The unprecedented reality we find ourselves in today due to the widespread effects of the coronavirus has reignited the call for action to combat climate change. The parallels between the two are undeniable and this pandemic has shown us the true cost of doing nothing. Much as leading global health experts warned against the threat of a global pandemic, climate scientists continue to sound the alarm about the detrimental effects caused by the earth’s rising temperature. The public is paying attention. A recent Ipsos poll across 14 countries reported 71% of people believe climate change is as serious a crisis as COVID-19 in the long term. The world is calling upon its leaders to respond and to do so in ways that are based on science and targeted on systemic change.

This panel will explore how these dual crises highlight our global interdependency and need for international governance in addition to state and local leadership. It will examine the disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations and in developing countries, and what lessons can be learned from the COVID-19 crisis to avoid another global emergency that will be even more catastrophic. It will look toward opportunities to rebuild a healthier economy that is sustainable at its core, prioritizing people and the planet using long-term, resilient strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Speakers
Aaron Bernstein (Speaker) The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Interim Director
Christiana Figueres (Speaker) Global Optimism, Co-founder
Barbara Buchner (Speaker) Climate Policy Initiative, Executive Director