Human Rights Day is particularly poignant as it underscores that climate change is not just an environmental issue but a profound human rights crisis. The winning photograph, taken in Mananjary, Madagascar, portrays children sheltering beneath the remnants of their roof after Cyclone Freddy destroyed 90% of homes in their village. Rakotoarivony’s image is accompanied by the evocative description: “In the village of Ambalakondro, Cyclone Freddy devastated 90% of the homes, leaving these residents to take refuge beneath a fragment of their roof.”

As the official photography platform of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, Photography 4 Humanity plays a critical role in spotlighting the intersection of climate change and human rights. Supported by global partner United Nations Human Rights, the competition invites both amateur and professional photographers from around the world to capture stories of resilience and the urgent realities of our changing planet.

“Viviane Rakotoarivony’s photograph not only captures a moment of immense hardship but also the strength and resilience of communities on the frontlines of climate change,” said David Clark, CEO, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. “Announcing this year’s winner on UN Human Rights Day is a powerful reminder that climate change is a human rights crisis, and we must act decisively to protect those most vulnerable.”

Cyclone Freddy, one of the longest-lasting and most intense tropical storms in history, devastated southeastern Africa earlier this year, leaving widespread destruction and displacement in its wake. Rakotoarivony’s photograph serves as a stark call to action and reinforces the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance’s mission to champion climate justice as an essential human right.

This year, Photography 4 Humanity received thousands of submissions from across the globe, showcasing the creativity and passion of photographers committed to illuminating the stories of those most impacted by the climate crisis. Rakotoarivony’s winning image and other top entries will be featured at the United Nations headquarters on UN Human Rights Day, and viewed globally on UN.org.

For more information about Photography 4 Humanity, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, and this year’s winning entries, visit www.photography4humanity.com.

2024 Call for Code Global Challenge Winners Improve Equitable Access to Essential Needs with Solutions Using IBM watsonx

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 18:39:56 GMT

Winning teams from Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Persistent, and independent consultants developed AI-powered solutions to help improve equitable access to essential resources and opportunities

BOULDER, CO., Dec. 10, 2024 – Today, in alignment with United Nations Human Rights Day, Call for Code, the largest tech-for-good initiative of its kind driven by creator David Clark Cause, Founding Partner IBM (NYSE: IBM), Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights , and Program Affiliate the Linux Foundation announced the winners of the annual Call for Code Global Challenge. Developers and problem solvers across the globe were invited to create AI-powered technology projects that address specific challenges of equitable access to essential needs. This year’s top prizes went to teams GoBang, Kind Threads and T-Chai, which used IBM watsonx AI technologies and AI models like IBM Granite , to help improve access to education, learning resources, and essential needs like clothing and income.

"There is no better moment than UN Human Rights Day to announce this year’s Call for Code Global Challenge winners," said David Clark, founder and CEO of Call for Code. "These AI-powered technologies tackle the pressing challenge of equitable access to essential needs—a cornerstone of human rights rooted in the principles of equality, dignity, and fairness. Equitable access drives social justice by breaking down systemic barriers and ensuring marginalized communities are not left behind.”

2024 Call for Code Global Challenge Winning Teams

The Grand Prize-winning team will receive $50,000 USD, as well as solution implementation support from the Call for Code ecosystem, as applicable. The runners-up will receive $25,000 USD and $10,000 USD. All three teams have the opportunity to receive assistance from the Linux Foundation to open source their application.

The 2024 Call for Code Global Challenge Grand Prize Winner is GoBang, a group of students from Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Michigan addressing educational inequality, especially for under-resourced schools in their home country of Taiwan. They used IBM watsonx.ai to develop an application to provide educators with a customizable AI dashboard for course planning, including lesson plans, worksheets and recommendations. As the top scoring university team, they also are the recipients of the 2024 University Grant, receiving $30,000 USD for their schools and eligibility for an opportunity to explore job opportunities at IBM, alongside the option to be matched with an IBM mentor.

The 2024 Call for Code Global Challenge First Runner-up Winner is KindThreads. The team from Persistent created an IBM watsonx.ai-powered platform that helps local communities turn clothing waste into essential resources and income opportunities. The app uses watsonx.ai Prompt Lab to identify and categorize the clothing item, assess its wearability, and provide data-driven recommendations on how it can be reused, recycled, or donated based on its condition.

The 2024 Call for Code Global Challenge Second Runner-up Winner is T-Chai. The team developed an AI-powered homework tutor based on IBM watsonx.ai and the IBM Granite large language model that adapts the level and complexity of its responses to match the student’s age and profile. The application can also assist parents in understanding their child's curriculum, finding age-appropriate educational resources, creating practice tests, and providing effective memorization techniques on computers and smartphones, to provide underserved families access to right-fit learning resources.

“Call for Code continues to inspire some of the brightest and most creative problem solvers worldwide to develop solutions that tackle global social and humanitarian issues, such as equitable access to resources,” said Kate Woolley, general manager, IBM Ecosystem. “I would like to congratulate today’s winners and thank all the 2024 Call for Code teams and IBM partners that participated in this year’s challenge, demonstrating how Generative AI technologies such as IBM watsonx and IBM Granite models can be utilized to drive change around the world.”

"The challenge is not just an opportunity to demonstrate how technology can truly make a difference, but a call to action for those passionate about using their skills to solve real-world problems. It is a reminder that innovation can drive meaningful change, and through collaboration, we can make an impact that matters," said Anwar Mahfoudh, Chief, Innovation and Analytics Hub, UN Human Rights. "This year's impressive winners used AI-powered technologies to address community challenges that tackle big SDG and human rights related problems. Their remarkable solutions not only inspire hope but also reaffirm our shared commitment to leaving no one behind in the fight for justice and equality."

2024 Ecosystem Engagement Award

Since 2019, the Call for Code Ecosystem Engagement Awards have recognized organizations that have answered the call and exhibited a deep commitment to Call for Code. For 2024, Call for Code is honoring Persistent with this award for their collaboration in this year’s program. Persistent has partnered with and sponsored Call for Code for several years, and once again they are a Gold Sponsor of Call for Code in 2024. In September, Persistent held their third annual in-person Global Challenge Kickoff event in Pune, India. 11 teams from Persistent were inspired to submit projects to this year’s Global Challenge and one team, KindThreads , was a finalist in this year’s competition. The challenge provides a great opportunity for skills development and team building for Persistent employees, and it aligns with Persistent’s culture of innovation and commitment to societal contribution. Persistent’s support continues to be invaluable to the success of Call for Code.

Since its launch in 2018, Call for Code has become an annual rally call for developers around the world to come together and think creatively about how to help solve the world’s largest problems with technology. Call for Code helps participants gain skills in AI and hybrid cloud technology by offering access to build with technology like IBM watsonx , Red Hat OpenShift and IBM Cloud . IBM Ecosystem partners provide subject matter expertise that can help teams advance their solutions, as well as encourage employee participation.

About Call for Code

Developers are the visionaries of progress, shaping the way humanity lives, connects, and thrives in an ever-changing world. Where others see obstacles, developers see solutions. Recognizing this potential, David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause, launched Call for Code in 2018 with IBM as Founding Partner, United Nations Human Rights as Charitable Partner, and The Linux Foundation as Program Affiliate. Since then, Call for Code has mobilized developers from over 180 countries to address the world’s most pressing challenges—from disaster response to combating climate change. In 2022, Call for Code it was named the preferred innovation platform for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the largest public-private initiative addressing climate change, supported by United Nations Human Rights and the University of Oxford. This collaboration underscores Call for Code’s unparalleled impact in mobilizing developers worldwide to drive meaningful change on a global scale.

Media contacts:

 IBM
Lowell Eschen
lowell.eschen@ibm.com

RECORDING ACADEMY®, UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS AND UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD CELEBRATE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW GLOBAL CLIMATE ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP IN NEW YORK CITY

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 20:08:08 GMT

Khatia Buniatishvili, Felukah and Fally Ipupa performed intimate concert at the Recording Academy's New York Townhouse to help raise awareness for climate action

NEW YORK (SEPT. 26, 2024) – The Recording Academy and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance , with the support of United Nations Human Rights and University of Oxford , joined together on Sept. 24 to promote the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit to address climate justice and rights-based climate action around the world. Held during the 79th United Nations General Assembly Week in New York, the high-level event highlighted the intersection of climate change, human rights and culture. Together, these organizations work to raise global awareness, advocate for climate action, and ensure that human rights are central to the climate conversation.

“We remain incredibly proud of the work we are doing with Right Here, Right Now and we were honored to host an amazing night of music in our Recording Academy New York townhouse,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “As we continue to expand our global efforts as an Academy, I’m thrilled to be able to help showcase how the power of music can raise awareness and help promote change surrounding human rights issues around the world.”

The event comes after the Recording Academy’s recent announcement around expanding its efforts to support music creators in Africa and the Middle East, with the organization building a framework aimed at protecting artists and fueling creative development around the world. Through various initiatives, the Academy has expanded its reach to recognize that musicians can act as influential voices for justice. The event marks the second time the Academy has hosted an event during the United Nations General Assembly with United Nations Human Rights and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. Performing at the private industry event, which was held at the Recording Academy’s New York townhouse, were international recording artists Khatia Buniatishvili, Felukah and Fally Ipupa.

“The climate crisis is an urgent human rights crisis. It’s impacting housing, food, water, health and so much more – affecting the rights of millions around the world. As the Global Partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, UN Human Rights is grateful to the Recording Academy and Oxford University for their commitment to work with us to advance human rights solutions to prevent, minimize and remedy the human suffering caused by the climate crisis,” said Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“With our well-established and world-leading expertise in climate-related research and teaching, the University of Oxford is proud to be the Academic Partner for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. We are grateful to the Recording Academy for putting the spotlight on human rights and climate change, and in June 2025 we look forward to bringing together researchers, students and the music community, with the common goal of finding solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change.” said Professor Irene Tracey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

“Since launching our Global Climate Alliance with UN Human Rights at COP26 in Glasgow, with the backing of influential voices like Leonardo DiCaprio, Camilla Cabello and Quincy Jones, we have emerged as a leading climate justice initiative,” said David Clark, founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. “With best in class partners UN Human Rights, the Recording Academy and University of Oxford, we’re excited to leverage their powerful voices, for those who all too often have none.”

UN Human Rights and the University of Oxford will host the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , bringing together renowned leaders, policymakers, technologists, academics, universities, celebrities, and more to advance climate justice through human rights solutions to the climate crisis. To help promote the global summit this past week, Neil Young, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Ziggy Marley, Billie Jean King, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, Rachel Platt, Kyra Sedgwick, Margaret Cho, and more, promoted the 4-7 June 2025 event via their social channels.

Photos from last night’s event can be found here .

ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum ^® , advocates on behalf of music creators , supports music people in times of need through MusiCares ^® , and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards ^® — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy, please visit GRAMMY.com and RecordingAcademy.com . For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on X (Twitter) , "like" Recording Academy on Facebook , and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram , YouTube , TikTok , and LinkedIn . For media assets, please visit the Recording Academy Press Room .

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW GLOBAL CLIMATE ALLIANCE
Launched at COP26 in 2021 with global partner UN Human Rights, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN) has emerged as a leading global climate justice initiative. It is a multi-stakeholder movement, including universities and youth, to promote climate justice. To drive sustainable change, RHRN collaborates with policymakers, academics, students, scientists, technologists, media professionals, business leaders, and influencers from art, music, and sport to advance human rights solutions to the climate crisis. RHRN celebrity-driven social media campaigns to date have collectively reached nearly two billion followers with messages promoting climate justice. For more information visit: www.righthererightnow.global .

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN). It represents the world’s commitment to the promotion, protection, and realization of the full range of human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through the voice and the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a staff of 1,800 in 103 countries, the Office aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere. Fighting climate change is at the very heart of the Office’s mandate, as it already negatively affects the human rights of millions of people around the world – human rights such as those to food, water, housing, health, decent work, development, and even life itself. For more information, visit: www.ohchr.org .

Stay connected with OHCHR for the latest updates and breaking news by following us on X (Twitter) Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , TikTok , and LinkedIn .

For media assets and inquiries, please visit: www.ohchr.org/en/media-centre

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the eighth year running, and number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.

Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Their work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of their research alongside their personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

For more information visit: https://www.ox.ac.uk .

CONTACTS

Andie Cox
Recording Academy
communications@grammy.com

Victor Jose Fernandez
United Nation Human Rights
victor.fernandez@un.org

Laura Gelbert
United Nation Human Rights
gelbert@un.org

Rebekah Alperin
Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance
reb@gostoryboard.com

Caroline Wood
University of Oxford
news.office@admin.ox.ac.uk

University of Oxford and United Nations Human Rights to host landmark global climate summit

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:58:10 GMT

The University of Oxford and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will host the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , bringing together renowned experts and leaders, policymakers, technologists, academics, universities, celebrities, and more to advance climate justice through human rights solutions to the climate crisis.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit will be held in Oxford from 4-7 June 2025, in conjunction with participating universities around the world being convened by the International Universities Climate Alliance.

The announcement was made this week by Professor Irene Tracey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, as she hosted Elisa Morgera, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change, Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and representatives from UN Human Rights.

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit hosted by the University of Oxford and UN Human Rights aims to set a new benchmark in the global fight for climate justice with a forum designed to address the following objectives:

Advance human-rights solutions to the climate crisis
Celebrate and elevate the voices of environmental human-rights defenders
Reinforce and bring together key elements of the global climate-justice movement while minimizing carbon footprint
Empower and inspire people, especially students, as agents for climate justice now, and in future careers

The University of Oxford, Academic Partner of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, will coordinate with universities around the world hosting climate-related programs over four days. Set against the backdrop of Oxford's colleges, this summit will host a global dialogue on 5 June 2025 - UN World Environment Day - with a 24-hour global plenary broadcast live across every time zone.

Announcing the event, Professor Irene Tracey Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford said:

‘With our well-established and world-leading expertise in climate-related research and teaching, the University of Oxford is proud to be the Academic Partner for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host this pivotal summit with UN Human Rights, bringing together leaders in human rights and climate research from around the world, across a wide range of disciplines with the common goal of finding solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change.’

Astrid van Genderen Stort, UN Human Rights, Chief External Engagement and Partnerships said:

‘As the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, UN Human Rights is grateful to the University of Oxford, universities worldwide, and the International Universities Climate Alliance, for their commitment to work with us to advance human rights solutions to prevent, minimize and remedy the human suffering caused by the climate crisis.’

The main event of the summit, a 24-hour global plenary, coordinated by International Universities Climate Alliance, will be co-hosted by the University of Oxford, University of Cape Town, University of Colorado Boulder, Monash University, University of Nairobi, University of São Paulo, UNSW Sydney and more , and will include live and virtual lectures, keynote speeches, and panel discussions. Academic institutions around the world will transform into hubs of climate consciousness, hosting 'watch parties' and local co-host activities, uniting their communities in this historic exchange of ideas.

David Clark, Founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance said:

‘Our Academic Partner, the University of Oxford, has responded to the call, leveraging their unique power to engage experts in crafting solutions to the human rights challenges posed by the climate crisis. We also extend our gratitude to the International Universities Climate Alliance for their vital role in uniting universities around the world to help drive the global summit and plenary.’

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, has already received support from a celebrity coalition including Billie Jean King, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Neil Young, Ziggy Marley, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, Rachel Platt, Kyra Sedgwick, Margaret Cho and more.

For more information about the summit, find out how to get involved, and to receive updates as it develops visit and sign up here .

United Nations Human Rights and the University of Oxford Unveil Plans for Landmark Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit to Be Held 4-7 June 2025

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:48:52 GMT

Celebrities Billie Jean King, Barbra Streisand, Neil Young, Ziggy Marley, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, and more unite with United Nations Human Rights and leading universities to support upcoming global climate justice summit and call world attention to the human rights implications of the climate crisis.

OXFORD, UK, 16 September 2024 -- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) and the University of Oxford today announced plans to host the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , bringing together renowned experts and leaders, policymakers, technologists, academics and universities, celebrities, and more to advance climate justice through human rights solutions to the climate crisis.

The announcement was made today by Professor Irene Tracey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, as she hosted Elisa Morgera, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change, Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and representatives from UN Human Rights. Ambitious plans were unveiled for a first of its kind global climate justice summit to be held in Oxford from 4-7 June 2025, in conjunction with participating universities around the world being convened by the International Universities Climate Alliance .

As a major initiative of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance , the event aims to redefine the concept of international summits. The University of Oxford, Academic Partner of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, will coordinate with universities around the world hosting climate-related programs over the four days. Set against the backdrop of Oxford's storied colleges, this summit will also ignite a global dialogue on 5 June 2025 - UN World Environment Day - with a 24-hour global plenary broadcast live across every time zone.

In a critical move to galvanize global action and summit support, this week UN Human Rights and the Right Here, Right Now celebrity coalition including social justice icon Billie Jean King, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Neil Young, Ziggy Marley, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, Rachel Platt, Kyra Sedgwick, Margaret Cho and more, united in a social media blitz with urgent messages expected to reach a collective audience of more than 150 million followers.

The initiative is being launched nine months in advance of the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit to ensure participants, media, and the public have ample time to engage, paving the way for meaningful progress.

“With our well-established and world-leading expertise in climate-related research and teaching, the University of Oxford is proud to be the Academic Partner for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host this pivotal summit with UN Human Rights, bringing together leaders in human rights and climate research from around the world, across a wide range of disciplines with the common goal of finding solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change,” said Professor Tracey.

“As the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, UN Human Rights is grateful to the University of Oxford, universities worldwide, and the International Universities Climate Alliance, for their commitment to work with us to advance human rights solutions to prevent, minimize and remedy the human suffering caused by the climate crisis,” said Astrid van Genderen Stort, UN Human Rights, Chief External Engagement and Partnerships.

The approach to the summit will also mark a paradigm shift in how international gatherings and global collaboration can thrive while minimizing the carbon footprint of traditional travel. The main event of the summit, the 24-hour global plenary, coordinated by International Universities Climate Alliance, will be co-hosted by the University of Cape Town, University of Colorado Boulder, Monash University, University of Nairobi, University of Oxford, University of São Paulo, UNSW Sydney and more , and will include live and virtual lectures, keynote speeches, and panel discussions. Academic institutions around the world will transform into hubs of climate consciousness, hosting ‘watch parties’ and local co-host activities, uniting their communities in this historic exchange of ideas.

"Since launching this movement alongside our global partner UN Human Rights at COP26 in Glasgow, with the backing of influential voices like Leonardo DiCaprio, Camilla Cabello, and Quincy Jones, we are immensely proud of the multi-faceted, rapidly growing and innovative climate justice initiative that Right Here, Right Now has become," said David Clark, Founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. "Our Academic Partner, the University of Oxford, has responded to the call, leveraging their unique power to engage experts in crafting solutions to the human rights challenges posed by the climate crisis. We also extend our gratitude to the International Universities Climate Alliance for their vital role in uniting universities around the world to help drive the global summit and plenary."

Building on the ambitious Right Here, Right Now Human Rights Climate Commitments recently unveiled by UN Human Rights, the University of Colorado Boulder, and global experts at COP28 in Dubai, the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit hosted by UN Human Rights and the University of Oxford aims to set a new benchmark in the global fight for climate justice with a forum designed to address the following objectives:

● Advance human-rights solutions to the climate crisis

● Celebrate and elevate the voices of environmental human-rights defenders

● Reinforce and bring together key elements of the global climate-justice movement while minimizing carbon footprint

● Empower and inspire people, especially students, as agents for climate justice now, and in future careers

ABOUT

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

Launched at COP26 in 2021 with global partner UN Human Rights, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN) has emerged as a leading global climate justice initiative. It is a multi-stakeholder movement, driven by universities and youth to promote climate justice. To drive sustainable change, RHRN collaborates with policymakers, academics, students, scientists, technologists, media professionals, business leaders, and influencers from art, music, and sport to advance human rights solutions to the climate crisis. RHRN celebrity-driven social media campaigns to date have collectively reached nearly two billion followers with messages promoting climate justice.

