8. June 2022

AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT: Creating Hope – Inspiring Action

On June 14th 2022, Arnold Schwarzenegger will once again be hosting his climate conference, the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT, at the Hofburg in Vienna. Numerous prominent guests from politics, business, science and civil society will highlight the importance of climate protection and climate action.

“We live in challenging times. I am all the more pleased that we are once again welcoming great and exciting guests to our conference in Vienna this year. With their stories and innovative ideas, they are a role model for all of us and motivate us to also take action. Because the best antidotes to the despair that some feel in the face of the multitude of current crises are hope and action,” says Monika Langthaler, Director of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative and organiser of the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT.

Top environmental leaders from EU and USA
In addition to host Arnold Schwarzenegger and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, the two top climate and environmental leaders from Europe and the USA are expected to attend. European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, who is responsible for implementing the European Green Deal, will be on hand to discuss current political challenges in climate protection with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency Michael S. Regan. “We are very proud to have succeeded in attracting two such key figures to the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT. As part of President Biden’s cabinet, Michael Regan is actively shaping US climate policy and without the tireless efforts of Frans Timmermans, the ambitious measures in Europe would probably look a lot different”, Langthaler is pleased to say. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will also speak via video message.

Motto: “Creating Hope – Inspiring Action”.
German climate activist Luisa Neubauer and numerous representatives from the business world, such as Klemens Hallmann (Hallmann Corporate Group), Jan Jenisch (Holcim) and Ilka Horstmeier (BMW Group), will talk about concrete solutions to environmental pollution and the climate crisis under the motto “Creating Hope – Inspiring Action”. Topics such as the transformation of the economy, digitalisation, successful climate communication and a climate-friendly agriculture will be the focus this year.

Young, innovative and international
With speakers from 15 nations and participants from more than 50 countries, the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT is once again as international as ever. Above all, young and innovative people from all over the world will be given a stage this year. For example, Lorna Rutto, who fights against plastic waste in Kenya and creates hundreds of jobs, or 15-year-old Reshma Kosaraju, who predicts forest fires with the help of artificial intelligence. From India 16-year-old Vinisha Umashankar will be joining, who is supported by Prince William and became famous for developing a solar-powered ironing cart to reduce coal consumption in India.

30th anniversary of Earth Summit Rio
The date of this year’s AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT marks the 30th anniversary of the Earth Summit in Rio. At that conference, more heads of state and government met than at any other meeting before to solve the problems of poverty and environmental destruction. This year’s AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT will not only look back at the climate policy of the last 30 years, but also focus on solutions for the future.

Journalists have the opportunity to interview the high-level speakers at the Climate Summit. The list of possible interview partners can be found here.