Paris Climate Change Conference
Momentum for Change showcased the 2015 Lighthouse Activities during a series of special events at the historic Paris Climate Conference in December 2015. From film screenings to an Oscars-like awards ceremony featuring musical performances by Grammy award winning artist Sean Paul, the Lighthouse Activities were in the spotlight, showing that action on climate change is not only possible but that it is already happening. Here are some of the highlights.
Highlights of Momentum for Change at the Paris Conference
Have a bit more time? Check out Two Weeks of COP21 in 10 Minutes
Showcase Event
9 December 2015
Sixteen game-changing initiatives from around the world were honored as winners at this special ceremony filled with powerful photos, inspirational videos and a lively musical performance by Grammy award-winning artist Sean Paul. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke at the event, telling the standing-room only crowd that the bold ideas of the Lighthouse Activities can inspire leaders to be more ambitious in their own policies and actions.
M. Sanjayan, a conservation scientist, writer and Emmy-nominated television news contributor, introduced Conservation International's newest video in its critically acclaimed Nature is Speaking series, titled Home. Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse CEO and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies.
One by one, the winning activities were called up on the stage to be celebrated for their remarkable solutions that are accelerating the global transition to a low-carbon, highly resilient development path.
URBAN POOR: SPECIAL EVENT
8 December 2015
This event showed how urban poor communities around the world are addressing climate change while creating jobs and improving lives at the same time. It was followed by a roundtable showcasing Momentum for Change Urban Poor category winners demonstrating on-the-ground climate action led by the urban poor, for the urban poor.
Women for Results: SPECIAL EVENT
8 December 2015
This event provided a forum to discuss the role of women in addressing climate change and demonstrated how women are leading the way on climate action worldwide.
Winners from the 2015 Momentum for Change Women for Results category presented their solutions.
Financing for Climate Friendly Investment: Special Event
9 December 2015
This event recognized how innovation is playing a key role in unlocking financial resources resulting in greater institutional capacity to fund activities that promote low carbon growth and highly resilient communities
Winners from the 2015 Momentum for Change Financing for Climate Friendly Investment category presented their solutions.
ICT Solutions: Special Event
9 December 2015
This event brought together thought leaders and information and communication technology (ICT) innovators to discuss the importance of ICT in enabling action on climate change and to show how the increased use of ICT across all sectors in society is reducing energy use, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and building resilience.
Winners from the 2015 Momentum for Change ICT Solutions category presented their solutions.
Save our Swirled
In partnership with Momentum for Change, Ben & Jerry's brought its global advocacy campaign "Save our Swirled" to delegates at COP 21/CMP 11 to help ensure a sweet outcome in Paris. Ben & Jerry's served free scoops of its ice cream to negotiators, delegates, and observers at the Momentum for Change exhibition booth for four days. The company's CEO Jostein Solheim shared a message that can't be ignored: "if it's melted it's ruined."" Because ice caps, like ice cream, are best kept frozen.
Ben & Jerry's participation in COP 21/CMP 11 was the culmination of the year-long global advocacy campaign Save Our Swirled. Through the initiative, the company has helped to add more than 300,000 signatures to Avaaz's petition calling for a shift to 100% clean energy by 2050. The petition, which includes more than 3.6 million signatures from around the world, was presented to the President of the Marshall Islands on the opening day of COP 21/CMP 11.