UN Human Rights

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN). It represents the world’s commitment to the promotion, protection, and realization of the full range of human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through the voice and the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a staff of 1,800 in 103 countries, the Office aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere. Fighting climate change is at the very heart of the Office´s mandate, as it already negatively affects the human rights of millions of people around the world – human rights such as those to food, water, housing, health, decent work, development and even life itself.

University of Oxford

Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the eighth year running, and number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.

International Universities Climate Alliance

Neil Young, Annie Lennox & more mobilize for climate change awareness

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 15:00:55 GMT

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Neil Young , Annie Lennox and Carole King are among the stars who have joined a 24-hour social media campaign to amplify climate change awareness.

The artists are all posting on Thursday to support the goals of the United Nations Human Rights initiative Right Here Right Now Global Climate Alliance. The plan is for them, as well as stars like Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, Billie Jean King, Ziggy Marley, and Jack Black, to reach more than 150 million people on their combined socials.

The message they’re all sharing is “Climate Change is a Human Rights Crisis,” as well as invitations for fans to learn about the Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit , set for June 2025 at the University of Oxford.

“Together, we can champion human rights-based solutions [and] amplify environmental defenders’ voices,” the message continues.

The initiative is being launched nine months ahead of the actual event, according to organizers, so that “co-host universities around the world, participants, media, and the public have ample time to engage, paving the way for meaningful progress.”

Inside Green Day's Intimate "Right Here, Right Now" Global Climate Concert In San Francisco

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 16:10:54 GMT

A collaboration between the Recording Academy and United Nations Human Rights, the April 2 concert at the Fillmore highlighted Green Day's commitment to social justice and environmental causes.

Bay Area pop-punk band Green Day returned to their roots on April 2 for a high-energy sold-out show at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium. The two-hour set rocked through their latest album, 2024's Saviors , and 2004's American Idiot in full — but the four-time GRAMMY winners were performing for more than just a homecoming.

The band (which is known for performing "secret" shows outside of their typical stadium-sized environs) performed as part of the "Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert," an event co-hosted by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Recording Academy. Now in its second iteration, the concert aims to raise awareness of the human rights crisis resulting from climate change. Green Day were selected as an international honoree for their commitment to social and environmental justice.

"As world renowned artists and activists, Green Day continues to leverage its major influence and platform to bring awareness to the impact of climate change on the people and the environment," United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a release . "The United Nations was founded in San Francisco almost 80 years ago….It is only fitting that we are back in San Francisco promoting human rights-based approaches and solutions to the climate crisis as co-hosts along with the Recording Academy."

Proceeds from the concert will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a dedicated Right Here, Right Now climate fund at MusiCares to help musicians affected by climate change.

The slogan "Right Here, Right Now" was projected onto the stage before each set. Following openers Ultra Q (fronted by Jakob Armstrong, Billie Joe ’s son), the now five-piece Green Day powered through through song after song at breakneck speed, with zero small-talk between songs — except just once.

"This one goes out to all you weird motherf—ing QAnon motherf—ers out there," Billie Joe Armstrong said to the crowd. Then Green Day then launched into "Living in the '20s," the twelfth track on Saviors, a song that calls out shootings, robots, the media and more.

It’s doubtful there were too many right-wing-leaning, QAnon-supporting people in the audience: the Fillmore show felt more like a gathering of super fans who have probably followed Green Day for the majority of their decades-long career. In total, Green Day has been nominated for 17 GRAMMYs and won four times.

The biggest hit of the night was arguably "American Idiot," the title track of the album that won Best Rock Album at the 2005 GRAMMYs. As the band performed "American Idiot," dozens of people in the crowd held their phones up to record video of the performance, and many people could be seen singing along with Armstrong. Fans waved their arms and cheered during the song "Jesus of Suburbia."

Green Day got their start in the late '80s/early '90s Bay Area punk scene and helped spearhead that era’s punk surge into the mainstream. But the band’s early days were spent playing garages and tiny shows far outside San Francisco, in small Bay Area towns like Pinole and Rodeo. The name "Green Day" is essentially a cannabis reference: "It was absolutely about pot," Armstrong told Bill Maher . "We were trying to be the Cheech and Chong of punk rock."

To say they’ve transcended that simple goal is an understatement. The band has sold tens of millions of records and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2010, a stage adaptation of "American Idiot" debuted on Broadway, and the musical was later nominated for three Tony Awards.

The April 2 show was evidence that the band didn’t achieve success by accident: they are precise, tight, and as energetic now as they’ve always been. No frills, no filler. Just straight-up Green Day.

Green Day To Headline UN-Backed Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:45:05 GMT

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has announced Green Day will headline the second Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert to be presented by United Nations Human Rights and The Recording Academy at The Fillmore in San Francisco on April 2.

The ecologically driven concert aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change.

Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a dedicated Right Here, Right Now climate fund at MusiCares to help musicians affected by climate change.

Wesley Schultz, lead singer and co-founder of the two-time Grammy-nominated band the Lumineers headlined the event last year, with six-time Grammy-nominated artist Yola making an appearance as a special guest.

"We are pleased to recognize Green Day and excited for the incredible band to help us launch the international Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series," said Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "As world-renowned artists and activists, Green Day continues to leverage its major influence and platform to bring awareness to the impact of climate change on the people and the environment."

David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, added, "It's a privilege and honor to have Green Day headline the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert in San Francisco. We selected the band, as Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool have been at the forefront promoting social justice initiatives for decades."

Green Day To Headline "Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert" In San Francisco On April 2, Presented By United Nations Human Rights & The Recording Academy

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:00:36 GMT

Green Day will headline the Mini Global Climate Concert Tuesday, April 2, at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California, co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the Recording Academy

Green Day have been selected as the headliner and international honorees of the ecologically driven concert, which aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change.

As four-time GRAMMY winners and 17-time GRAMMY nominees, Green Day have an uncommonly visible platform in the music industry. And we're seeing them use it for critical, world-repairing ends.

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (Right Here, Right Now) is proud to announce Green Day as the headliners and international honorees of the United Nations Human Rights-supported Mini Global Climate Concert. Taking place Tuesday, April 2, at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California, the event aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change. Co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the Recording Academy, the event will also recognize Green Day for their longstanding commitment to social justice and environmental causes.

Tickets for the intimate benefit concert will go on sale Friday, March 29, at noon PT/3 p.m. ET through Ticketmaster . Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a dedicated Right Here, Right Now climate fund at MusiCares to help musicians affected by climate change. MusiCares is the leading music charity providing music professionals health and human services across a spectrum of needs.

The Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series is bringing together some of the most popular stadium acts to perform at intimate concert venues around the globe, while shining a light on the human rights-based approaches and solutions to climate change and the suffering it causes. The Green Day concert is the second installment of the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series, which kicked off last April with an intimate concert headlined by Wesley Schultz , lead singer and co-founder of the two-time GRAMMY-nominated band the Lumineers , and six-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Yola as a special guest.

The Mini Global Climate Concert Series is part of the Right Here, Right Now Music initiative , a collaboration between the Recording Academy and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (Right Here, Right Now), which launched last April and aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change.

"We are pleased to recognize Green Day and excited for the incredible band to help us launch the international Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series," states Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "As world-renowned artists and activists, Green Day continues to leverage its major influence and platform to bring awareness to the impact of climate change on the people and the environment. The United Nations was founded in San Francisco almost 80 years ago to safeguard human rights and dignity from crisis and tragedy. It is only fitting that we are back in San Francisco promoting human rights-based approaches and solutions to the climate crisis as co-hosts along with the Recording Academy."

David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, said, "It's a privilege and honor to have Green Day headline the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert in San Francisco. We selected the band, as Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tré Cool have been at the forefront promoting social justice initiatives for decades. When iconic artists like Green Day leverage their global platform to promote climate justice, the world takes notice. In their new song ‘Saviors,’ they mention they're 'the last of the rockers making a commotion,' which we're all grateful for. I believe when you stand for something – you stand out, and they certainly do!"

"Music is one of humanity's greatest resources. It moves the world," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "Our organization exists to harness music's power to make a better world. We are proud to be co-hosting the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert with the United Nations Human Rights team and we are grateful for Green Day's longstanding dedication to promoting social justice."

Formed in 1986 in Berkeley, California, Green Day is one of the most popular and best-selling bands of all time with more than 75 million records sold worldwide and 10 billion cumulative audio/visual streams. On January 19, 2024, Green Day released their highly anticipated 14th studio album, Saviors , which debuted at No.1 on seven different Billboard charts and marked their fifth No.1 in the UK. On May 30, Green Day will kick off their massive global stadium tour – The Saviors Tour — where they'll play Dookie and American Idiot in their entirety, along with other Saviors cuts and fan favorites. The tour will conclude on September 28 at Petco Park in San Diego.

Since launching in 2021 at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has emerged as a leading multi-stakeholder partnership for climate justice, bringing together human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates, and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance driven by universities and youth has also garnered support from celebrities that include Leonardo DiCaprio, Quincy Jones , Celine Dion , Cher , Jeff Bridges, Camila Cabello, Ellen DeGeneres, Edward Norton, Annie Lennox , Cyndi Lauper , Pitbull , LL Cool J , Joss Stone , Kesha , and Jack Black , to name just a few. In 2025, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit will be hosted by the University of Oxford, the Global Academic Partner of Right Here, Right Now.

Learn more about Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance .

Green Day will headline United Nations-backed global climate concert in San Francisco

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:33:07 GMT

From: APNews.com

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Green Day will headline a United Nations Human Rights-backed global climate concert on Tuesday at the famed Fillmore in San Francisco.

The intimate event, which is co-hosted by the Recording Academy, aims to bring attention to the inequalities exacerbated by climate change .

Ultra Q, an alternative rock band fronted by Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s son Jakob Danger, will open.

Proceeds from the concert will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a MusiCares climate fund to benefit musicians affected by climate change.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance will honor Green Day for their “commitment to social justice and environmental causes,” according to a press release.

“As world renowned artists and activists, Green Day continues to leverage its major influence and platform to bring awareness to the impact of climate change on the people and the environment,” Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.

“The United Nations was founded in San Francisco almost 80 years ago to safeguard human rights and dignity from crisis and tragedy. It is only fitting that we are back in San Francisco,” he said.

“Music is one of humanity’s greatest resources. It moves the world,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy , added. “And we are grateful for Green Day’s longstanding dedication to promoting social justice.”

2024 Call for Code Empowers Developers to Help Improve Equitable Access to Essential Needs by Creating Solutions with IBM watsonx

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:45:24 GMT

Now in its seventh year, Call for Code challenges developers and university students worldwide to build AI-powered solutions to help historically underserved and vulnerable people access essential needs

BOULDER, CO., Feb. 29, 2024 -- Today, Call for Code Creator, David Clark Cause , Founding Partner IBM (NYSE: IBM ), Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights , and Program Affiliate the Linux Foundation launched the 2024 Call for Code Global Challenge to empower developers to use generative AI technology to create solutions that aim to improve equitable access to resources and opportunities for historically underserved and vulnerable people. This year, individual participants will have access to a trial version of IBM watsonx , IBM’s AI and data platform, which will include IBM watsonx.ai , IBM watsonx.governance and IBM watsonx Assistant . In addition, participants will have access to other IBM technology on IBM Cloud .

“Necessities like clean water, safe affordable housing, and opportunities in education and fair government representation are not equally available to all people. Climate change exacerbates these challenges in underserved communities’ whose resources are often strained and inadequate,” said David Clark, Founder and CEO of Call for Code. “With generative AI technology like watsonx, the developer community has a powerful tool to help tackle these issues, in order to help reduce inequality and improve people’s lives around the world.”

Participating developers will access a trial version of IBM watsonx, which is designed with principles of transparency, responsibility and governance, and IBM’s hybrid cloud platform to develop solutions to help address equitable access issues in areas such as effective climate change policies and protections; affordable and clean energy; clean water and awareness of water quality; leadership and income opportunities; safe and affordable housing; representation; technology; and quality education.

“What makes Call for Code such a dynamic developer challenge is its ability to rally and inspire students, developers, and problem-solvers from universities and companies around the world to use AI and other technology to help address some of society’s most pressing issues,” said Savio Rodrigues, Vice President, Ecosystem Engineering & Developer Advocacy, IBM. “This year, participants can build with IBM watsonx to help power their solutions, and will also have access to IBM mentors and free courses in generative AI, to help ensure they are able to create the most impactful submissions.”

The 2024 challenge will feature one single round, which opens on March 8 with submissions due by October 17. A Grand Prize Winner will be awarded $50,000 USD and solution implementation support from the Call for Code ecosystem. The 1st runner-up will win $25,000 USD and the 2nd runner-up will receive $10,000 USD. The top-scoring team comprised entirely of university students will also earn a $30,000 USD grant to be awarded to their school or shared by up to 5 schools represented by the team members.

Universities are helping promote Call for Code in the classroom and are working to support and co-host Call for Code events throughout the year in support of the Global Challenge, including B.N.M. Institute of Technology, Dallas College, Florida Atlantic University, Georgia Institute of Technology, JSS Academy of Technical Education, Northwestern University, Pace University, University of Central Florida, University of North Texas, REVA University, and The University of Sydney.

Call for Code also encourages participants to refer to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a resource to help inspire problem-solving.

The top three winning teams are eligible to receive open-source support from the Linux Foundation.

About Call for Code Global Challenge 

Developers have revolutionized the way people live and interact with virtually everyone and everything. Where most people see challenges, developers see possibilities. That's why David Clark, the CEO of David Clark Cause, created Call for Code in 2018, and launched it alongside Founding Partner IBM and Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights. In 2022 Call for Code was selected as the preferred innovation platform for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the largest public/private initiative in the world promoting climate justice. The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Right Here, Right Now Human Rights Climate Commitments released in Dubai

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 14:16:24 GMT

University of Oxford joins Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance as Academic Partner, and host of 2024 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit

At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance unveiled the first iteration of a groundbreaking initiative for rights-based climate action, the Right Here, Right Now Human Rights Climate Commitments (HRCC) .

The rights-based commitments, developed in collaboration with UN Human Rights (UNHR), are based on the specific human rights obligations and responsibilities of states and other actors. The commitments began to take shape at the first Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit held at CU Boulder in December 2022. The summit was attended by people representing approximately 100 countries .

S. James Anaya, CU Boulder distinguished international law professor and a former UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, led the drafting of the commitments, which involved experts from around the world. The alliance is now asking for global feedback from various sectors—from business to education.

“The commitments place human rights at the center of climate policy and seek to ensure that climate action has human rights as its main objective,” said Anaya. “They provide guide posts to what different governments, businesses and institutions of higher education need to do to address climate change.”

Watch the press conference

CU Boulder’s involvement in COP28

Coverage of the 2022 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit

The commitments are tailored to the major actors that hold obligations or responsibilities regarding human rights, including independent states, sub-national governments, businesses and educational institutions. In the build-up to COP29, these actors will be asked to take on these commitments and announce their pledges, which will then be verified for compliance.

At the COP press conference Friday, Ana Paula De Sauza, human rights officer for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that rights-based climate action leads to more effective and sustainable outcomes. The commitments she and other panelists unveiled at COP28 are meant to offer guidance to duty bearers that will help them work more effectively to advance human rights, including a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment through climate action.

“In short, we want and desperately need climate justice now, and this is what people across the world are demanding,” De Sauza said, noting that the commitments are “not optional.”

“They are necessary—critical to human survival,” she said. “The commitments are inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the framework of human rights treaties that followed. They are the action we need now. The action that is required of us.”

In addition to highlighting the commitments, it was announced that the University of Oxford will take over as co-host of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit in 2025.

Meantime, CU Boulder is soliciting feedback from the Right Here, Right Now Education Coalition members, sharing existing curricular resources and promoting Right Here, Right Now Global Alliance programming and activities to encourage the coalition's growth and engagement in the cause of accelerating human rights-based climate solutions.

To launch this year’s programming, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has garnered support from celebrities including Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, Carole King, Laura Pausini, Rob Thomas, Jeff Bridges and Chelsea Handler for climate justice and to commemorate the 75th anniversary on Dec. 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

UN Human Rights-supported Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Selects University of Oxford as Academic Partner

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 13:57:11 GMT

Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, Carole King, Laura Pausini, Rob Thomas, Jeff Bridges and More Ignite COP28 Right Here, Right Now Campaign

DUBAI, UAE, December 8, 2023 / EINPresswire.com / -- At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN), a multi-year international climate justice initiative supported by global partner United Nations Human Rights (UNHR), announced the University of Oxford has been selected as Right Here, Right Now Academic Partner. As part of the multi-year initiative, the prestigious university will co-host the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with UNHR. The global summit in Oxford, UK will include satellite events staged by supporting universities around the world, as well as an all-star awareness concert co-hosted by the Recording Academy ^® , United Nations Human Rights, and the University of Oxford.

“With our well-established and world-leading expertise in climate related research, the University of Oxford is proud to be the Academic Partner for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to co-host this pivotal summit, bringing together leaders in human rights and climate research from around the world, across a wide range of disciplines, with the common goal of finding solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change,” said Irene Tracey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

RHRN and UNHR unveiled the first iteration of the Human Rights Climate Commitments (HRCC), a groundbreaking initiative for rights-based climate action inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments. This global initiative facilitated by UNHR and the University of Colorado Boulder is based on the specific human rights obligations and responsibilities of states and other actors, including businesses. The HRCC are tailored to specific human rights duty-bearers, including states, sub-national governments, businesses, and educational institutions. They will be updated periodically to reflect the latest science and highest standards creating a continually self-renewed virtuous cycle of opportunities for duty-bearers to increase the ambition of their commitments to rights-based climate action. In the build-up to COP29, duty-bearers will be asked to take on these commitments and announce their pledges. Pledges will be monitored for compliance and the results will be publicly reported. The HRCC has been shepherded by S. James Anaya, Distinguished International Law Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, and a former UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.

RHRN also revealed that its celebrity driven COP28 campaign for climate justice commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights including Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, Carole King, Laura Pausini, Rob Thomas, Jeff Bridges, Chelsea Handler and more has reached over a 300 million social media followers.

Other RHRN partners represented at the press conference included Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy ^® , RHRN’s Global Music Partner, and Chantel Sausedo, VP Artist Relations of the Recording Academy.

“We are thrilled that the University of Oxford will serve as the Academic Partner for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, and co-host the second Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit next year at Oxford,” said Ben Schachter, Coordinator of the Environment and Climate Change Team at United Nations Human Rights. “The first edition of the Human Rights Climate Commitments being shared today is the product of a consultative, multistakeholder process initiated in the leadup to and informed by the first Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit organized at the University of Colorado Boulder. We are excited to continue working on these iterative, collective commitments in the years to come through a process of ongoing consultation that will ensure they evolve along with our understanding of climate change and its impacts on human rights.”

“At COP28, we are so pleased to announce the progress that Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has made in the development of several of our climate justice initiatives, including the Human Rights Climate Commitments, which will provide a unique human rights framework for government and business leaders, human rights advocates, climate experts, and universities to kickstart critical action to address the human rights crisis resulting from climate change. We are also honored that the University of Oxford ‘answered the call’ to become our global Academic Partner and co-host the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with United Nations Human Rights,” said David Clark, Founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.

