Nordic call to global climate action – New climate forum creates optimism and opportunity for needed changes

The BBC profile and legend Sir David Attenborough was one of the voices behind the need for a neutral, independent, action-oriented Nordic Climate Forum, when visited Gothenburg, Sweden as a speaker and guest at The Perfect World Foundation Climate Conference in 2018. The Gothenburg community now stands behind The Perfect World Foundation's initiative; Climate AID World Forum, represented by Volvo Cars, Business Region Göteborg, EY (Ernst & Young), Göteborg & Co and many others.

The first event will take place 8 –9 September 2021, when the city of Gothenburg Sweden will be guested by international speakers familiar with the acute, important and global environmental issues. Speakers such as Prince Albert II of Monaco, former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Erik Solheim and Marine Biologist and Oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, John Kerry's Climate Adviser Terry Tamminen, and many others.

“The Nordic region needs a voice, and the world needs a place and a Forum to help take the climate issue to the next level, not unlike the World Economic Forum in Davos, or the Film Festival in Cannes, the Nordic countries, Sweden and Gothenburg can be the place where the world gathers to bring these extremely important topics into action,” says Erik Solheim, former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and member of Climate AID World Forum Advisory Board.

In 2018, The Perfect World Foundation organized a Climate Conference in Gothenburg with guests from all over the world, including Sir David Attenborough and late Dr Rajendra Pachauri who was chairman of IPCC, the recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and the man behind the Paris Agreement. The conference resulted in a shared view of the need for a neutral and impartial Forum, where focus will be 100% on actions to achieve the Paris Agreement's goal of 1.5 degrees.

“To succeed in this, a great deal of commitment must be achieved, where companies, politicians, academia, and consumers, take a responsibility and work together, says Lars Jacobsson, co-founder of Climate AID World Forum.

Volvo Cars, Business Region Göteborg, EY, Göteborg & Co and other organizations are now joining up to be part of the take-off for the climate platform – Climate AID World Forum 2021-2030.

“The reason behind the year 2030 deadline, is to highlight the need to once and for all ensure that goals are achieved before a set date. The world does not need more big words, it needs action… now,” says Lars Jacobsson and continues. “The Forum will be a source for knowledge, a platform for education, development, communication and the hotbed of new innovation.”

The companies that now gather around the initiative will commit to achieving concrete climate-related goals where the Forum will be able to continuously monitor the companies' commitments impartially and independently during the period up to 2030. The Forum and the companies will openly present their work to achieve their goals. Now the founders hope that more local, national, and international organizations will join with the Forum's ambitions.

“Volvo Cars is delighted to be a partner of the inaugural Climate AID World Forum in our hometown of Gothenburg says Anders Kärrberg, Head of Global Sustainability. Sustainability is now as important as safety to us, with climate action having the highest priority. Volvo Cars aim to be climate neutral by 2040, and be a fully electric car company by 2030.  We look forward to engaging in the Forum, and helping drive action and innovation to limit global warming within, as well as beyond, our industry.”

“We are a leading knowledge-based company involved in driving the development of future work by using new technology, working with partnerships and focusing on the environment. In January, EY globally launched the ambition of becoming carbon dioxide negative by 2021. We are off course proud of our forward-looking ambition, but that is not enough. To create a sustainable future, everyone must take the responsibility of thinking two, three steps ahead. That is why we are very happy about this partnership, because we must succeed to cut down emissions with 50 percent by 2030,” says Anja Vanhatalo, Head of Sustainability at EY Sweden.

ABOUT:

Climate AID World Forum 2021-2030 is an independent, impartial, international non-profit organization, funded by its members and governed by The Perfect World Foundation.

The Forum is action oriented with the aim to support the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement climate target, with a holistic view on sustainability and circularity in mind. The Forum has set a 2030 deadline for its activities to self-impose accountability to help influence global change.

The Forum is a platform for multiple stakeholders including business, government, academia, and civil society to enable communication, networking, educating, knowledge sharing and innovation. Members and partners pledge climate sustainability actions and make use of the Forum for support in achieving and reporting on them. The Forum believes that championing innovation activity on its platform will be essential to achieve the climate target. The Forum holds one yearly main event in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a series of linked global events in other locations.