“There may be more beautiful times, but this one is ours,” Jean-Paul Sartre once said.
We are facing a multitude of new and difficult challenges. The world is facing increasingly complex conflicts and crises. Alongside the current geopolitical situation, the ecological challenges seem to be fading into the background for some. This is fatal because they often accelerate political crises. The good news for our environmental and climate protection movement is that we already have a variety of tools and solutions at hand. We can all contribute something positive – be ‘useful,’ as the title of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new book and our motto for this year’s AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT emphasizes.
The motto “Be useful: Tools for A Healthy Planet” should be our guiding principle to create a world together in which we can all have a decent future. Because if everyone makes themselves useful and does their bit, then we can save our planet and ourselves.
Matt Iseman and Nadja Bernhard, Presenters
Monika Langthaler, Host AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT
Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of the Republic of Austria
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Founder AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT
In the last forty years environmentalists thought hard for environmental legislation and legal frameworks. However, prime examples such as the European Green Deal and the US Inflation Reduction Act are under great threat. Climate and environmental policies are valuable and much needed to address the challenges ahead. This panel will discuss the necessary political tools to reach our climate targets.
Speakers to be announced soon
Unlocking Green Investments: Overcoming Financial Barriers to Climate Action
Scientific models project that investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and green energy comes at a lower cost than paying for the consequences of the climate crisis. There is no green transformation without financial drivers. Recently, significant financial stakeholders have been establishing green funds and seeking green investments. What is green money exactly, how can it be accessed? And what are the obstacles of the transformation if it is not the lack of funding? This session will explore different financial aspects such as Green Budgeting, green investments in the Global South and the barriers preventing a faster global shift towards sustainability.
Host: Hannelore Veit
Magnus Brunner, Minister of Finance, Austria
Justin Mundy, Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat
Additional speakers to be announced soon
Exploring Corporate and Political Roles in Climate Action: Tools and Challenges
Corporate responsibility has been a buzzword for the last decades. And indeed, the business world has many tools at hand to drive change. However, companies frequently criticize the absence of adequate legal frameworks that would enable them to operate sustainably. Politics represent one of the most influential instruments for concrete measures. Tune in to the discussion on how both businesses and politics contribute to climate action and join in to reflect what tools could also be improved.
Host: Hannelore Veit
Leonore Gewessler, Federal Minister of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, Austria
Klaus von Moltke, Head of Drive Machines BMW Group
Omoyemi Akerele, Founder Lagos Fashion Week
Additional speakers to be announced soon
Urban Influence: Sustainable Living in Cities
According to UNFCCC, cities occupy merely 2% of the Earth’s surface, but they account for 78% of global energy consumption and generate over 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, understanding urban dynamics and the lifestyle choices people can make within them is essential.
Old habits die hard! That is why cities and regions work hard to make a climate friendly life as easy as possible. What tools do they have? How can we as citizens become more climate friendly in our daily lives?
Host: Nadja Bernhard
Jürgen Czernohorzsky, Executive City Councillor for Climate, City of Vienna
Jan Jenisch, CEO and Chairman Holcim
Xenia zu Hohenlohe, Chief Engagement & Strategy Officerat Sustainable Markets Initiative
Additional speakers to be announced soon
Creative Approaches to Inspire Change
As all aspects of our lives are affected by the climate crisis, we need unique and creative channels and approaches to react and act: Convincing people to act for the climate is an art.
Host: Nadja Bernhard
Klemens Hallmann, CEO Hallmann Holding
Sebastian Ströbel, Actor
With their unique signature sound mix of rock, rockabilly, country, neoblues enriched with a bit of pop appeal, The BossHoss quickly sends the audience into a real country-rock frenzy.
The BossHoss are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year and we are delighted to welcome them to the AWS stage.
Inspiring stories and innovative personalities – the best mix for an intriguing session. We present climate action heroes from all around the world proving that change is already in motion.
Hosts: Barbara Meier and Matt Iseman
Andy Schleck, Winner Tour de France 2010 and Investor NZero
Cosima Richardson, Founder and CEO Kynd Hair
Basima Abdulrahman, Founder and CEO KESK
Charlot Magayi, Founder and CEO Mukuro Stoves
Nidhi Pant, Co-Founder S4S Technologies
Nalleli Cobo, Environmental Justice Advocate
Anna-Liisa Palatu, CEO Woola
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Founder AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT
Monika Langthaler, Director Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative
The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative
Phone: +43 1 235 14 23
office@schwarzeneggerclimate.com
#ClimateAction #AWS24
The event is aimed to be organised according to the guidelines of the Austrian Green Meetings eco-label.