ABOUT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW GLOBAL CLIMATE ALLIANCE
Since its launch in 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has emerged as the largest public-private partnership addressing climate change as a human rights issue, bringing together human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates, and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action. In addition to the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit and Human Rights Climate Commitments, next year the alliance will introduce more global initiatives with best-in-class partners in sport, music, education, and technology. The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has garnered support from celebrities that include Leonardo DiCaprio, Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Cher, Jeff Bridges, Camila Cabello, Ellen DeGeneres, Edward Norton, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Pitbull, LL Cool J, Joss Stone, Kesha, and Jack Black, to name just a few. For more information, visit: www.righthererightnow.global

ABOUT UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (“United Nations Human Rights”) is the leading United Nations entity on human rights with a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people. Under the leadership of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a staff of 1,500 working in more than 100 countries, it aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere. For more information, visit: www.ohchr.org

2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Winners Tackle Agriculture, Farming and Food Waste Issues with IBM Technology

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 19:11:39 GMT

From: IBM.com

Winning teams from Hexaware Technologies, Persistent, and The University of Sydney develop AI-powered solutions to help overcome sustainability challenges

BOULDER, CO., Dec. 6, 2023 – Today, Call for Code Creator, David Clark Cause, Founding Partner IBM (NYSE: IBM ), Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights , and Program Affiliate the Linux Foundation announced the winners of the sixth annual Call for Code Global Challenge, which invited innovators across the globe to develop AI-powered technology projects that address sustainability to help fight climate change. This year’s top prizes went to team AGNO, Phyto and team Synergy Squad, all of which used technologies like IBM watsonx and IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite , to address agricultural issues ranging from contaminated soil and crop management to food waste.

“This year we introduced a new, always-on format for Call for Code that gives developers at every stage of their career – from students to seasoned professionals – more opportunities to participate, gain skills, and build sustainable solutions,” said David Clark, founder and CEO of Call for Code. "Congratulations to the 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge winning teams, who continue to play a crucial role in bringing solutions to market that tackle today’s most pressing sustainability issues.”

2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Winning Teams

This year, to help developers make an even greater impact, Call for Code transitioned from a single, annual global challenge to quarterly “Challenge Rounds” throughout the year. Winners from each round moved on to the Grand Prize round, where one winning team was determined from each of Call for Code’s Developer, University, and Independent Software Vendor/Startup categories. The Grand Prize winning teams listed below will each receive $50,000 USD, as well as solution implementation support from the Call for Code ecosystem, as applicable. The developer and university winners will receive assistance from the Linux Foundation to open source their application.

The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Developer Winner is AGNO, a team from Hexaware Technologies who developed the FARMISTAR platform built with watsonx.ai and IBM watsonx Assistant . The team aims to help small farmers stay up to date with weather forecasts and AI-driven crop management strategies.
The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge University Winner is Phyto , a group of students from The University of Sydney who used IBM Watson Studio and the IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite to build an AI-powered geospatial and weather analytics tool designed to help farmers rehabilitate contaminated soil naturally.
·The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Independent Software Vendor/Startup Winner is Synergy Squad, a team from Persistent who built Offshelf , an IBM Watson Speech to Text powered solution designed to help households reduce food waste. Through the platform, people will receive notifications before a product expires to notify them that a food item needs to be used by a specific date.

“Over the past six years, Call for Code has inspired developers and problem solvers worldwide to build solutions that tackle issues core to our planet such as sustainable farming practices, water quality, and clean energy,” said Kate Woolley, general manager, IBM Ecosystem. “I would like to congratulate today’s winners, and all the 2023 Call for Code participants, who have shown how new technologies such as IBM watsonx can be harnessed to create projects that have the potential to drive lasting change for our planet.”

About Call for Code

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Photography 4 Humanity - United Nations

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 19:05:35 GMT

From: UN.org

Photography 4 Humanity calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images. Highlighting the most compelling human rights imagery - illustrating courage, despair, hope, injustice, compassion in ways small and large, the photos serve to inspire people to get involved and take a stand for human rights.

Photography 4 Humanity encourages amateur and professional photographers alike, to submit images for an annual competition where the winner and top 10 finalists have their photographs exhibited by the United Nations globally via un.org.

Photography 4 Humanity, with the support of the UN Human Rights Office, call upon photographers around the world to capture images of people affected by climate change.

These images depict climate change as a human rights crisis, as women, children, minorities, the poor and marginalized suffer disproportionately as the climate catastrophe escalates.

The exhibit is developed to highlight the work of top photographers through the Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize Competition, and to inspire photographers to document the power of human rights around the world.

The exhibit is created and organized by Photography 4 Humanity with the support of UN Human Rights Office.

Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper & More Artists Join Climate Change Human Rights Campaign

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 17:56:29 GMT

From: Billboard.com

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance is rallying artists to urge leaders at the COP28 climate summit to support climate justice goals.

As the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference begins in Dubai, a crew of music artists are putting their support behind a campaign that links climate action and human rights.

As part of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, artists including Demi Lovato , Cyndi Lauper , Carole King and Annie Lennox have released statements urging leaders at the climate summit to support climate justice goals. The campaign will benefit from the artists’ combined social media followings of more than 300 million, with the goal to build support for United Nations Human Rights climate justice goals. Rob Thomas will add his voice to the campaign in the coming days.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance addresses climate change through the lens of human rights, coalescing input from human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action to preserve the future of humanity and the planet. The organization is partnered with the United Nations Human Rights, one of the U.N.’s major divisions.

All four artists released statements supporting the campaign via Instagram.

“By working together and supporting rights-based climate action for people and the planet,” Lovato wrote, “we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”

“Climate change is the SINGLE BIGGEST HEALTH THREAT FACING HUMANITY,” Lennox wrote. “The impacts are already harming health through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, food insecurity, and pressures on mental health. Every year environmental factors take the lives of 13 million people… Climate change is a huge challenge, yet there ARE MANY SOLUTIONS. These solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving our lives and protecting the environment.”

“The impacts of climate change are now being felt in all countries, yet not all people are being impacted the same way,” wrote Lauper. “Climate change is hitting the poorest and most vulnerable women, children and marginalized people of the world most.”

“By working together and supporting inclusive, rights-based climate action for people and the planet,” wrote King, “we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”

The social media campaign precedes a press conference from the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and United Nations Human Rights in Dubai at COP28 on Dec. 8. The press conference will include Recording Academy president Panos A. Panay and Chantel Sausedo , the Recording Academy’s vp of artist relations, who together will discuss the organization’s goals of using music to promote climate justice and rights-based climate action.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit will be held at the University of Oxford from Sept. 11-14, 2024 and end with the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert. The lineup for the event will be announced at a later date.

Recording Academy & United Nations Human Rights Celebrate 75th Anniversary Of The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 16:48:36 GMT

From: RecordingAcademy.com

Climate justice and rights-based climate action are among the most pressing issues of the modern era. Naturally, United Nations Human Rights is committed to this fight — and it understands that music is the universal language.

That's why the organization partnered with the world's leading society of music people — the Recording Academy — to ring in the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

And they did it at the Academy's New York Chapter Office, with a gripping performance by five-time GRAMMY winner Angélique Kidjo and GRAMMY nominee JP Saxe. Dubbed a Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert, the event leads off a series of the same name.

"We are immensely proud to have celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in our Recording Academy New York office and I'm thrilled to continue our impactful partnership with the United Nations," Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement.

The concert series aims to bring together some of the most popular arena acts to perform in small iconic concert venues around the globe while shining a light on climate issues such as floods, droughts, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, clean water, ocean acidity, deforestation, as well as food insecurity, mental health, and more.

Other cities being considered for Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts in 2024 include Berlin, London, Kigali, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro. Wesley Schultz of the two-time GRAMMY-nominated band the Lumineers and six-time GRAMMY-nominated British singer-songwriter YOLA performed at the first U.S. concert held earlier this year in Boulder, Colorado.

"I look forward to working alongside UN Human Rights," he continued, "to showcase how the power of music can raise awareness and help promote change surrounding human rights issues around the world," Mason jr continued.

Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and MusiCares, the leading music charity providing music professionals health and human services across a spectrum of needs. The Right Here, Right Now MusiCares Fund was established this year to focus relief efforts for music communities impacted by climate crisis.

Said David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, parent organization of Right Here, Right Now Music: "The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights document was created after the upheaval of WWII to outline individual human rights for everyone.

"As we celebrate its 75th anniversary," he continued, "we are proud to use it as the foundation to bring world attention to the human rights implications resulting from climate change, as the poor and marginalized continue to bear the brunt of it.

"Through our upcoming Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts," Clark added, "we seek to reframe the climate crisis as the fundamental human rights crisis that it is and thank the Recording Academy and UN Human Rights for being such dedicated partners in this worldwide effort."

Since its unveiling at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has emerged as the largest public-private partnership addressing climate change as a human rights issue, assembling human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates, and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action to preserve our common future.

Keep checking RecordingAcademy.com for more info about the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts, and the Academy's thrilling, ongoing collaboration with United Nations Human Rights.

Angélique Kidjo, JP Saxe Lead Intimate Concert For United Nations Human Rights

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:21:09 GMT

From: Billboard.com

The expanding Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert series will elevate awareness of climate justice.

Angélique Kidjo and JP Saxe have thrown their talents behind a special invite-only concert in New York, part of an expanding United Nations initiative to highlight climate justice and rights-based climate action.

Kidjo, the five-time Grammy Award-winning Beninese-French singer-songwriter, and Saxe, the Grammy nominated Canadian singer and musician, both performed at a private industry event, hosted at the Recording Academy’s office with reps from UN Human Rights watching on.

The Recording Academy is the official music partner of Right Here, Right Now Music, supported by United Nations Human Rights, with both organizations coming together to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights, created in the wake of WWII to outline universal human rights.

Guests at the intimate show also learned “alarming new facts” about the escalating human rights crisis caused by climate change, according to a joint statement.

The music-led project is just getting started. Some of the “most popular arena acts” will be encouraged to use their considerable voice to elevate climate issue for the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert series. As-yet unannounced major artists will be tapped to perform in “small iconic concert venues” around the world, a statement explains, while shining a light on climate issues such as floods, droughts, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, clean water, ocean acidity, deforestation, as well as food insecurity, mental health, and more.

The first international activation is set for Dec. 9 with a show at the Atlantis in Dubai during COP28, the UN’s annual global climate change conference.

Grammy-nominated Lumineers’ frontman Wesley Schultz and British singer-songwriter YOLA performed at the first U.S. event, held April 13 in Boulder, Colorado, at which the performers delivered speeches “addressing the importance of utilizing music as a tool to combat climate change,” read a joint statement issued at the time.

Berlin, London, Kigali, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro are among the cities being considered for Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts next year.

Through the climate concerts, says David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, parent organization of Right Here, Right Now Music, “we seek to reframe the climate crisis as the fundamental human rights crisis that it is and thank the Recording Academy and UN Human Rights for being such dedicated partners in this worldwide effort.”

Adds Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, “I look forward to working alongside UN Human Rights to showcase how the power of music can raise awareness and help promote change surrounding human rights issues around the world.”

Proceeds from the concert series will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and music industry charity MusiCares.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance was presented at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland and has earned support from a growing list of artists, including Jack Black, Camila Cabello, Cher, Dead & Company, Celine Dion, Michael Franti, Quincy Jones, Kesha, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, LL Cool J, Pitbull, Joss Stone, Bob Weir, and more.

5 Takeaways From The Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 21:50:23 GMT

From: RecordingAcademy.com

The first activation of the Recording Academy's collaboration with United Nations Human Rights featured impassioned speeches about climate change and unforgettable performances from the Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz and special guest Yola.

For centuries, music has soundtracked the fight for societal change and revolutions around the world. From the protest anthems of the Civil Rights Movement to the powerful songs fueling the protests in Iran , music has remained an essential ingredient in the ongoing battle for progress and universal equality. Now, the Recording Academy, in partnership with United Nations Human Rights, continues this long tradition of championing progress via music.

This month, the Recording Academy announced a partnership with several United Nations Human Rights-supported global initiatives that aims to promote global social justice via the power of music. The multifaceted campaign will invite leading artists to use their talents and platforms to advocate for United Nations Human Rights goals, including advocating for the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community as well as a host of other human rights issues, including gender equality and climate justice.

The Right Here, Right Now Music initiative — a partnership between the Recording Academy and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (Right Here, Right Now) — aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change, a timely issue impacting vurnerable communities around the world.

The Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series, the first activation in this newly announced partnership, addressed this important issue head-on. The concert, held in Colorado's iconic Boulder Theater on Thursday, April 13, enlisted major artists, including the Lumineers lead singer and co-founder Wesley Schultz and special guest Yola, as well as leaders in the music and intergovernmental industries to call attention to the human rights implications of climate change.

The powerful performances from Yola and Schultz — combined with speeches addressing the importance of utilizing music as a tool to combat climate change — created an atmosphere of longing with an undercurrent of hope for the future.

"I wanted to show our support for these hosts, the Recording Academy and the United Nations [Human Rights], at this forum that addressed the interconnectedness of human rights and climate change," Schultz told the Recording Academy via email about his involvement in the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series. "As touring musicians, we can raise awareness about sustainable goals and inspire dialogue about the global climate crisis. As touring musicians, we can raise awareness and amplify calls to action for governments, education, businesses, and individuals to fight the global climate crisis.

"It is everyone's responsibility to help battle climate change," he continued. "But as touring musicians, we must work to seek out real solutions to the sizable carbon footprint that being on the road causes. That's why I'm working with an organization like Sound Future , who are working on finding systemic fixes to help touring become more carbon neutral."

The Recording Academy attended the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series in person. Below are five key takeaways from the collaborative launch event.

The Event's Location Was Chosen Deliberately

Outdoor marquee sign at the Boulder Theater in Colorado for the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series on April 13, 2023 | Photo: David Rose

David Clark , founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, explained that launching the Mini Global Climate Concert Series in Boulder, Colorado, an area he described as a "hotbed" for climate justice, was a very conscious choice.

"We've got amazing national labs that are coming up with cutting-edge technology, cutting-edge data, research that's shaping the climate dialogue around the world," he said at the concert.

Boulder was also the home of last year's Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , which hosted experts from over 100 nations, including Mary Robinson , the former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of Ireland.

The Climate Crisis Is A Human Crisis

The climate crisis already disproportionately impacts socially vulnerable groups : women, children, low-income families, and other historically marginalized communities.

"Human-caused climate change has already caused substantial and irreversible damage to ecosystems and livelihoods with disproportionate impacts on people in ongoing situations," Benjamin Schachter, UN Human Rights Team Leader for Environment and Climate Change, explained from the stage.

Schachter emphasized that countless lives have been lost due to the climate crisis already, and millions of people are displaced by climate and weather-related disasters annually.

Music Creates Powerful Connections

(L-R) David Clark, Harvey Mason jr., Chantel Sausedo, Benjamin Schachter | Photo: David Rose

The Recording Academy has a long history of championing change through the power of music — a point highlighted throughout the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series.

"Music is a crucial means of [catalyzing transformative action]," Schachter said. "It constitutes a common language, a means of expression."

"Music has some special abilities," Harvey Mason jr. , CEO of the Recording Academy, explained in an impassioned speech from the stage. "It has the ability to give a voice to those that have none, to shine a light on injustices that exist in our world, and to inspire us all to take action."

Mason jr. also amplified an impactful message that reflected the theme of the night: Music is not just a means for entertainment, but a "powerful tool to galvanize social movements to speak the truth, the power to create community and to bring disparate people together for a common cause."

The World Must Band Together

Yola performing at the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series at the Boulder Theater in Colorado on April 13, 2023 | Photo: David Rose

Internationally acclaimed and GRAMMY-nominated guest artist Yola performed a no-frills set of raw, vocally driven songs intertwined with the mellow strum of her acoustic guitar. Many of Yola's songs spoke to her newfound strength to stand up for herself, a concept she explored on her 2021 album, Stand For Myself, and clap back at those in power — an appropriate theme that resonated throughout the environmental justice concert.

"This next one might be a little on the nose," Yola chuckled on stage as she introduced her aptly named, GRAMMY-nominated song, " Diamond Studded Shoes, " and described the diamond-studded heels of a politician who was "slapping the meals out of kids' hands." The song's moving lyrics — "For the life and soul of the world we know/Fight, 'cause the promise is never gonna be enough" — and theme fully captured the message of the night: Even if things might be bad, resistance is possible and "it'll be fine if we just band together," she said.

Small Actions Lead To Impactful Change

Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers performing at the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series at the Boulder Theater in Colorado on April 13, 2023 | Photo: Dave Arnold

Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers took the stage to thunderous applause. Like Yola, Schultz's performance was an unedited glimpse at his raw talent: a 45-minute set composed of just his voice and an acoustic guitar.

Between songs – some of which were covers, others originals – Schultz shared stirring glimpses into his personal life, from his dad's death to a psychedelic-infused trip he had with his wife.

Schultz also shared that his wife, Brandy, is a co-founder of Sound Future , a nonprofit focused on "accelerating climate innovation for the live event industry," according to the organization's website. He explained how Sound Future used flexible solar panels and the heat of the Texas sun to power the stage at Willie Nelson's concert in Luck, Texas.

"It's a very simple idea, right? That we can turn certain things that seem really daunting into something that's very doable," Schultz reflected on the stage. "I think we can all make these little steps here and there, [combined] with the brilliant minds that people have out there, to make some innovation, to make [live shows] a little more friendly on the environment."

Learn more about the Recording Academy's and United Nations Human Rights' partnership, and stay tuned for future news and developments.

Right Here, Right Now Human Rights Climate Commitments

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 17:36:05 GMT

Panel discusses climate change

inaction

Colorado Energy Office Executive Director Will Toor, right, speaks during the Enacting Climate Solutions Through Human Rights Climate Commitments during the Right Here, Right Now Boulder Impact Forum.

United Nations Human Rights Ofﬁcer Ben Schachter labeled lack of action on climate change as the “grossest human rights violation” facing humanity today, during a panel Friday, the conclusion of the 75th Conference on World Affairs.

Schachter is a human rights ofﬁcer and climate change expert at the Ofﬁce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He was one of six panelists tackling the topic “Enacting Climate Solutions Through Human Rights Climate Commitment” at the CWA, held on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder.

Schachter said climate change is a human rights issue that harms people, affects their rights and is getting worse without any meaningful action to stop it.

“That is the grossest human rights violation that one can imagine,” Schachter said. “The impacts right now are hunger, water scarcity, displacement, death. These are all human rights violations that are happening on a massive scale, bigger than any other single cause of human rights violation that you can imagine.”

chacter and ﬁve other panelists discussed climate change as a human rights issue at the local, state, national and global scale during Friday’s ﬁnal CWA panel presentation.Panelist James Anaya, who is an author, professor and advocate for human rights and indigenous people, said everyone has the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment. That right, he said, is being violated.

“We’re not where we need to be,” Anaya said.

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo, also participated in the panel. He discussed climate action at the national level in Congress, citing the Inﬂation Reduction Act as a big step forward while recognizing there’s still much to be done.

“To know that we just passed the most signiﬁcant climate change legislation in the history of our country less than nine months ago, I think is instructive of what we can accomplish when we’re working together,” Neguse said.

Panelist Will Toor is the executive director of the Colorado Energy Ofﬁce, a state government position appointed by Gov. Jared Polis. Over the past four years, Toor said there have been approximately 55 pieces of state climate legislation on greenhouse gases, energy efﬁciency, renewable energy, oil and gas reform, transportation, building and land use efﬁciency and more.

A few years ago, Toor said he was “pretty pessimistic” about the future of the planet. “But just seeing the progress over the past few years, I’m a lot more optimistic than I’ve ever been,” Toor said.

Panelist Jonathan Koehn discussed issues of climate change at the local level within the Boulder community. Koehn is the manager for the city of Boulder’s Ofﬁce of Environmental Affairs and has been a leader on Boulder’s Climate Initiatives Team since 2006.

Koehn said Boulder has a history of climate programs and funding not always seen in other cities. While the city has goals to limit emissions by certain amount at certain times, he said the most important goals are immeasura ble. “Emissions reduction alone is not sufﬁcient in addressing the climate emergency,” Koehn said.

He said loss of biodiversity, sacredness of land, social injustices and economic inequalities, while not measurable, are challenges local cities, including Boulder, face. Koehn also said Boulder is limited in resources and the action it can take, often relying on state and national legislation.

Panelist Kathryn Wendell is the executive director of the Center for Ethics and Responsibility at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. She discussed the role businesses have to play in the climate crisis. While many businesses have not made climate commitments, she said many others have.

“There are a lot of challenges we still need to address, but I am encouraged about the commitments being made and am excited about the potential for more creative public private partnerships, and I hope the panel can spark action,” Wendell said.

Schachter said it’s important to understand climate change as a human rights issue because of moral and ethical implications.“The things that mobilize people are not numbers, they’re not abstractions. They’re impacts and empathy and compassion.” Schachter said. “So understanding the climate crisis as something that is human-caused perpetuating human suffering that we can stop, I think is very important.”

Neguse said he’s optimistic about the future, and his optimism is born from seeing how local communities, the state and country have responded to climate change in the last couple years.

“I am concerned, as I know every American is, about the climate crisis and its impacts, here in our country and across the world,” Neguse said. “I’m optimistic about our ability to solve it. I’m optimistic about our ability, collectively, to do something about it.”

7 Questions for Right Here, Right Now founder David Clark

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 19:02:11 GMT

Right Here Right Now Music launched with Recording Academy and UN Human Rights

On Thursday, April 13, Wesley Schultz (of the Lumineers) and singer-songwriter Yola will perform at the Boulder Theater in a special, one-of-a-kind concert hosted by the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.

The concert is the kickoff in what Right Here, Right Now is calling its Mini Global Climate Concert Series. The idea is to combine music from well-known artists with a strong message that shines a light on such issues as climate change, food insecurity, deforestation, and mental health.

“Music has the ability to speak truth to power, and fuel social movements,” Right Here, Right Now’s founder David Clark told us. “Right Here, Right Now Music will continue building momentum by creating new shows around the world, that we believe will also help build community.”

Below, The Colorado Sound’s Ron Bostwick chats with Clark about the origins of Right Here, Right Now, why supporting musicians is so important, how music can help fuel social movements, and why the group chose Boulder to kick off its concert series.

How did the idea of Right Here, Right Now begin at COP 26 in Scotland two years ago?

By way of background, in 2002 I partnered with President Nelson Mandela to reframe HIV/AIDS as a human rights issue, since people at the time were not dying because they were sick, they were dying because they were poor. The 46664 initiative we created was launched with an MTV concert broadcast from Cape town that included Queen, Bono, Edge, Beyonce, Eurythmics, Peter Gabriel, Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens), and more. We got people to care about people with HIV/AIDS, because we humanized the issue.

Two decades later, in a discussion with UN Human Rights on how to get people to care about climate change, we decided to take a page out of our Mandela playbook and reframe climate change as the fundamental human rights crisis it is, as women, children, minorities, the poor and marginalized will continue to suffer the most as the climate catastrophe escalates. That was the genesis of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, which UN Human Rights, and supporters that included Quincy Jones and Leonardo DiCaprio helped us launch at COP26 in Scotland.

"We decided to reframe climate change as the fundamental human rights crisis it is."

Music has been a wonderful tool for social and human change in the past, from the Concert For Bangladesh to USA For Africa/We Are The World, to the Amnesty International tours. How did music become the avenue for Right Here, Right Now’s mission and goals?

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance is a multifaceted initiative that includes an annual Global Climate Summit hosted by UN Human Rights and the University of Colorado Boulder, it also includes Tech, Policy, Art, and Sport initiatives. However, music is a key component, as it has the ability to speak truth to power, and fuel social movements, so we’re thrilled to partner with the Recording Academy to develop music initiatives around the world.

We’re thrilled the Boulder Theater event with Wesley Schultz and Yola was chosen as the first show in the Mini Global Climate Concert Series, which is scheduled for stages all over the planet. How did Colorado get so lucky?

Symbolically it was important for UN Human Rights and the Recording Academy to launch Right Here, Right Now Music, and the Mini Global Climate Concert Series here, because Boulder is the Davos of Climate Change.

Not only was Boulder the site of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit hosted by UN Human Rights and CU Boulder last year – which was the largest Climate Justice summit in the world – but the world-renowned national labs devoted to climate research in Boulder are legendary. Many of them help inform the UN’s IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports with cutting edge research and data.

“Music has the ability to speak truth to power, and fuel social movements.”

Can you let us in on any of the future shows in the series?

After we launch Right Here, Right Now Music at the Boulder Theater, our goal is to stage Mini Global Climate Concerts in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, London, Johannesburg, Bogotá, and Dubai – during COP 28.

Proceeds from the series will go to the United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and MusiCares, the charity that helps musicians with health and human services needs.

Can you give us an idea of how musicians are being directly impacted by the climate crisis?

We’re creating the Right Here, Right Now Fund at MusiCares, as we want to help artists impacted by climate change – basically, any artist who loses their livelihood or musical instruments due to climate-related activity that includes, but is not limited to, floods, wildfires, landslides, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.

By way of example, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, it severely impacted local musicians, who lost their musical instruments and their livelihoods. So MusiCares worked with The Edge of U2 to help musicians in need. The Edge said, “Music is at the core of these communities. It’s an essential part of their identities, their hearts and their lives. So when these centers of musical culture are damaged, getting the music going again is a crucial part of the healing process.” We agree!

With Earth Day in just a few days, the timing for the Boulder show couldn’t be better. How will Right Here, Right Now keep the momentum from Earth Day going all year long?

Right Here, Right Now Music will launch on/about Earth Day, and continue building momentum by creating new shows around the world. [These], we believe will also help build community, which is key to building our climate justice movement.

Which brings me to a point: It’s not our movement, it’s everyone’s movement. I believe the greatest climate threat we face is the belief that someone else will save us. That’s why I’m convinced that we are the people we have been waiting for.

"I believe the greatest climate threat we face is the belief that someone else will save us."

Other than coming to the Wesley Schultz and Yola show, how can Colorado Sound listeners (and the public as a whole) help Right Here, Right Now achieve its goals?

We have lots of activity people can keep up with on our website and our socials. In addition, we’re about to outline “Personal Climate Commitments” that will be on our site, so anyone can see how their personal choices can add up to collective action.

The Right Here Right Now concert with Wesley Shultz and Yola takes place Thursday, April 13 at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colo.

Clark also is also a panelist on “Changing The World Through Art and Pop Culture“ during the Conference on World Affairs , taking place April 12-14 in Boulder.

Recording Academy Partners With United Nations Initiatives in LGBTQ+ and Women’s Rights, Climate Justice, More

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:47:59 GMT

The Recording Academy has announced it is teaming up with several United Nations Human Rights-supported global initiatives in an effort to use music to promote social justice. The multifaceted campaign will engage major artists to use their talents and platform to galvanize support for United Nations Human Rights goals, including advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, women’s empowerment, climate justice, and a broad range of other human rights issues.

The “Right Here, Right Now” music initiative aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change. The first activation is the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series, which will feature artists performing in small concert venues while raising awareness about climate issues such as floods, droughts, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, food insecurity, clean water, ocean acidity, deforestation, mental health, and more.

Hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the Recording Academy, the Mini Global Climate Concert Series will kick off April 13 at the Boulder Theater in Colorado with headliner Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers and powerhouse singer Yola. The inaugural concert, which will be filmed by Citizen Pictures for a later broadcast, is being produced by AEG Presents and supported by the University of Colorado Boulder. Right Here, Right Now Music is planning to host Mini Global Climate Concerts in numerous cities on multiple continents.

Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and MusiCares, Recording Academy’s charitable wing providing music people with health and human services.

“It is a privilege and honor to be partnering with the Recording Academy in the development of multiple global music initiatives supported by United Nations Human Rights, including Right Here, Right Now Music, which will elevate global awareness to help reframe climate change as the human rights crisis that it is,” said David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.

Major artists and celebrities have lent their voice in support of the Right Here, Right Noalliance and United Nations Human Rights, including Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Camila Cabello, Annie Lennox, LL Cool J, Cyndi Lauper, Pitbull, Jack Black, the Lumineers, Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff Bridges, Edward Norton, Bob Weir, Dead & Company, Kesha, Joss Stone, and Michael Franti.

“Music has a unique ability to bring together people from every walk of life to address important environmental and social justice issues. Throughout history, music has been an important outlet for communication, cultural expression, and expression of dissent,” said Benjamin Schachter, UN Human Rights Team Leader for Environment and Climate Change.

The Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Concert at Boulder Theater is being advised on best sustainability practices by Sound Future Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating climate innovation for the live event industry, as well as leveraging the power of the industry to catalyze climate innovation.

Recording Academy Teams With United Nations on Climate Crisis-Focused Concert Series

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:44:55 GMT

Kicking off April 13 in Boulder, Col. with The Lumineers' Wesley Schultz, the series falls under a broader partnership aimed at furthering UN human rights goals.

The Recording Academy is using the power of music for good.

On Wednesday (April 5), the organization announced a new partnership with several United Nations Human Rights-supported global initiatives on a campaign that will engage major artists to use their talents and platform to galvanize support for UN human rights goals, including advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, women’s empowerment, climate justice and a broad range of other human rights issues.

Record Industry Makes Strides Toward Greener Future With Music Climate Pact

The first activation under the initiative is the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series, which will see popular arena acts performing in small concert venues around the world while highlighting climate issues including floods, droughts, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, food insecurity, clean water, ocean acidity, deforestation, mental health and more. The series is set to kick off April 13 at the Boulder Theater in Colorado with The Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz alongside special guest Yola. The performance, produced by AEG Presents and supported by the University of Colorado Boulder, will be filmed by Citizen Pictures for a later broadcast.

The concert series is a partnership between the Recording Academy and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, a public-private partnership developed by David Clark Cause alongside UN Human Rights that seeks to address climate change as a human rights crisis.

“We are honored to be working with several United Nations-supported global music initiatives to bring together artists and create unique music events to promote social justice around the world,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. in a release. “Music has no boundaries so we are excited to partner with the artist community and work with the United Nations to further their human rights goals and ultimately, better the world.”

The Right Here, Right Now initiative plans to hold additional concerts in cities on multiple continents, with discussions already underway for shows in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, London, Johannesburg, Bogotá and Dubai. Proceeds will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives as well as MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s music charity, which is establishing The Right Here, Right Now MusiCares Fund to focus relief efforts on music communities impacted by the climate crisis.

“Music provides a platform for the biggest megaphone in the world,” added Clark Cause in a statement, adding that Boulder was chosen as the kickoff city because it “has become the ‘Davos of Climate Change,’ since the University of Colorado Boulder recently convened world leaders, top climate experts, business leaders, and human rights advocates, along with students from our Education Coalition that includes over 2,300 universities – for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit co-hosted with United Nations Human Rights last year.”

Celebrities who have previously lent their support to the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and United Nations Human Rights include Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Camila Cabello, Annie Lennox, LL Cool J, Cyndi Lauper, Pitbull, Jack Black, the Lumineers, Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff Bridges, Edward Norton, Bob Weir, Dead & Company, Kesha, Joss Stone and Michael Franti.

“Throughout history, music has been an important outlet for communication, cultural expression, and expression of dissent. As the Global Partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, UN Human Rights welcomes the news that the Recording Academy will be joining the alliance as the Global Partner of Right Here, Right Now Music, in order to help promote our mutual goals and objectives to help prevent the worst impacts of the climate catastrophe on persons, groups and peoples in vulnerable situations,” said Benjamin Schachter, UN Human Rights team leader for environment and climate change.

The Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Concert at Boulder Theater is being advised on best sustainability practices by Sound Future Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to accelerate climate innovation for the live event industry.

Picture Climate Justice announced by Photography 4 Humanity and Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:54:17 GMT

Empowering everyone t o capture climate justice images to share globally

BOULDER, CO, March 1, 2023 -- Picture Climate Justice is a global initiative created by United Nations Human Rights supported Photography 4 Humanity and Right Here, Righ t Now Global Climate Alliance, to empower people around the world at a grassroots level to capture images of people and the planet being impacted by climate change - then instantly upload them to a platform where they will be on display for the world to see.

By encouraging and empowering everyone around the world to take pictures of climate justice issues with their phones, 365 days a year, Picture Climate Justice seeks to engage and empower people to document what is actually taking place on the ground in local communities around the world. Through a crowd sourced photo platform that displays images on Instagram, Picture Climate Justice provides a public forum for people to capture and post images that convey that climate change is a human rights crisis, to help democratize and humanize the issue so everyone will have the ability to be seen and heard.

By highlighting compelling imagery - illustrating courage, despair, hope, injustice, and compassion, in ways small and large, Picture Climate Justice encourages the public to personally get involved and to take a stand for climate justice.

“The average person feels hopeless when it comes to climate change, as they don’t feel their voices are heard over those of the special interests that seek to continue the status quo.” Said David Clark, Founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. “With Picture Climate Justice, we provide a voice to those who all too often have none. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the average person now has the ability to add their voice to the global dialogue through their lens.”

ABOUT

United Nations Human Rights

United Nations Human Rights represents the world’s commitment to the promotion, protection, and realization of the full range of human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through the voice and the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a staff of 1,800 in 103 countries, the Office aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere. For more info visit: www.ohchr.org

Photography 4 Humanity

Photography 4 Humanity is an international initiative that calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images. The annual Photography 4 Humanity Global Challenge is a unique call to action for amateur and professional photographers alike, to submit images for a global competition where, each year, photos from the Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize Recipient and the Top 10 finalists are exhibited by global partner United Nations Human Rights at the UN headquarters in New York each year on Human Rights Day. For more info visit: www.photography4humanity.com

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance is an international initiative created to take on climate change as the human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, have declared it to be. Since Right Here, Right Now was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland (COP26) by United Nations Human Rights and supporters led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Right Here, Right Now has emerged as the largest public/private climate partnerships to promote climate justice in the world. For more info visit: www.righthererightnow.global

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IBM, David Clark Cause Launch Annual Call For Code Global Challenge

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 23:52:48 GMT

The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge, an annual initiative that encourages developers to create projects that combat climate change with AI-powered technology, officially kicked off this week.

The competition was announced Monday morning by IBM, along with Call for Code creator David Clark Cause , charitable partner United Nations Human Rights, and the Linux Foundation.

This year, Call for Code challenges developers, students, and startups to build and contribute to solutions that help accelerate sustainability, with a focus on improving resource management, reducing pollution and protecting biodiversity.

"Since its launch in 2018, Call for Code has become a global call to action for developers around the world to come together to think creatively about how they can use their skills to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems," David Clark, Founder and CEO of Call for Code, said in a news release.

The competition is changing its format for 2023. Instead of a single global challenge there will be multiple “Challenge Rounds” throughout the year. Teams in each round will compete for cash prizes from a total prize pool of up to $1.4 million.

Teams can win multiple rounds, with prizes ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. One winner from each of the competition's three entry categories – developers, university students and startups – will be eligible for a grand prize of $50,000. The prize also includes open source support from the Linux Foundation.

The first round runs from March 1 through April 7.

Solutions should address at least one sustainability issue such as improving the ability to measure, analyze, or take decisive action on carbon emissions; addressing issues of water scarcity and quality; improving supply chain transparency and traceability.

There is also a new program this year called Call For Code Startups .

2022 Call for Code Global Prize Recipients from Augusta University

About Call for Code Global Challenge
Developers have revolutionized the way people live and interact with virtually everyone and everything. Where most people see challenges, developers see possibilities. That's why David Clark, the CEO of David Clark Cause, created Call for Code in 2018, and launched it alongside Founding Partner IBM and Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights. In 2022 Call for Code was selected as the preferred innovation platform for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the largest public/private initiative in the world promoting climate justice.

2023 Call for Code Encourages Developers to Build Sustainability Solutions Using IBM AI & Hybrid Cloud

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 23:57:35 GMT

Entering its sixth year, Call for Code introduces multiple challenges for global community of developers and students, and launches new initiative for startups and ISVs

B OULDER, CO., Feb. 13, 2023 -- Today, Call for Code Creator, David Clark Cause , Founding Partner IBM (NYSE: IBM ), Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights , and Program Affiliate the Linux Foundation launched the 2023 Call for Code program to encourage the development of AI-powered technology projects that address sustainability issues to help fight climate change. This year, Call for Code will challenge global developers, students, and startups to build and contribute to solutions that help accelerate sustainability by improving resource management, reducing pollution and protecting biodiversity.

To help engage more developers, this year’s Call for Code Global Challenge will transition from a single, annual global challenge to multiple “Challenge Rounds” throughout 2023. In each Challenge Round, teams will compete for cash prizes out of a total prize pool of up to $1.4M USD. Interested teams can register for this year's Global Challenge here . The first round of the Challenge opens March 1 and will run through April 7. Winning teams can receive prizes in multiple Challenge Rounds during the year, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 USD. One winning team from each category – Developers, University students and Startups – will each be eligible to win a grand prize of $50,000 USD at the end of the year, including open source support from the Linux Foundation, which has open sourced more than a dozen previous Call for Code projects.

"Since its launch in 2018, Call for Code has become a global call to action for developers around the world to come together to think creatively about how they can use their skills to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. We believe that the new Call for Code Global Challenge format will empower even more developers to make an impact using open-source AI technology,” said David Clark, Founder and CEO of Call for Code.

Call for Code helps participants gain skills in AI and Cloud technology by using open-source-powered software such as Red Hat OpenShift , IBM Cloud , and IBM’s embeddable AI portfolio , including IBM Watson Assistant . Solutions should address at least one sustainability issue, such as:

· Improve the ability to measure, analyze, or take decisive action on carbon emissions

· Address issues of water scarcity and quality

· Improve supply chain transparency and traceability to bring fast and accurate visibility to sustainability issues where

they arise

A full list of topics within the sustainability theme can be found here .

“Call for Code offers developers a hands-on opportunity to build new skills and put their problem-solving superpowers to work using IBM’s open hybrid cloud and AI technology,” said Kate Woolley, general manager, IBM Ecosystem. “It’s also been inspiring to see the support for Call for Code from our IBM Ecosystem business partners over the years, demonstrating the impact an ecosystem can have on addressing real-world issues - from improving connectivity in the wake of natural disasters, to efficiently monitoring safe water conditions and reducing food waste. I can't wait to see what solutions the community produces throughout this year to help accelerate sustainability."

Call for Code for Startups is a new program that connects startups, independent software vendors (ISVs), and venture capitalists (VCs) with select enterprises around new business opportunities. Participating startups and ISVs will create solutions using IBM AI technology that help address a specific sustainability need chosen by each enterprise. Interested participants learn how to get involved here .

Vetting of human rights commitments next step in global climate summit – University of Colorado Boulder

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:44:04 GMT

This past weekend, experts and activists from around the world shared knowledge and stories about the devastating impacts of climate change on fundamental human rights, the obligations governments, corporations and individuals have to address the crisis, and solutions needed for a sustainable future.
After three days of dynamic and thought-provoking panels and keynotes at the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and CU Boulder, the work now begins on moving the talk about the human rights crisis that climate change is to action.
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) at Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance announced the launch of a groundbreaking initiative for rights-based climate action, the Human Rights Climate Commitments.
Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments, the first draft of the commitments will be an outcome of the just-concluded summit at CU Boulder for which 4,300 people representing 99 countries registered to attend in-person and virtually. Organizers are aiming to provide an update on the commitments in April and unveil them at COP28 in Dubai.
CU Distinguished Professor S. James Anaya, an expert in international human rights, summit steering committee chair and the former UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, said he came away from the global summit “energized.”
“That is the sentiment I feel, and it is pretty prevalent among those who were panelists and keynote speakers and many in the audience: a renewed sense of resolve, as well as hope.”
Anaya said the post-summit commitments will play a key role as an aspirational and prescriptive living document, including specific commitments that governments, corporations and educational institutions will be urged to make to prevent and minimize the harmful effects of climate change. The commitments will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the highest human rights standards and latest science.
In her closing remarks, Human Rights Officer Therese Arnesen, of the UN Human Rights Office, said: “We need to unite. We need to stand together to continue promoting human rights-based climate action. That’s what this summit is about. This is what the Human Rights Climate Commitments coming out of the summit is about, and I hope you will take with you some of the inspiration, despair and anger and excitement that I, at least, felt during the last three days.”
In multiple sessions, panelists pointed out that it has been women, Indigenous people and activists from developing countries or the Global South who have pushed forth some of the most critical advancements in fighting climate change. That includes the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to, preferably 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, and the recent establishment at COP 27 of a “loss and damage” fund for nations most vulnerable to the climate crisis.

Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson called for a new women-led global climate justice movement, a feminine version of the male-led “moonshot” of the 1960s to hold the duty-bearers, including government and industry, to task for protecting the planet. “They said putting a man on the moon was impossible but it was achieved in eight years.”
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made a video appearance: “Human rights are our compass guiding the decisions that need to be made around climate change. This alliance represents the power of change that we can do things differently. That one of the best parts of what makes us human is that we are endlessly creative.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis kicked off the summit with a stark reminder that no corner of the globe is immune to the impacts of a rapidly warming planet. Less than one year ago, Boulder County suffered the most destructive fire in the history of the state, a rare wintertime blaze that burned more than 1,000 homes. “There’s no denying that climate change is also a humanitarian crisis.”
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, global advocate for indigenous rights and health and a leader focused on the impact of climate change on human rights, said: “Indigenous wisdom is the medicine the world seeks to attain sustainability, and we’ve got to start to tap into that wisdom. We can show the world about sustainability because we still rely on our environment, our lands, our water to sustain our way of life.”
Kumi Naidoo, South African-born human rights and climate activist , former international executive director of Greenpeace International and secretary general of Amnesty International, said: “We are at a moment in history when all of us must now take on a mantle of leadership. And we must do it in a way that energizes and motivates rather than saying ‘It’s too late. What’s the point of resistance?’”
Youth activist and poet Selina Leem , from the Marshall Islands, spoke of growing up in a place just 2 meters above sea level where global warming could literally mean the submergence of her homeland. “We are not accepting of the idea of permanently relocating from our country. It is where it is and that is where we deserve to be.”
Several panelists suggested that for industry to be able to fully respond to the climate change crisis, the global economy, including investors, must rethink the “Milton Friedman mindset” that success is inextricably tied to short-term profit. “The actions we need to take may not be profitable in a narrow sense in the short-term, but if we don’t take those actions, human civilization itself is threatened,” said Gillian Marcelle, CEO and founder of Resilience Capital Ventures, LLC.
Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Kāi Tahu), Indigenous and disabled climate justice expert and community advocate from Te Waipounamu, the South Island of New Zealand, said: “Loss and damage getting across the line at COP27 is absolutely massive. It is critical that we give credit where it is due. They have not been given space by developed nations, it has happened because people have banged down the doors of those negotiation rooms.”
Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, youth activist, Uganda , said: “This is the time in history where humanity has to understand that we own the power that will change the world. For so long we have been looking to political will to make change and where has that gotten us? We have to stand up and hold each other’s hands and create the difference we so badly need.”
Vivien Luk, executive director at WORK , an organization with a mission to accompany families in Haiti out of poverty through good, dignified work, said: “I find hope in the number of tools, the expansion of tools and resources and strategies that we have in addressing climate change today. Even just with the 4,000 people who have signed up to be a part of this conference. It’s incredible. It’s an incredible force of hope and power. And also that the inclusion of human rights into this discussion, more and more of that is happening.”
Naderev ‘Yeb’ Sano, executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, stressed that economics and law aside, human empathy will be key to achieving real progress: “Litigation can only go so far. The battle will be won or lost in the chambers of people’s hearts.”
Elizabeth Robinson, director of the Grantham Research Institute : “For children born today, their whole health outcomes are going to be defined by the extent to which we tackle climate change. If we allow emissions to continue as they are, we’re denying our children basic rights.”

U.N. Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit: Shift in corporate mindset needed to tackle climate crisis

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 15:40:59 GMT

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, chair of The Elders and former U.N. special envoy on climate change, left, provides the keynote speech to a nearly full house on the second day of the Right Here Right Now Climate Summit at the Glenn Miller Ballroom in the University Memorial Center on the CU Boulder campus on Saturday. (Glenn Asakawa — University of Colorado)

Companies have obligations to their shareholders, employees and customers, but do they have any broader obligation to society at large?

For too long, the answer has too often been no, said panelists at the United Nations’ Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit hosted this weekend by the University of Colorado Boulder.

A shift in the way corporations and their leaders view their role and responsibilities is necessary to make a meaningful climate impact.

For industrialized nations, those most responsible for creating the climate crisis, the question leaders must grapple with is “whether our mindsets sees business as part of society or separate from society,” Resilience Capital Ventures LLC CEO Gillian Marcelle said during Saturday’s panel called “The Responsibility of Business and Industry to Respect Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change.”

Businesses must be seen as partners in our society with the same responsibility to do the right thing as any global citizen, she said.

“By and large, corporate America is going to do what’s profitable. … The transition to a carbon-free world is only going to happen if we change the incentives for corporate actors and make it clear to them that they can’t continue to engage in business practices that are destroying the environment,” said Monte Tarbox, executive director of investments for the National Electrical Benefit Fund, which provides pension benefits to International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union members.

Companies that engage in climate-destructive business activities are driven by a short-term profit motive and refuse to make any sacrifice for the global good, Marcelle said. But “if they don’t take those (climate-sustainability) actions, then human civilization itself is threatened.”

These types of corporations often pay lip service to sustainability while continuing to engage in environmentally harmful activities.

Energy companies “are all about greenwashing,” Tarbox said. “In their heart of hearts, they don’t really want to do anything different. They want to pump, refine and sell as much as they can before society tells them they can’t do it anymore.”

On the other hand, he said, car companies, based on their economic self-interest, are “busting their hump trying to bring us electric cars that we’re willing to buy.”

Investors, by requiring certain sustainability efforts of the companies they fund, can help provide the economic incentive companies often demand before doing the less-profitable but more-conscientious thing, panelists said.

“We can’t tell corporations how to operate, but we can nip at their heels and create expectations and create guidelines,” Tarbox said.

Techstars Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Affairs Stacy Carter said her accelerator and investment platform is now offering sustainability training for all of its startups, which are in a phase of business growth where adopting green practices is most effective.

“When companies are at the five- to 10-person stage, they can start thinking about responsibility to the planet and be able to integrate that so much more easily than when they’re at the 50- (to) 100-person stage,” she said.

As economies transition away from carbon, there are, of course, industries and workforces that will be negatively affected.

“We need to think about reskilling, upskilling, alternative opportunities” to position workers for success in a green economy, said Caroline Rees, president and co-founder of Shift, a nonprofit organization that works with companies on responsibility and human rights initiatives.

Takeaways from the Right Here, Right Now climate summit

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 15:28:12 GMT

University of Colorado Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano speaks at the welcome reception for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. (Jessi Sachs/CU Independent)

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The University of Colorado Boulder and the United Nations Human Rights cohosted the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on Dec. 1-4, a conference highlighting the relationship between climate change and human rights. Panelists from all over the world spoke about the impacts of climate change and potential solutions.

Here’s a recap of some of the panels throughout the summit.

The disproportionate impacts of climate change

On Friday, Dec. 2, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit hosted a panel titled “The experiences of those whose human rights are disproportionately impacted by climate change.”

The moderator, NPR anchor Lakshmi Singh, interviewed panelists Mattias Åhrén, a lawyer and professor from an indigenous reindeer herding community in Sweden; Nahla Haidar, a vice chairperson on the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women from Lebanon; Selina Leem, a youth activist from the Marshall Islands and Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, a youth activist from Uganda.

Several panelists discussed their personal encounters with the effects of climate change.

“Our country is two meters above sea level,” Leem, who also spoke at a protest encouraging CU to divest from fossil fuels on Friday, said. “So growing up in the Marshall Islands, it’s not a choice that you have to be involved or be aware of the climate crisis.”

The reduction of natural resources due to climate change and other issues resulting from human activity is a part of this problem.

“Nature in its original form is not a natural resource,” Åhrén said. “Nature becomes a resource only when viewed through the eyes of a particular culture of people.”

The views that more wealthy nations have towards natural resources have created various inequalities, according to the panelists. The world’s richest countries make up 16% of the global population while accounting for nearly 40% of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Nakabuye said when looking towards solutions, these views must change.

“The same systems that brought about the challenge we are facing today cannot be the same systems that will put us out of this challenge,” said Nakabuye.

Nakabuye also spoke about the CU Boulder university system’s investment in fossil fuels.

“CU Boulder has scientific research that shows that climate change is a very big challenge, but there are still investments in fossil fuels,” Nakabuye said.

Several audience members clapped, including a few clad in bright orange who had protested this issue earlier in the day.

Haidar said these issues cannot get in the way of working together to find a solution.

“I don’t think it’s about not working with those who have caused the situation. It’s about how we bring those who have caused — because of ignorance, of lack of knowledge. We bring them the knowledge, and we make them aware so that we call on them also to change,” Haidar said in a later interview.

To bring about change, the majority of the panelists said representation was part of the solution. Leem said that this means making those who are more privileged and distanced from the impacts of climate change aware of the current situation.

“I think one of the most detrimental things is when people talk about climate change as if it’s in the future,” Leem said. “That could be as simple as [saying] ‘Oh, there are people who are going to be affected,’ when it should be ‘There are people who are already being affected by the impacts of the climate crisis.’”

Climate change education

On Dec. 3, the summit focused on the term “obligation.” The panel, “Education’s role: knowledge and inquiry about human rights and climate change,” focused on encouraging audience members educate themselves and others on climate change.

“Learning is a lifelong process. You don’t have to learn from classrooms, and it is never too late,” said panelist Ili Nadiah Dzulfakar, the chair and program director for Klima Action Malaysia.

The panelists said that climate education and action are necessary for all, regardless of age, gender or other demographics. The panelists all discussed the idea of marginalized groups “taking a seat at the table” of climate change discussion.

One panelist and youth science prodigy, Gitanjali Rao, a member of the Forbes 30-under-30 list, discussed her hopes for the future of STEM-based climate action.

“[In the future] there is going to be no such thing as ‘young people in STEM,’ no such thing as ‘women in STEM,’” Rao said.

CU Boulder alum Ann Toll, who attended the summit, said the panelists’ urge for youth to participate in climate action was especially impactful.

“I knew, because I’ve raised three young people in the Boulder community, how limiting it feels to be young and have good ideas and have the energy and a sense of urgency about something. To be discounted and told ‘Oh, you’re too young’ or ‘Oh, you don’t know enough,’” Toll said.

Panelist Jono Anzalone, the executive director of the Climate Initiative, focused on the advancement potential brought about by having a variety of demographic perspectives.

“There is so much polarization in communities across the United States…this blending of ideologies and cultural identities is a beautiful opportunity for policymakers,” Anzalone said.

As the panelists urged an expansion of education and discussion, they also urged for changes within existing education systems. Panelists said the standard climate education should expand to include a human rights focus as well.

“Climate has always been told from a very scientific perspective…people can’t see the human face from these graphs. You can’t see death, you can’t see mortality,” said Dzulfakar. “I learned about human rights on the streets.”

Caroline Conzelman, an associate teaching professor for the Global Studies Academic Program at CU Boulder, said she agrees with Dzulfakars beliefs on getting involved in learning about climate change.

“I teach sustainability, democracy, decolonization, social movements and a lot of different issues like that. My goal is always to model to my students to get involved,” Conzelman said.

Involvement was a recurring theme throughout the summit, with panelists urging audience members to leave the event ready to work towards climate action.

“You can’t just wait around for someone to solve the world’s problems, you have to take that first step regardless of how small it is,” Rao said.

Financing climate reform

Community members gathered on Sunday, Dec. 4 to hear from a panel about equitable ways to finance climate change initiatives.

The panel “Economics, pricing, policy: How do governments and various stakeholders pay and otherwise take action to develop climate policy solutions in a manner that is equitable?” discussed the economic factor of climate solutions.

Panelist Kelly Sims Gallagher, an academic dean and professor of energy and environmental policy at Tufts University, said that governments should allocate revenue from climate taxes and carbon offsetting to climate reparations, which pay for the loss and damage caused by the climate crisis.

“When a country like Pakistan — a less developed country — has a catastrophic event, they have to go and borrow more money to be able to recover from that disaster event,” Gallagher said. “This is becoming this vicious cycle for a lot of developing countries.”

Gallagher suggested this be done by suspending interest on the money these countries must borrow in the event of a climate disaster, such as the monsoons Pakistan experienced earlier this year.

Panelist Mercedes García Pérez, the head of global issues and innovation at the Delegation of the European Union to the U.S., suggested investing in moving workers out of jobs within the fossil fuel industry as a solution to the climate crisis.

“[There needs to be] massive investment to create new jobs in the renewable energy sector so that there are enough employment opportunities for people to transfer out of the fossil fuel industry,” Pérez said.

Many of these new jobs are not in the same location, which makes it harder for workers who are already skeptical of change to transfer out of their old jobs, according to Pérez.

“The way to bring them to the table is saying, ‘Ok, this [current job] might be the job for you, but it’s not a future for your children and your grandchildren,’” Pérez said.

Another issue presented with this solution is the inequity of financing such programs, as countries in the global south often do not have the resources or money to facilitate this switch.

Panelist Ying Chen, an author and assistant professor of economics at The New School, said this inequality must be addressed first before economic solutions are considered.

“If you don’t address the preexisting inequality, then even with a renewable energy transition, all the other inequality will still persist,” Chen said.

Chen said changing the political climate is more important than thinking about solutions because, without the right political climate, these solutions cannot be implemented.

“Climate activism is so important. We shouldn’t just leave things to the experts and trust that they will solve it all,” Chen said. “It’s very encouraging to see that the young generation is actively participating in the climate movement. I think it’s going to make a great impact.”

Using Indigenous knowledge

Indigenous panelists spoke about how to properly use Indigenous knowledge as a climate solution in the panel “Traditional knowledge and climate solutions” on Sunday, Dec. 3.

Panelist Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and the author of CU Boulder’s 2022 Buffs One Read pick “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants,” said those considering climate solutions which include Indigenous knowledge need to be careful about how they do so.

“There is a tendency of data mining of traditional knowledge, taking the pieces that fit a western conception but not fully engaging with [an] Indigenous world view, philosophy and values,” Kimmerer said.

These Indigenous values are what make practices — like more sustainable agriculture — complete, according to panelists.

“If you just take our knowledge for what it is and you don’t take the values, the interconnectedness and the relationships that come with that you are missing the whole point,” said panelist Cristina Coc, a program director, organizer and co-spokesperson for the Maya Leaders Alliance.

Coc said that by taking and using Indigenous knowledge without considering those values, Indigenous people will continue to be silenced.

“Mining our knowledge is a way to make us invisible. Doing so without taking into account our value systems is a way to make us invisible,” Coc said.

Indigenous knowledge is sacred to Indigenous people, according to Coc, and it should not all be shared to create climate solutions.

“The protection of culturally specific knowledge is really important and the sharing of that knowledge needs to be in the hands of our people,” Kimmerer said.

Coc also focused on the importance of Indigenous people making decisions about how their knowledge is shared and in what way it is used.

She said part of the issue lies in that Indigenous people are not in the “decision-making seat” when it comes to how to share their knowledge or how their knowledge is used for solutions.

“When you’re asking about our traditional knowledge, you’re not saying ‘Come sit with me at the table so we can make decisions together,’ you’re saying ‘Tell me what you know so I can use it,’” Coc said. “You have to shift that power imbalance.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ann Marie Vanderveen at anva3588@colorado.edu.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jessi Sachs at jessi.sachs@colorado.edu.

Contact CU Independent Breaking News Editor Celia Frazier at celia.frazier@colorado.edu.

Women need to lead next phase of climate justice movement, Robinson says

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 15:22:43 GMT

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On the second day of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , keynote speaker and former Irish President Mary Robinson posed a question about a pretty, yellow plant we all know but might not love: the dandelion.

She used the metaphor of the common weed to illustrate—and name—the latest climate justice movement taking root: Project Dandelion, the next phase of climate justice work, led by women. Dandelion seeds spread gently on the wind, and they grow on all continents around the world. To call them resilient is an understatement.

"Have you ever tried to get rid of the damn thing?” she said to applause in the full Glenn Miller Ballroom at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Robinson was the second keynote in the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit.

While she announced Project Dandelion at COP27, her speech focused on the importance of building trust and including all perspectives and voices, and holding governments and corporations accountable for the financial and policy reforms urgently needed now to address climate change.

One of the world’s most respected advocates for human rights and climate justice, Robinson said she hoped that, like the fast-growing dandelion, this movement would act as a feminist “moonshot” to achieve a more just and carbon-free world as quickly as possible.

“We have decided that what is needed is a women-led global climate justice movement, not women-only, but women-led,” said Robinson.

Climate injustices to address

Robinson cited five climate injustices that Project Dandelion aims to address:

First, that the climate crisis has disproportionately affected the poorest countries and communities, small island states, and Indigenous peoples. Second, the gender injustice within the climate crisis, noting that women and their children must travel further and suffer more in the face of climate change and disasters.

Third, the intergenerational injustices committed by her own generation, which have left younger generations with the possibility of an unlivable world. “We haven’t done what we should do,” said Robinson.

Fourth: the injustice of different development pathways. Developing countries around the world are told they now cannot use gas or oil to better their nations when it is the delay and lack of action on the part of developed countries that has led to this predicament.

Robinson said all nations and all people have to make not only a rapid, but a just transition, or we will not have a livable world.

Finally, the injustice to nature, which is especially important to Indigenous peoples around the world. In her time as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Robinson was coordinator of the Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, which taught her to listen first to Indigenous perspectives on climate issues.

“Yet they're very often not delegates at the table and they find it very difficult to bring that wisdom to decision-making,” she said.

Leadership on climate justice

There are two words Robinson doesn’t use anymore: climate change. Instead, she uses either “climate crisis” or “climate justice.” It’s a purposeful choice to highlight the “deep connection” between the climate crisis and all human rights in her international advocacy and leadership.

During her tenure as president of Ireland (1990-97), Robinsonnever talked about climate change. It wasn’t until after five years as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002) that Robinson realized this critical connection when she saw firsthand how climate change was affecting several African countries and small island nations.

She went on to found the Mary Robinson Foundation (2010–2019), serve as the U.N. Special Envoy on Climate Change from 2014–2015, author the book Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future, and be a founding member and current chair of The Elders , an esteemed group of former world leaders with a focus on creating a world where “people live in peace, conscious of their common humanity and their shared responsibilities for each other, for the planet and for future generations.”

Getting fired up

Robinson was disappointed after COP27 concluded two weeks ago in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. It was touted as a COP of “implementation” but it did not deliver in important ways, she said.

While an agreement was reached to establish a fund for loss and damage and a link was made with reform of the international monetary system, “there was no move to increase ambition at COP27 by governments.”

“I came away from COP27 with a sense of what I can only describe as a terrible paradox,” said Robinson.

While we are on the cusp of a clean energy world, she said, we’re still heading for a catastrophic 2-degrees warming world.

“So what does this mean for the human rights community? I think it means one word, which we know and are familiar with but we have to really rise to: the word ‘accountability.’”

Robinson said she also aims to hold herself accountable, noting in her opening remarks that she traveled all the way from Dublin to be at the summit, and needed to justify her resulting carbon footprint.

She was going to do that, she said, “by making all of you as fired up as I was when I was leaving COP27 in Egypt a short time ago. I was fired up by anger and frustration and frankly, the fierce urgency of now.”

In closing, Robinson asked the audience: “I want to know, are you fired up?” A sudden, loud round of applause and a standing ovation gave her an answer.

90 countries represented in first day of global climate summit focused on human rights

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:12:16 GMT

Nearly 4,000 people from 90 countries convened at CU Boulder, either virtually or in-person Friday, for a day-long, candid exploration of something speakers contend isn’t talked about enough: how climate change impacts people’s lives right now.

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“A lot of times, we talk about climate change as an issue that will affect future generations, but the reality is, for many communities climate change is already here …and has been for a long time,” said New Zealand-based Indigenous and disability rights activist Kera Sherwood O’Regan during the panel “ Understanding Climate Change as a Matter of Human Rights. ”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis kicked off the three-day Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with a stark reminder that no corner of the globe is immune to the impacts of a rapidly warming planet.

Less than one year ago, he noted, just miles from his podium, Boulder County suffered the most destructive fire in the history of the state, a rare wintertime blaze that burned more than 1,000 homes, including those of many CU faculty and staff.

“There’s no denying that climate change is also a humanitarian crisis,” Polis said.

Marshall Islands to Uganda

Throughout the day, speakers from distant corners of the globe shared what that humanitarian crisis has looked like for their communities.

For the young women of South and Central America, crushing drought has forced northward migration, which often comes with danger, including sexual assault, explained Astrid Puentes Riańo , a lawyer and human rights advocate from Colombia who joined the first panel.

She noted that in 2018, a staggering 82% of crops were lost in Honduras, prompting caravans of people, many of them women, to head north.

“It is not the same to be a wealthy man or woman here in Boulder impacted by climate change as it is for a 14-year-old Indigenous girl migrating all the way from Central America,” Riańo said. “If she is lucky, she will get to the U.S. alive.”

During an emotional keynote speech , with images of her great grandfather and other elders displayed behind her, Indigenous rights activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier described how youth suicide rates among the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic are soaring, in part due to the rapid vanishing of ice (long used for hunting, transportation and housing) and a cultural cornerstone for the Inuit people.

“The ice is our life force,” she said.

During an afternoon session titled “ The Experiences of those whose Human Rights are Disproportionately Impacted by Climate Change ,” youth activist and poet Selina Leem , from the Marshall Islands, spoke of a growing up in a place, just 2 meters above sea level, where global warming could literally mean the submergence of her homeland.

“We are not accepting of the idea of permanently relocating from our country. It is where it is and that is where we deserve it to be,” Leem said.

Beside her on stage, youth activist Hilda Flavia Nakabuye described how droughts and floods, and the resulting lack of harvest, forced her family of farmers to sell portions of their land and pull her out of school when they couldn’t pay the fees.

“Meals reduced from five a day to two to one until we just had to wait for water from the stream and then the stream started drying up. We asked why the gods were punishing us,” Flavia Nakabuye said.

Even well-intentioned “solutions” to climate change can also inflict harm, said panelist Mattias Ãhrén , who comes from an Indigenous reindeer-herding community in northern Sweden, where sprawling wind farms have begun to gobble up vital pastureland.

“Yes, climate change is terrible, but sometimes the fight against it is even worse,” Ãhrén said.

With candid stories about the devastating impact of climate change came stories of progress.

Panelists noted that at last month’s United Nations Climate Conference, COP27, in Egypt, participating countries reached a historic decision to establish a “loss and damage fund” to support nations most vulnerable to the climate crisis.

This summer, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right. And a record 300 representatives from Indigenous communities attended COP27, noted Sherwood O’Regan. (Notably, 600 representatives from the fossil fuel industry were also there).

“Loss and damage getting across the line at COP27 is absolutely massive,” Sherwood O’Regan said, stressing that the initiative was brought forth by Indigenous and other front-line communities impacted by climate change. “It is critical that we give credit where it is due. They have not been given space by developed nations, it has happened because people have banged down the doors of those negotiation rooms.”

When asked by NPR journalist and panel moderator Lakshmi Singh to name their No. 1 ask in the battle to save the planet from climate change, the answer from afternoon panelists was universal: representation.

“The power to make decisions has to be shifted from those who might have the means to those who are actually affected,” said Ãhrén.

Finding 'different solutions' CU Boulder, United Nations Human Rights kick off climate summit

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 14:57:21 GMT

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Founder and CEO David Clark launches the 2022 Summit at The Boulder Theater

Dec. 2—The University of Colorado Boulder was bustling Friday morning with students, employees, elected officials and climate experts from all over the world who came together to discuss an issue impacting them all: climate change.

After more than a year of preparation, CU Boulder on Friday began its first day of panels as part of the Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit, which the campus is cost-hosting with United Nations Human Rights.

As of Friday, people from more than 90 countries had registered for the event. About 1,600 people registered to attend in-person, and more 2,300 people registered to attend virtually for the three-day global summit. Additionally, more than 500 people signed on to attend the summit's community-focused events.

Daniel Magraw, an international lawyer who serves as a consultant for the United Nations for matters including environment, human rights and investment, spoke about the key theme of the summit Friday morning: Understanding climate change as a matter of human rights.

Magraw, who organized a climate conference at CU Boulder in 1989, said years ago, the relationship between the environment and human rights wasn't obvious.

"After many, many years of effort, we now know that it's a reciprocal relationship — that most, if not all of human rights actually depends on a healthy environment," Magraw said.

During the same session, Astrid Puentes Riaño an environmental lawyer, spoke about COP27, the 27th United Nations Conference of the Parties that was held in November in Egypt, featuring representatives of more than 190 nations, including the signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.

"I think that one key point that we have to remind ourselves (of) — that to me and to a lot of others is painful to recognize — is that everything we are doing in terms of climate action is not working," she said.

Puentes Riaño went on to say that this is why society must remember the theme of human rights in its work, because not everyone is equally impacted by climate change.

"When we talk about human rights, we're talking about obligations and responsibilities," she said. "Ten percent of the population worldwide (is) responsible for 50% of emissions, and if you go further, it's 1% of the population that's responsible for a majority of the emissions."

Puentes Riaño said climate experts from around the world were involved in the conversations during the 2015 Paris Agreement. This was important because it allowed people with diverse ideas and backgrounds to come together to discuss climate change solutions. But since then, there has been more and more push back from officials connected with the fossil fuels sector, she said. Last year's COP hosted about 500 attendees linked to fossil fuels. This year, about 600 attendees had ties to the fossil fuel industry.

"We need to include that diversity not only because it's human rights, (and) it's moral but because we need different solutions, and we're not having different solutions today because the same group of people and sectors that caused the problem are the ones there deciding," Puentes Riaño said. "We know the definition of insanity is thinking we're going to get different results by doing the same (thing)."

Julie Poppen, spokesperson for CU Boulder, said it was up to individual faculty members to decide whether students could attend panels for course credit.

Outside of the CU Boulder University Memorial Center, where the morning session was held, more than 100 students, employees and alumni gathered on Friday afternoon to protest the university system's continual investments in fossil fuels.

CU Boulder graduate student Rachel Saidman handed out bright orange hats with the word "divest" on the front before the protest got started Friday afternoon.

Saidman said a big reason the protest was held was to spread the word to high school students and prospective students in effort to get them involved in the conversation about the importance of moving away from fossil fuels.

"By coming to this school, we're making an investment in that name (CU Boulder), and we hope that (the university system is) trying to make that same investment in our futures as well," she said.

But Matt Dempsey, spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Association of America and a CU Boulder alum, who also attended the protest, disagreed.

"Especially as consumers face rising energy prices, we should be working on collaborative solutions that reduce emissions while keeping energy affordable," he said. "Divestment is a political campaign that does neither."

Ken McConnellogue, spokesperson for the CU system, said of university's $4.9 billion in investments, which includes external foundation investments and the university's internal treasury pool, about $270.5 million or 5.4% of funds come from the the fossil fuel sector.

He added that in recent years, CU has moved to "socially responsible" investing, including signing on to the Principles of Responsible Investing initiative under the the United Nations. The university's investments in companies who are integrating sustainability into their business practices account for $526.2 million or 10.5% of the system's total investments.

McConnellogue was unable to say how much of the university system's retirement funds are linked to fossil fuel investments before publication Friday. The percent of university's endowment funds that come from the fossil sector was not readily accessible Friday evening.

CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano said he supports the students, employees and alumni in their activism but said the decision to divest from fossil fuels is ultimately a decision the University of Colorado Board of Regents must make.

"What I want to do is make sure that I listen to students and faculty and staff and respect their activism, but I want to work on solutions that I can make decisions about," DiStefano said.

He added that the campus is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. He said he is working with the campus' sustainability council to drive down its fossil fuel energy use, invest in renewable energies and increase the campus' use of technologies such as carbon capturing programs or nuclear energy.

Another plan to achieve its sustainability goals involves incorporating the theme of sustainability into a common curriculum, which will be used in all CU Boulder classes, by the fall of 2023, DiStefano said.

"A group of faculty have been working for the last couple of years on this common curriculum, which I believe will be adopted in the spring and started in the fall, so that all students — no matter what their schools or colleges are — arts and sciences or music or engineering — they will be part of this common curriculum that will really help in the future as they become leaders in their own community."

The Lumineers taking part in climate change initiative amid COP27 summit

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 15:34:13 GMT

TAYLOR HILL/GETTY IMAGES

Artists including The Lumineers are taking part in a new climate change campaign coinciding with the start of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, which began this week in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The initiative, which is being spearheaded by the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, hopes to “rally support for United Nations Human Rights climate justice goals” and for “the world leaders and dignitaries assembled in Sharm El Sheikh to view climate change through a human rights lens.”

Others participating include Leonardo DiCaprio, Dead & Company, Bob Weir, Quincy Jones, Cher, Annie Lennox, Ellen DeGeneres, Edward Norton, Jack Black, LL Cool J and Joss Stone.

“By working together and supporting inclusive rights-based climate action for people and the planet, we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all,” DiCaprio says.

For more info, visit RightHereRightNow.global .

Bob Weir, Dead & Company, Annie Lennox taking part in climate change initiative amid COP27 summit

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 15:26:12 GMT

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Artists including Dead & Company , Bob Weir and newly-minted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Annie Lennox are taking part in a new climate change social media campaign coinciding with the start of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, which began this week in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The initiative, which is being spearheaded by the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, hopes to "rally support for United Nations Human Rights climate justice goals" and for "the world leaders and dignitaries assembled in Sharm El Sheikh to view climate change through a human rights lens."

Others participating include The Lumineers, Cher , Leonardo DiCaprio, Quincy Jones, Ellen DeGeneres, Edward Norton, Jack Black, LL Cool J and Joss Stone.

"By working together and supporting inclusive rights-based climate action for people and the planet, we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all," DiCaprio says.

For more info, visit RightHereRightNow.global .

From COP27 stage, CU Boulder, climate alliance, UN Human Rights announce development of commitments

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 15:16:22 GMT

Leonardo DiCaprio and the Right Here, Right Now Celebrity Coalition are backing United Nations Human Rights goals in an urgent message to world leaders via a social media blitz.

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (Nov. 8, 2022) –– At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27), the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance ––a multiyear international climate justice initiative supported by United Nations Human Rights and the University of Colorado Boulder –– announced the launch of a groundbreaking initiative for rights-based climate action, the Human Rights Climate Commitments (HRCC) .

Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments, the first draft of the commitments will be an outcome of the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit (RHRN) to be held in person and virtually Dec. 1–4 at CU Boulder. The summit will include participation by climate and human rights advocates, including former Irish President Mary Robinson, who also served as UN high commissioner for human rights from 1997 to 2002. Registration is now open and is free.

"UN Human Rights is proud to be the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance––a human rights initiative committed to promoting and advancing the rights of people around the world suffering from the devastating effects of climate change,” said Benjamin Schachter, UN Human Rights team leader for environment and climate change. “Addressing the climate crisis will require a whole-of-society effort. That’s why UN Human Rights is so excited to be a part of the alliance and see its new initiatives develop and grow in the coming years."

David Clark, founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and CEO of David Clark Cause, explained the emphasis on the most vulnerable.

“The United Nations continues to inform the world of the grave statistics showing how women, children, Indigenous peoples, the poor and the marginalized are suffering the most as the climate catastrophe escalates,” Clark said. “The creation of the commitments will provide a unique human rights framework for government and business leaders, human rights advocates, climate experts, universities, and others to kickstart critical action to address climate change and help the people most affected by it.”.

The alliance is working with its global partner, United Nations Human Rights, and CU Boulder to elevate understanding about the human rights crisis that climate change represents and to urgently appeal for more ambitious efforts to address it. The HRCCs will play a key role as an aspirational and prescriptive living document, including specific commitments that governments at all levels, corporations and universities will be urged to make to prevent and minimize the harmful effects of climate change and address their impacts. The commitments will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the highest human rights standards and latest scientific information.

“The Human Rights Climate Commitments are based on the human rights framework that establishes specific obligations and responsibilities to respect and protect human rights, including in the context of climate change,” said CU Distinguished Professor S. James Anaya, an expert in international law who is the RHRN summit steering committee chair and the former UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples. “What distinguishes the commitments is that multiple sectors are involved. The threat of climate change to our survival requires a concerted effort by all of us.”

At a news conference announcing the commitments, Ian Fry, special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, stressed the importance of other sectors of society taking action.

“The COP process is broken,” Fry said, calling out the United States and other Group of 20, or G-20 countries, for not financially helping poorer countries that are suffering from the impacts of climate change. “Recalcitrant countries like the US continue to undermine the basic human rights affected by climate change. So this is why we need important partnerships like the Right Here Right Now group. We need people to think outside the box who are not bound by autocratic governments like the US. We need collaboration between scientists, educators, cultural and industrial leaders to come together to address climate change. I commend the Right Here Right Now Alliance for its work in bringing us together and bringing together key influencers. Collectively, the alliance represents thousands of educational institutions and other organizations around the globe. We need these institutions to think beyond the bounds of the COP process.”

Anaya painted a picture of what the HRCCs could look like.

“Imagine the impact if national governments across the developed world committed substantial funds for the damages and loss already suffered as a result of climate change, if cities broadly committed to targeted increases in green public transportation to reduce reliance on private vehicles, if business enterprises across sectors committed to science-based carbon emissions reduction targets, and if educational institutions at all levels committed to specific steps to build widespread knowledge about climate change and expertise to address it. These are the kind of proposed specific commitments that will be discussed and put forth at the Boulder summit.”

Anaya noted that multiple stakeholders will develop and revise the commitments, and a preliminary version of the commitments will be announced at the next COP in Dubai.

Since its launch in fall 2021 at COP26, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has already emerged as the largest public-private partnership addressing climate change as a human rights issue, bringing together human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, nongovernmental organizations, academics, advocates and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action to preserve a common future. In addition to the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit and the HRCCs, next year the alliance will introduce global initiatives with partners in sports, music, education and technology.

The alliance and upcoming summit has garnered support from celebrities that include Leonardo DiCaprio, Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Cher, Jeff Bridges and Camila Cabello. The superstar coalition’s Right Here, Right Now COP27 Campaign in support of UN Human Rights aims to collectively reach a milestone of over a half billion people via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook followers.

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance with support from Global Partner United Nations Human Rights, Launches Human Rights Climate Commitments and Global Summit

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:39:19 GMT

The Human Rights Climate Commitments framework will be shepherded by University of Colorado Boulder and unveiled at COP 28 in Dubai as an appeal for the 193 Member States and other duty-bearers worldwide to fast-track help for people in vulnerable situations.

Celebrities Unite for Climate Justice: Leonardo DiCaprio and Right Here, Right Now Celebrity Coalition Kicks off COP27 with Social Media Blitz, backing United Nations Human Rights goals in urgent message to world leaders.

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27), Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, a multi-year international climate justice initiative supported by United Nations Human Rights and created by David Clark Cause, announced the launch of a groundbreaking new initiative for rights-based climate action, the Human Rights Climate Commitments (HRCC).

Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments, the first draft of the commitments will be an outcome of the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit to be held Dec. 1-4, 2022 at the University of Colorado Boulder. The summit includes participation by iconic climate and human rights advocates, including Irish President Mary Robinson, who also served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002. Learn more here and register .

The upcoming Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit is the first-of-its-kind, and in-personal and virtual attendees representing more than 2,300 educational institutions in the burgeoning Right Here, Right Now Education Coalition will be participating and contributing to the summit and historic evolution of the Human Rights and Climate Commitments.

"UN Human Rights is proud to be the Global Partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance – a human rights initiative committed to promoting and advancing the rights of people around the world suffering from the devastating effects of climate change. Addressing the climate crisis will require a whole of society effort. That's why UN Human Rights is so excited to be a part of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and see its new initiatives develop and grow in the coming years," said Benjamin Schachter, UN Human Rights Team leader for Environment and Climate Change.

"The United Nations continues to inform the world of the grave statistics showing how women, children, indigenous peoples, the poor and marginalized are suffering the most as the climate catastrophe escalates. The creation of the Human Rights Climate Commitments will provide a unique human rights framework for government and businesses leaders, human rights advocates, climate experts, universities, and others to kickstart critical action to address climate change and help the people most affected by it," said David Clark, Founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, and CEO of David Clark Cause.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance is working with its Global Partner United Nations Human Rights and the University of Colorado Boulder to elevate understanding about the human rights crisis that climate change represents and to urgently appeal for more ambitious efforts to address it. The Human Rights Climate Commitments will play a key role as an aspirational and prescriptive living document including specific commitments that governments at all levels, corporations, and universities will be urged to make to prevent and minimize the adverse effects of climate change and address their impacts. The Human Rights Climate Commitments will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the highest human rights standards and latest scientific information.

"The Human Rights Climate Commitments are based on the human rights framework that establishes specific obligations and responsibilities to respect and protect human rights, including in the context of climate change," said CU Distinguished International Law Professor S. James Anaya, who is the summit steering committee chair and the former UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. "What distinguishes the commitments is that multiple sectors are involved. The threat of climate change to our survival requires a concerted effort by all of us."

Since its launch in fall 2021 at COP 26, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has already emerged as the largest public-private partnership addressing climate change as a human rights issue, bringing together human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates, and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action to preserve our common future. In addition to the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit and Human Rights Climate Commitments, next year the alliance will introduce global initiatives with best-in-class partners in Sport, Music, Education and Technology.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has garnered support from celebrities that include Leonardo DiCaprio, Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Cher, Jeff Bridges, Camila Cabello, Ellen DeGeneres, Edward Norton, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Pitbull, LL Cool J, Joss Stone, Kesha, and Jack Black to name just a few. The superstar coalition's Right Here, Right Now COP27 Campaign in support of UN Human Rights aims to collectively reach a milestone of over a half billion people via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook followers. For more information, visit: www.righthererightnow.global

Contact:
Rebekah Alperin
Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance
reb@gostoryboard.com
+1 . 310.770.1045

Candace Smith
University of Colorado Boulder
Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit
candace.smith-1@colorado.edu
+1.720.930.1509

United Nations and RHRN Climate Alliance Launch Global Photography Contest

Wed, 25 May 2022 13:47:55 GMT

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and global partner United Nations Human Rights launch the 2022 Photography 4 Humanity Global Challenge and name Photography 4 Humanity as a preferred partner.

Winning images to be exhibited at United Nations Headquarters, and at the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit in Boulder, CO held Dec. 1-4, 2022

Photography 4 Humanity and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance are calling upon photographers around the world to capture images that help convey the climate change crisis through a human rights lens and inspire people to take critical action.As the new preferred platform of the Global Climate Alliance, Photography 4 Humanity is a leading international initiative galvanizing the talents of both professional and amateur photographers to help reframe climate change as the human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, have declared it to be.

The Photography 4 Humanity Global Challenge this year will serve as a call to action to bring to life the most compelling imagery that illustrates how the most vulnerable among us are affected by the escalating climate crisis . By showcasing their courage, despair, hope, and compassion, Photography 4 Humanity seeks to humanize the issue in order to engage people to act.

“Imagery that vividly demonstrates the very personal impact of climate change helps us all focus on how these things affect each other. Rising sea levels, increasingly intense weather events, floods, droughts, and other natural disasters unfold at scale but ultimately devastate individual people,” said award-winning photographer David Rose, who serves as president of Photography 4 Humanity. “Using the power of photography to keep that front and center helps us all remain compassionate as we collectively address this existential crisis together.”

The Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize Recipient and top 10 finalists will first be revealed at the University of Colorado Boulder’s NEST (Nature, Environment, Science & Technology) Studio for the Arts on Dec. 1 to help celebrate the opening of the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. The exhibit will then move to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Dec. 10—UN Human Rights Day. In addition, the winning images will be displayed globally online at UN.org.

“As co-host of 2022 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with United Nations Human Rights, CU Boulder is proud to be exhibiting the Photography 4 Humanity winning images during the inaugural summit,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “As the world’s foremost human rights, scientific, political, educational, cultural, and industry leaders assemble to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights for the most vulnerable among us, these powerful images will be a stark reminder of who we are doing this important work for.”

Erin Espelie, co-director of NEST Studio for the Arts and associate professor of cinema studies and critical media practices at CU Boulder, said artists and scientists must work collaboratively in attending to the effects of climate change.

“Creative vantages, in both the scientific and artistic disciplines, must shift in response to the ongoing ecological destruction,” Espelie said. “These powerful images allow for specificity, not more generalizations, of people, places, and communities being unevenly impacted by the global crises. The NEST exhibition during this gathering of world leaders offers a place for contemplation.”

For more information, visit Photography4Humanity.com .

About

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS

Global Partner of Photography 4 Humanity and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) has a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people. Under the leadership of the High Commissioner, with a staff of 1,300 working in more than 70 countries, it aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere. For more information, visit ohchr.org .

PHOTOGRAPHY 4 HUMANITY

Photography 4 Humanity is an international initiative supported by global partner UN Human Rights that calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images. At the core of the Photography 4 Humanity initiative is a global call to action for amateur and professional photographers alike, to submit images for an annual competition where the Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize Recipient and the top ten finalists are recognized each year through an art exhibit on December 10th – Human Rights Day at the United Nations HQ in NYC. For more information, visit Photography4Humanity.com .

RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW GLOBAL CLIMATE ALLIANCE

Designed to be one of the largest public/private climate partnerships in the world, this global movement is committed to working with policy-makers, NGOs, foundations, businesses, academics, celebrities, artists, scientists, and all people to fight climate change and preserve our common future. For more info visit righthererightnow.global .

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

CU Boulder is a leader in many fields, including aerospace engineering, earth, and environmental science, physics, and environmental and human rights law. The school partners with many notable federal research labs, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). For more info visit colorado.edu .

DAVID CLARK CAUSE

Photography 4 Humanity creator David Clark Cause is a global leader in creating Cause Brands and purpose-driven initiatives that both inspire and endure. For more than two decades, founder David Clark has leveraged the iconic stature and cultural currency of world-renowned individuals and organizations to build successful Cause Brands that have raised millions of dollars and unprecedented awareness for some of the most significant causes of our time. For more info visit davidclarkcause.com .

Photography 4 Humanity and Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Call on Photographers Worldwide to Capture Climate Change through a Human Rights Lens

Tue, 03 May 2022 13:01:47 GMT

The alliance and its global partner United Nations Human Rights name Photography 4 Humanity as a preferred partner and launch the 2022 Photography 4 Humanity Global Challenge.

Winning images to be exhibited at United Nations Headquarters, and at the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit in Boulder, CO held Dec. 1-4, 2022.

NEW YORK (May 3, 2022) - Photography 4 Humanity and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance are calling upon photographers around the world to capture images that help convey the climate change crisis through a human rights lens and inspire people to take critical action.

As the new preferred platform of the Global Climate Alliance, Photography 4 Humanity is a leading international initiative galvanizing the talents of both professional and amateur photographers to help reframe climate change as the human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, have declared it to be.

The Photography 4 Humanity Global Challenge this year will serve as a call to action to bring to life the most compelling imagery that illustrates how the most vulnerable among us are affected by the escalating climate crisis. By showcasing their courage, despair, hope, and compassion, Photography 4 Humanity seeks to humanize the issue in order to engage people to act.

“From rising sea levels, extreme weather events, wildfires and droughts, to food insecurity, health impacts, mass migrations and increasing global conflict, there is no denying that climate change is a humanitarian crisis,” said award-winning photographer David Rose, who serves as president of Photography 4 Humanity. “As our global competition opens today, photographers can help shine a light on the plight of vulnerable people suffering from the devastating effects of climate change.”

“As co-host of the 2022 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with United Nations Human Rights, CU Boulder is proud to be exhibiting the Photography 4 Humanity winning images during the inaugural summit,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “As the world's foremost human rights, scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry leaders assemble to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights for the most vulnerable among us, these powerful images will be a stark reminder of who we are doing this important work for.”

“Creative vantages, in both the scientific and artistic disciplines, must shift in response to the ongoing ecological destruction,” Espelie said. “These powerful images allow for specificity, not more generalizations, of people, places and communities being unevenly impacted by the global crises. The NEST exhibition during this gathering of world leaders offers a place for contemplation.”

For more information, visit: Photography4Humanity.com

ABOUT

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS

PHOTOGRAPHY 4 HUMANITY

Photography 4 Humanity is an international initiative supported by global partner UN Human Rights that calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images. At the core of the Photography 4 Humanity initiative is a global call to action for amateur and professional photographers alike, to submit images for an annual competition where the Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize Recipient, and the top ten finalists are recognized each year through and art exhibit on December 10th – Human Rights Day at the United Nations HQ in NYC. For more information, visit: Photography4Humanity.com

RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW GLOBAL CLIMATE ALLIANCE

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance supported by global partner United Nations Human Rights is an international initiative created to take on climate change as the human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates declare it to be. Designed to be one of the largest public/private climate partnerships in the world, this global movement is committed to work with policy-makers, NGOs, foundations, businesses, academics, celebrities, artists, scientists, and all people to fight climate change and preserve our common future. For more info visit: righthererightnow.global

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, CU Boulder is nationally recognized as one of only 35 AAU public research universities. Established in 1876, CU Boulder is a Tier 1 public research university with five Nobel laureates, nine MacArthur fellows and is the No. 1 public university recipient of NASA awards. CU Boulder is a leader in many fields, including aerospace engineering, earth and environmental science, physics and environmental and human rights law. The school partners with many notable federal research labs, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). For more info visit: colorado.edu

DAVID CLARK CAUSE

Photography 4 Humanity creator David Clark Cause is a global leader in creating Cause Brands and purpose-driven initiatives that both inspire and endure. For more than two decades, founder David Clark has leveraged the iconic stature and cultural currency of world-renowned individuals and organizations to build successful Cause Brands that have raised millions of dollars and unprecedented awareness for some of the greatest causes of our time. For more info visit: davidclarkcause.com

IBM and David Clark Cause announce 2022 Call For Code Challenge

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 19:03:53 GMT

The grand prize winners will take home $200K and help change the world

David Clark Cause, IBM, United Nations Human Rights, and the Linux Foundation today officially launched the 2022 Call For Code. On your marks, get set… save the world.

Now in its fifth year, Call for Code is an annual challenge seeking solutions to the global climate crisis and other societal issues. This year’s focus will be on sustainability, and the teams whose projects earn the top spots will earn up to $200K and continuing support from IBM and its partners.

This year’s challenge calls for solutions to the following sustainability issues:

Build effective and efficient ways to quantifiably promote, preserve, and protect biodiversity
Reduce global food insecurity through, as examples, improvements to distribution or sustainable farming practices
Remove barriers to equal education access and job opportunities to further environmental justice
Improve the ability to measure, analyze, or take decisive action on carbon emissions
Improve access to affordable and reliable clean energy
Improve supply chain transparency and traceability to bring fast and accurate visibility to sustainability issues where they arise
Address issues of water scarcity and quality
Reduce volume of and demand for materials that create the biggest waste footprint (plastics, electronics, food, textile), and encourage reuse/recycle opportunities

Per an IBM press release:

Call for Code participants can identify the sustainability issue they want to solve, form a team, and start building by registering on the new Global Challenge resource site hosted by BeMyApp.

Once registered, participants will be able to attend Challenge Accelerator events to help fast-track their projects, learn from subject matter experts, access exclusive skills-building materials, and use exclusive toolkits, APIs, and data sets from The Weather Company and participating IBM Ecosystem partners.

Previous winners include:

2018: Project Owl
2019: Prometeo
2020: Agrolly
2021: Saaf Water

Quick take: this is a fantastic opportunity. Over the past five years the Call for Code community has grown to around half a million innovators from 180 different countries.

It’s also been selected as the preferred innovation platform of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance .

Call for Code participants join a global force for good the moment they sign up. They get access to IBM partner ecosystem technologies such as cloud services, machine learning models, and developer support.

But, best of all, those who make it to the finals will work with global technology experts to implement their solutions. The winners get to be the change they wish to see , with the force of IBM and its partners’ industry position helping them every step of the way.

Get more information and sign your team up here at the official Call for Code website .

2022 Call for Code Global Challenge Urges Developers to Create Solutions that Accelerate Sustainability and Take On Climate Change

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 18:24:59 GMT

David Clark Cause, IBM, United Nations Human Rights, the Linux Foundation and IBM Ecosystem partners Arrow Electronics, EY, Ingram Micro, Intuit, New Relic and Persistent Systems to support Call for Code developers from 180 nations with open source-powered hybrid cloud and AI solutions

Call for Code selected as preferred innovation platform of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, one of the largest public/private climate partnerships

NEW YORK, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Call for Code Creator David Clark Cause , in partnership with Founding Partner IBM , United Nations Human Rights and the Linux Foundation , today launched the 2022 Call for Code Global Challenge , the largest and most ambitious effort bringing together developers and problem solvers to use open innovation to help accelerate sustainability and combat climate change.

Now in its fifth year, Call for Code galvanized a community of more than a half million developers, students, and problem solvers from 180 nations who answered the call to use advanced technologies to design cutting-edge open source-powered hybrid cloud and AI solutions that can tackle the world's most pressing societal issues.

The 2022 Call for Code Global Challenge opens today, and solutions can be submitted any time before the deadline of October 31, 2022. The Grand Prize winner will receive $200,000 and solution implementation support from IBM Ecosystem partners.

Call for Code participants can identify the sustainability issue they want to solve, form a team, and start building by registering on the new Global Challenge resource site hosted by BeMyApp . Once registered, participants will be able to attend Challenge Accelerator events to help fast-track their projects, learn from subject matter experts, access exclusive skills-building materials, and use exclusive toolkits, APIs, and data sets from The Weather Company and participating IBM Ecosystem partners.

Call for Code has also been selected as the preferred innovation platform of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, one of the largest public/private climate partnerships in the world. The alliance and its global partner United Nations Human Rights are working to empower solutions and reframe climate change as a human rights crisis due to its disproportionate impact on women, people of color, and impoverished and marginalized communities. With a fast-growing alliance of policy-makers, NGOs, foundations, corporations, academics, scientists, and developers, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and United Nations Human Rights are supported by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Quincy Jones, Ellen DeGeneres, Camila Cabello, Cher, Pitbull, LL Cool J, Cyndi Lauper, Jason Mraz, and Billie Porter, among others.

"On behalf of Call for Code, we're honored to be selected as the preferred innovation platform for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance," said David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause, and Creator of Call for Code. "As the Global Challenge opens today, we're excited to utilize our expansive platform to help people in need by calling on developers worldwide to innovate software that can mitigate and reverse the effects of climate change through sustainable solutions."

"From rising sea levels, extreme weather events, wildfires and droughts, to food insecurity, health impacts, mass migrations, and increasing global conflict, there is no denying that climate change is a humanitarian crisis. With its global reach and history of success over the years, we're excited to work with Call for Code, as it has proven to be the gold standard when it comes to engaging developers around the world to innovate for social good," said Bill Stark, Chief Impact Officer, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.

2022 Call for Code Global Challenge Open for Submissions

Call for Code, IBM, and IBM Ecosystem partners Arrow Electronics , EY , Ingram Micro , Intuit , New Relic , and Persistent Systems , are providing participants with access to technical resources and subject matter experts during themed accelerator sessions, which can help them pinpoint problems to solve. Applications can be built using open source-powered software including Red Hat OpenShift , IBM Cloud , IBM Watson , IBM LinuxOne Community Cloud from IBM zSystems and IBM Blockchain , as well as APIs from IBM's The Weather Company .

"We have a long and trusted partnership of 19+ years with IBM and we share a common vision to create solutions that help address some of the world's most important social challenges," said Sandeep Kalra, CEO and Executive Director, Persistent Systems. "We are eager to help address some of the many sustainability challenges through Call for Code with IBM and the developer community, employing open source-powered hybrid cloud and AI solutions that can scale."

"Technology is the catalyst for scaling solutions to global problems – from climate change to humanitarian issues, and even the global pandemic," said Ruth Davis, director, Call for Code, IBM. "IBM along with Call for Code and these ecosystem partners are dedicated to taking on the complex challenge of sustainability and encourage problem solvers around the world to take part."

Teams of developers and problem solvers are asked to innovate solutions that address the diverse challenges aligned to sustainability and the impacts of climate change. For example, solutions can include new ways to improve sustainable production, consumption, and management of resources, reduce pollution creation, and protect biodiversity to create a greener future, among others. Solutions may also address areas such as: how to improve the ability to measure, analyze, or take decisive action on carbon emissions; refine supply chain transparency and traceability to bring fast and accurate visibility to sustainability issues where they arise; reduce volume of and demand for materials that create the biggest waste footprint; and encourage reuse/recycle opportunities.

University students will have the opportunity to win the University Prize, a program created in partnership between IBM and Clinton Global Initiative University .[1] In 2021, more than 90,000 students across hundreds of universities around the world, surpassed the program goal by nine times.

2021 Call for Code Global Challenge winner, Saaf water , a team of India-based university students, recently completed a successful test of its accessible water quality sensor and analytics platform at a housing complex in Goa, India. The test helped Saaf water analyze the building's water quality and they were able to update their installation process for future tests.

About Call for Code Global Challenge

This global initiative is a rallying cry to developers to use their mastery of the latest technologies to drive positive and long-lasting change across the world through code. Organizations supporting Call for Code this year are: Arrow Electronics , Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative University , Clemson University , Esri , EY , Ingram Micro , Intuit , the Linux Foundation , Manush Labs , Morgan Stanley , New Relic , Persistent Systems , Teach For All , United Nations Human Rights , United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction , and many more.

For more information visit:
www.callforcode.org
www.righthererightnow.global

Follow:
@CallforCode @rhrn_climate
@UNHumanRights

Contact:
Rebekah Alperin
Call for Code/Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance
info@gostoryboard.com

SOURCE Call for Code Global Initiative

Climate justice advocate Mary Robinson tapped for keynote at inaugural climate summit

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 16:18:58 GMT

From CU Boulder Today :

Mary Robinson, one of the world’s most respected advocates for climate justice and the former president of Ireland, will visit CU Boulder in December to present a keynote speech at the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit.

Mary RobinsonThe Dec. 1–4 event, co-hosted with United Nation Human Rights, will bring thought leaders, youth activists, scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry experts from around the world to campus for public keynotes and panels exploring how climate change impacts fundamental rights, including the right to food, safe water, housing and health.

Participants will also commit to specific goals to slow climate change and address its adverse effects on people.

Robinson, a former U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights and author of the 2019 bestseller Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future, is credited with helping to reframe the narrative around climate change to emphasize its effects on vulnerable populations, including women, Indigenous peoples and the poor. She is the first of several keynote speakers to be announced.

“Mary Robinson is a towering figure in the global campaign for human rights and has pioneered efforts to advance justice in the face of the challenges of climate change,” said Jim Anaya, a distinguished professor at Colorado Law and chair of the Right Here, Right Now summit steering committee. “She will undoubtedly elevate awareness and discussion at the summit about the human rights crises presented by global warming."

A constitutional lawyer educated at Trinity College and King’s Inns in Dublin and Harvard University, Robinson rose to global prominence from 1990–97 as the first woman elected president of Ireland. She served as the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997–2002.

She centered her focus on the human impacts of climate change late in her career after, during a visit to Africa in the early 2000s, she witnessed them first-hand.

“No matter where I went, I kept hearing variations on the same phrase: ‘But things are so much worse now’,” she writes in her book, recalling farmers in Africa whose harvests failed to arrive or whose crops and villages were washed away by floods. “In the past, I had seen images of stranded polar bears and the disappearance of ancient glaciers, but these stories from the front lines of climate change suddenly began to match the scientific findings I was reading about.”

She had a realization: Climate change was no longer a scientific abstraction but a human-caused phenomenon that impacted people—primarily the most vulnerable.

She founded the Mary Robinson Foundation (2010–19) to give voice to disempowered people already facing the consequences of a warming planet, and to call attention to the fact that it is often the communities who contribute the least greenhouse gas emissions that are most negatively affected by climate change. She also served as the U.N. Special Envoy on Climate Change from 2014–15, working to connect developing and rich, industrialized nations for a richer exchange of ideas about solutions.

As chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders including President Jimmy Carter and former U.S. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, she continues to work for gender equality, women’s participation in peace building, human dignity and climate justice.

In awarding her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Barack Obama described Robinson as an “advocate for the forgotten and the ignored” who has “not only shone a light on human suffering, but illuminated a better future for our world.”

CU Boulder to host UN human rights summit on climate change

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 22:49:03 GMT

The University of Colorado Boulder will host a global climate summit in partnership with UN Human Rights. Thought leaders attending the gathering will examine climate change as a human rights crisis. From: CPR.org

The University of Colorado Boulder will host a global climate summit in partnership with UN Human Rights. Thought leaders attending the gathering will examine climate change as a human rights crisis.

CU Chancellor Phil DiStefano talked about the “ Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit ” in front of alumni and students in Washington, D.C. earlier this week. The idea for the summit came out of the UN climate change conference that took place in Glasgow last year.

He said CU’s been a leader in environmental studies and law, on both the human rights and environmental fronts. For him it makes sense that CU would be “a major player in addressing one of the world’s most challenging issues.”

The four day summit is scheduled to start Dec. 1. Events will happen on the campus, as well as virtually, and will bring together experts from around the world. The university is also trying to line up government support. DiStefano met with the White House Office of Science, Technology and Policy, to talk about the project.

“I believe [climate change] is a problem that takes the world to solve,” DiStefano said. “And this UN summit is the first step in doing this.”

Sustainability front and center at CU event as campus gears up to host UN climate summit

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 14:37:42 GMT

DENVER — The University of Colorado Boulder’s annual Chancellor Summit held Wednesday evening in Denver focused on building a sustainable and equitable future, an appropriate topic for a campus that’s set to host a United Nations global conclave on the intersection of human rights and climate change this year.

“CU Boulder has an exceptional history of leadership in the study of climate change and its impact on human rights,” CU Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano said. “With strength in environmental studies, engineering and across the sciences along with a bias for action, CU is a major player in addressing one of the world’s most challenging issues.”

From Dec. 1, 2022, through Dec. 4, the Boulder campus will be at the front and center of the global fight for sustainability and against inequality as it plays host to the UN’s Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit.

“By gathering some of the world’s foremost human rights, scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry leaders, we hope that, together, we can commit to specific outcomes that will address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights,” according to the summit website.

CU leaders primed the pump for December’s UN event Wednesday with speeches from a trio of professors who addressed the intersectionality of climate change and equity.

Matt Burgess, an assistant professor of environmental studies, a faculty affiliate in the Department of Economics and a fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, spoke about the need for Americans to move past partisanship and embrace the common values necessary to address the complex challenges facing modern society.

Clint Carroll, associate professor of ethnic studies and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, stressed the importance of weaving indigenous perspectives into the climate change conversation and the need to reevaluate society’s relationship to the natural world.

James White, professor of geological sciences and environmental studies and acting dean of the CU College of Arts and Sciences, extolled the virtues of following simple rules for interacting with the world and fellow humans for the betterment of mankind.

In Colorado — and specifically in the Boulder region, which is still recovering from the devastating Marshall Fire — climate change and its impacts are not abstract concepts.

“The alarm bells of fires and drought are waking people up to the impact of climate resiliency,” Gov. Jared Polis said. “The state needs to provide science-driven, data-driven partnerships with local communities to make sure we can adapt to natural disasters and prevent a disparity [in impacts across different communities] when those disasters occur.”

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance extends condolences to victims of historic Boulder, Colorado fires, and calls upon leaders to address human rights implications of climate change

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 23:32:06 GMT

University of Colorado Boulder and United Nations Human Rights to host Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit December 1-4, 2022

BOULDER, CO, January 3, 2022 -- The United Nations Human Rights-supported Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, an international initiative to promote climate change as a human rights crisis, extends its deepest sympathies to the victims of the historic Boulder, Colorado fires that were fueled by record dryness and 100+ mph winds.

In light of over 35,000 evacuations and destruction of 1,000 homes, the alliance applauds first responders, as well as the local, state, and federal response, while calling upon civic leaders and organizations to address widespread human rights implications from this and other catastrophic climate change-related events rapidly increasing around the world.

As global warming accelerates climate change, expert scientists and meteorologists suggest the Boulder fires are yet more evidence of the climate emergency intensifying natural disasters and their impact on people’s human rights. The alliance is launching a worldwide initiative to focus on climate change as a human rights crisis, since it disproportionately affects the poor and marginalized, and vulnerable populations including people of color, women, children, the elderly, indigenous peoples, minorities, migrants, rural workers, and persons with disabilities, among others.

“Our heart goes out to victims of the Boulder fires and the innocent people suffering from this crisis. It’s critical that we view climate change through a human rights lens and address obligations of society to respect, protect, fulfill and promote human rights for all persons without discrimination, especially communities on the frontline of climate change,” said David Clark, Founder of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.

With generous support from Global Partner United Nations Human Rights, the alliance is working with academic institutions, policymakers, NGOs, corporations, scientists, technologists, and the art and entertainment communities on initiatives that address limiting greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring equal access to housing and resources, innovation in early-warning systems, adaptation and mitigation planning, and much more. United Nations Human Rights represents the world’s commitment to the promotion and protection of the full range of human rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Under the leadership of the High Commissioner, and with a staff of 1,500 working in more than 90 countries, United Nations Human Rights aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere.

United Nations Human Rights and the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) will also host the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit in Boulder on December 1 – 4, 2022. The summit is being designed to engage human rights, scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry leaders to commit to specific goals that will help to slow climate change and address its adverse effects on human rights. As media around the world reported on these historic Boulder, Colorado fires that razed entire communities to the ground, the setting of Boulder as the destination for this summit is more poignant than ever.

Ranked #1 in the world in earth science and atmospheric science, CU was selected by the alliance to host the global summit. For more than half a century, CU Boulder has been a leader in climate and energy research, interdisciplinary environmental studies and human rights programs, and has engaged in sustainability practices on campus and beyond. CU Boulder is co-hosting the event as part of its comprehensive public research mission and global leadership in research related to the environment, behavioral sciences and issues related to human rights.

In November 2021 major celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Quincy Jones, Billy Porter, Camila Cabello, Pitbull, Cyndi Lauper, and Ellen DeGeneres teamed up in a social media blitz to help launch the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and support United Nations Human Rights with an urgent plea for leaders assembled at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow to view climate change as a human rights crisis. Leonardo DiCaprio, an Academy Award®-winning actor and advocate for environmental issues, tweeted, “Homes, lands, health, and lives of those most affected by climate change are at risk. Join the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and global partner @unhumanrights in calling for the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow @cop26uk to treat #ClimateChange as the #HumanRights crisis it is. By working together and supporting inclusive rights-based climate action for people and the planet, we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”

# # #

Contact:

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

Rebekah Alperin

reb@gostoryboard.com

+1.310.770.1045

Leonardo DiCaprio, Camila Cabello, Cher Lend Voices to Climate Action Campaign

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 20:34:07 GMT

Social media campaign aims to push world leaders to accelerate goals of Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

Leonardo DiCaprio , Camila Cabello , Cher , and a host of other celebrities have lent their voices to a campaign urging global leaders to bolster efforts to fight climate change .

The action is being spearheaded by the Right Here, Right Now Climate Alliance and its partner, United Nations Human Rights, and the launch coincides with the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference (COP26 Summit), which is taking place in Glasgow through Nov. 12. The aim of the social campaign, per a release, is to mobilize half a billion people to push world leaders to accelerate the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

As DiCaprio’s post put it, “Homes, lands, health, and lives of those most affected by climate change are at risk. Join the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and global partner @unitednationshumanrights in calling for the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow @cop26uk to treat #ClimateChange as the #HumanRights crisis it is. By working together and supporting inclusive rights-based climate action for people and the planet, we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”

Leonardo DiCaprio , Camila Cabello , Cher , and a host of other celebrities have lent their voices to a campaign urging global leaders to bolster efforts to fight climate change .

Along with DiCaprio, Cabello, and Cher, the campaign has also included Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter, Pitbull, Quincy Jones, LL Cool J, Jason Mraz, Melissa Etheridge, Jordan Sparks, and Pentatonix.

“We’re grateful for all of the celebrities who are helping promote climate change as a human rights crisis, since people of color, the poor, and marginalized will suffer most from this escalating climate catastrophe,” said Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance founder David Clark. “It is critically important that we humanize the issue through a human rights lens, as people need to understand the choices they make, have real impact on the lives of others.”

Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher and Pitbull back celebrity climate appeal

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 20:32:27 GMT

Over thirty celebrities have partnered with a UN-backed campaign to urge leaders gathered at COP26 in Glasgow to accelerate the goals of the Paris climate accord.

Celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Ellen DeGeneres and Pitbull have taken to their social media channels to alert their followers to the climate crisis.

The campaign aims to reach the celebrity’s 620 million-strong social media following, and highlight climate change as a human rights issue.

The Right Here, Right Now climate alliance is backed by United Nations Human Rights and works with policymakers, NGOs and entertainers to promote climate advocacy.

DiCaprio, the Oscar-winning actor and environmental advocate, was the first to post on his Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts about the campaign. “Homes, lands, health, and lives of those most affected by climate change are at risk,” he wrote in the caption.

CU Boulder, United Nations Human Rights to co-host global climate summit

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:23:40 GMT

University of Colorado Boulder and United Nations Human Rights will co-host the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on campus next fall, bringing international leaders together in Boulder to address climate change as a human rights crisis.

While many details have yet to be announced, the four-day summit is set for late fall and will focus on measurable outcomes and accountability on issues of climate change, said Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance founder David Clark, “not just holding a summit for the sake of holding a summit.”

While Clark has worked with the United Nations for more than 20 years, the alliance was launched this year to partner with UN Human Rights to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement through advocacy and events.

Clark was looking at host universities around the world when he saw Chancellor Phil DiStefano’s Earth Day call to action. Clark, a CU Boulder alumnus, dived deeper into the campus’ history with climate science, human rights and international law.

“Knowing the city, I had this instinct that Boulder could be the Davos of climate change,” Clark said, referring to the Swiss town. “You’ve got an amazing citizenry here that’s very concerned about climate change, very concerned about human rights, and with all of the national labs — Boulder has the heft to host a global summit every year on the scale of the Global Economic Forum.”

Chancellor Phil DiStefano said the university’s 50-year history of climate and energy research, along with environmental studies and human rights programs, make CU Boulder a natural fit to co-host the summit.

“This summit is going to really multiply the efforts happening on campus and around the world on climate change,” DiStefano said. “I believe that what we’re doing and what we can do in the future, especially in the area of research, will be enhanced by having the summit here on campus.”

The summit’s emphasis will be on climate change’s impact on humanity, Clark said.

“The unique nature of this is that the world is actually recognizing that real people get hurt when climate change happens, so it’s important to view the climate crisis through the human rights lens,” Clark said. “Yes, we need to focus on data and science, that tells us the what. The human element is the why, and it’s usually the people contributing least to the problem who are going to get hurt the most.”

The summit will bring people together from across disciplines, cultures and experiences to address climate change as a human rights crisis, said Benjamin Schachter, team leader for environment and climate change at the United Nations Human Rights Office.

“By working together to advance human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, people from all walks of life can help develop innovative and ambitious climate solutions, put a human face on climate change related loss and damage, and build the political will and momentum needed to survive the climate crisis and emerge from the other side with more just, inclusive and sustainable societies,” Schachter said in a statement.

CU Boulder, UN Human Rights to co-host global climate summit next fall

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 15:59:07 GMT

As the world’s biggest climate change conference (COP26) begins in Glasgow, Scotland, CU Boulder and UN Human Rights are announcing plans to co-host the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit.

The summit, expected to be held in late fall 2022, is designed to engage human rights, scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry leaders to commit to specific goals that will help to slow climate change and address its adverse effects on human rights.

The summit couldn’t come at a more important time: The Earth is about 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in the late 1800s. The last decade (2011–20) was the warmest on record. A heating climate is already affecting human rights for countless people and communities, and the situation will only get worse as temperatures continue to rise.

“With impacts like rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, floods and heat waves, climate change is a humanitarian crisis,” Chancellor Philip DiStefano said. “We are convening global experts to help inform how society can and must mitigate and adapt to the impacts of a changing global climate.”

The summit will be a cornerstone of efforts by the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance to advance rights-based climate action.

“Through its plans to bring together people and institutions around the world who are committed to the environment and human rights for inclusive and action-oriented dialogue, the Global Climate Alliance promises to advance U.N. Human Rights’ key priorities and catalyze ambitious, rights-based climate action for people and planet,” U.N. Human Rights Officer and Environment Team Leader Ben Schachter said.

The Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit will focus on specific actions aligned with local, national and international efforts to address climate change, including those of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

For more than half a century, CU Boulder has been a leader in climate and energy research, interdisciplinary environmental studies and human rights programs, and has engaged in sustainability practices on campus and beyond. CU Boulder is co-hosting the event as part of its comprehensive public research mission and global leadership in research related to the environment, behavioral sciences and issues related to human rights.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal United Nations office mandated to promote and protect human rights around the world. The office:

Works with and assists governments in fulfilling their human rights obligations
Speaks out in the face of human rights violations worldwide
Identifies and responds to today's most pressing human rights challenges
Leads human rights research, education, public information and advocacy activities
Engages with a wide range of partners to advance human rights

Green NFT Platform Built on Energy Efficient Tezos Blockchain Launches Initiative to Support Causes Addressing the threat of Climate Change

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 14:18:56 GMT

From: https://oneofnft.medium.com/

OneOf , the Green NFT platform built for the music community backed by music legend Quincy Jones, has been selected as the preferred NFT partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, which works with global partner United Nations Human Rights to advocate for urgent action to protect the rights of people around the world suffering from the devastating effects of climate change.

In support of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and The Paris Agreement, OneOf will work with Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance to donate a portion of its platform revenue to United Nations Human Rights, in support of its global programs on climate change. Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, an initiative created by David Clark Cause, is working with policymakers, NGOs, corporations, academic institutions, scientists, journalists, and the entertainment community to fast-track advocacy and awareness-building events, including the Right Here, Right Now Climate Summit and Awards Concert, which supports United Nations Human Rights programs on climate change.

Each artist that partners with the OneOf Green NFT platform will also have the option to design one or more NFTs to directly benefit Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and its partner United Nations Human Rights for their climate programs.

“Building environmentally sustainable technology is a fundamental pillar of the OneOf company ethos. We’re thrilled to be selected as the preferred partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance,” said Lin Dai, CEO and CoFounder of OneOf, “built on the Tezos blockchain, OneOf technology uses over 2 million times less energy than Ethereum. Minting an NFT on OneOf takes the energy equivalent of sending out a tweet, compared to a devastatingly wasteful use of 3.6 days of average household electricity on most platforms built on Ethereum.”

“OneOf’s eco-conscious approach and revolutionary technology in blockchain and NFTs has the power to connect hundreds of millions of music fans globally. This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for artists and fans alike to become active participants in fostering human rights and climate change initiatives by connecting through music, art, and experiences,” said David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause and Creator of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, “We are thrilled that OneOf has become the preferred NFT partner of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, and it is such an honor to have the support of Quincy Jones whose creativity, vision, and life-long dedication to human rights continues to inspire and make a difference.”

Details of OneOf’s industry-shaping Green NFT platform were first revealed last month, and the announcement was met with a wave of excitement, from Rolling Stone , Variety , Billboard , Forbes , Los Angeles Business Journal and Uproxx to Engadget , Bloomberg , and beyond. OneOf’s mission is to be the leading blockchain technology platform committed to environmental sustainability, while offering crucial solutions for artists and fans eager to explore the exploding world of NFTs. OneOf has attracted top artists who will soon be releasing NFT collections on its eco-conscious platform, including Whitney Houston, Doja Cat, H.E.R., Quincy Jones, John Legend, TLC, Charlie Puth, Jacob Collier, G-Eazy, AURORA, The Kid LAROI, Alesso and others. OneOf has also announced an Emerging Artist Spotlight Program, which will champion influential new voices through financial and marketing commitments. The initial artists in this program include Laura Mvula, Barbara Doza, Erick The Architect, and more to be announced soon.

OneOf’s platform will launch to the public this summer, delivering NFTs in the form of collectible music, art and experiences. Pre-register and learn more at oneof.com .

About OneOf

OneOf is the Green NFT platform built specifically for the music community to create an environmentally sustainable and artist & fan friendly experience. Built on the Tezos blockchain protocol, minting an NFT on OneOf’s platform uses over 2 million times less energy than proof-of-work networks such as Ethereum, and for artists and fans, minting, buying and trading costs $0 in blockchain transaction fees.

OneOf Partners with Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Advocating Human Rights & Climate Change

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 22:34:28 GMT

Green NFT platform built on energy efficient Tezos blockchain launches initiative to support causes addressing the threat of climate change.

July 7, 2021 -- OneOf , the Green NFT platform built for the music community backed by music legend Quincy Jones, has been selected as the preferred NFT partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, which works with global partner United Nations Human Rights to advocate for urgent action to protect the rights of people around the world suffering from the devastating effects of climate change.

"Building environmentally sustainable technology is a fundamental pillar of the OneOf company ethos. We’re thrilled to be selected as the preferred partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance ,” said Lin Dai, CEO and Co Founder of OneOf, “built on the Tezos blockchain, OneOf technology uses over 2 million times less energy than Ethereum. Minting an NFT on OneOf takes the energy equivalent of sending out a tweet, compared to a devastatingly wasteful use of 3.6 days of average household electricity on most platforms built on Ethereum.”

"OneOf’s eco-conscious approach and revolutionary technology in blockchain and NFTs has the power to connect hundreds of millions of music fans globally. This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for artists and fans alike to become active participants in fostering human rights and climate change initiatives by connecting through music, art, and experiences,” said David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause and Creator of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance , “We are thrilled that OneOf has become the preferred NFT partner of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance , and it is such an honor to have the support of Quincy Jones whose creativity, vision, and life-long dedication to human rights continues to inspire and make a difference.”

Details of OneOf’s industry-shaping Green NFT platform were first revealed last month, and the announcement was met with a wave of excitement, from Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard, Forbes, Los Angeles Business Journal and Uproxx to Engadget, Bloomberg , and beyond. OneOf's mission is to be the leading blockchain technology platform committed to environmental sustainability, while offering crucial solutions for artists and fans eager to explore the exploding world of NFTs. OneOf has attracted top artists who will soon be releasing NFT collections on its eco-conscious platform, including Whitney Houston, Doja Cat, H.E.R., Quincy Jones, John Legend, TLC, Charlie Puth, Jacob Collier, G-Eazy, AURORA, The Kid LAROI, Alesso and others. OneOf has also announced an Emerging Artist Spotlight Program, which will champion influential new voices through financial and marketing commitments. The initial artists in this program include Laura Mvula, Barbara Doza, Erick The Architect, and more to be announced soon.

OneOf’s platform will launch to the public this summer, delivering NFTs in the form of collectible music, art and experiences. Pre-register and learn more at

oneof.com .

About OneOf

OneOf is the Green NFT platform built specifically for the music community to create an environmentally sustainable and artist & fan friendly experience. Built on the Tezos blockchain protocol, minting an NFT on OneOf's platform uses over 2 million times less energy than proof-of-work networks such as Ethereum, and for artists and fans, minting, buying and trading costs $0 in blockchain transaction fees.

https://oneof.com/

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Contact:

Shore Fire Media

Chris Taillie, Erica Goldish and Greg Jakubik

ctaillie@shorefire.com

egoldish@shorefire.com

gjakubik@shorefire.com

OneOf, Inc.

Jennifer Styles VP, Communications jen@oneof.com

Right Here, Right Now Climate Alliance

Rebekah Alperin 

Storyboard Communications reb@gostoryboard.com

Quincy Jones-backed OneOf music NFT platform claims to run with ‘2 million times’ less energy and looks to expand green credentials

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 22:22:05 GMT

The Whitney Houston estate, Doja Cat, John Legend and more have committed to the platform that claims to be ‘greener’ than Ethereum and blockchain competitors and will work with U.N. climate efforts

Originally posted on: marketwatch.com

Musician John Legend and Grammy-winning record producer Quincy Jones attend an event in 2010. GETTY IMAGES FOR INTERSCOPE

OneOf, the “green” nonfungible token platform built for the music community and backed by producing phenomenon Quincy Jones and others, has been tapped as the preferred NFT partner by the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.

The Right Here, Right Now initiative works with United Nations Human Rights to advocate for action to protect vulnerable people around the world suffering from the effects of climate change, including flooding and severe storms .

So far, the partnership appears to be a pledge from OneOf for partial proceeds from the sale of its music NFTs to be given to the Right Here, Right Now effort, according to a release published Wednesday. The advocacy group says its climate change pledge is aligned with the Paris accord and the U.N. 2030 sustainable development goals . Each artist that partners with OneOf will also have the option to design NFTs to directly benefit Right Here, Right Now and United Nations Human Rights.

In May, OneOf revealed more about its NFT platform, which operates on the non-profit Tezos Foundation blockchain protocol. OneOf said then it launched with $63 million in seed money. It has also said it will filter some of its proceedings to artist charity picks.

OneOf says its primary mission is to be the leading blockchain technology platform committed to environmental sustainability, while connecting artists and mainstream music fans — rather than collectors — who want NFTs. In addition to Jones, an investor and artist on the platform, major names so far committed include the late Whitney Houston, John Legend, Doja Cat and H.E.R., the company says.

As for those environmental credentials, the OneOf platform claims that it requires over 2 million times less energy than minting an NFT on platforms such as Ethereum. Minting an NFT on OneOf takes the energy equivalent of sending out a tweet, compared to the 3.6 days of average household electricity used by most platforms built on Ethereum, OneOf claims.

Read: Sotheby’s will accept bitcoin or ether for $15 million diamond sale

No doubt, the energy consumption of bitcoin BTCUSD, -1.12% , Ethereum and other proof of work-based blockchain networks has drawn greater scrutiny in recent months.

Some estimates from the University of Cambridge place bitcoin’s current annual energy consumption at 130TWh, a continuous draw of 15 gigawatts of electricity. If bitcoin were a country, its annual energy consumption would place it between the mid-sized countries of Ukraine and Argentina, the researchers say. Some estimates of Ethereum’s annual energy consumption place it at around 26TWh, a draw of 3 gigawatts, comparable to Ecuador, a country of 17 million people.

By contrast, the energy used annually by validators of the Tezos network is estimated in the range of 60MWh, a continuous draw of roughly 7 kilowatts. That is according to Tezos’s own claim .

Lin Dai, a OneOf co-founder and the platform CEO, previously was involved in the launch of TAP Network, a blockchain tech company that worked with Warner Music Group WMG, +3.33% , Uber UBER, -4.17% and other clients, Variety reports.

“Blockchain has the ability to democratize ownership and bring economic empowerment to both artists and fans,” Dai said at the time of the May launch. “We are building a technology company with an artist-first ethos and eco-conscious mission to help introduce hundreds of millions of non-crypto native users to blockchain through easy and exciting use cases such as NFTs,” he said.

In May, the OneOf platform said it would operate with “$0 minting costs” for artists and its NFTs could cost as little as $5 “or even free.”

Other artists associated with the platform, at least as of the May announcement, include Jacob Collier, Kid Laroi, Charlie Puth, G-Easy, TLC, Alesso and Aurora.

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