Join us! Independent The inaugural Climate 100 event, a groundbreaking celebration to honour those committed to fighting climate change.
The event, which will take place in New York City on September 25th, will mark the launch of the Climate100 list, a selection of leading climate activists, innovators, scientists, business leaders, creatives, policymakers and entrepreneurs from around the world. Independent.
The event will take place during Climate Week NYC, be broadcast on Zoom and is free to attend online. To reserve your seat, register here.
Inspirational speakers include former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, best-selling author John Vaillant, The Independent’s award-winning chief international correspondent Belle True, and climate activist and founder of Black Girl Environmental Wawa Ghatar.
The most prominent speaker scheduled to deliver the keynote address will be Theresa May, the 76th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and only the second woman to hold that position. May’s term as Prime Minister marked the culmination of 21 years of continuous frontline work.
During her time as Prime Minister, May introduced legislation to completely end the UK’s contribution to global warming – making the UK the first G7 country to legislate for net zero emissions – and she also oversaw the publication of the Clean Growth Strategy and the decision to end coal-fired electricity generation indefinitely in the UK.
She served as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead for over 27 years, stepping down earlier this year. She continues to work for charities and campaigns around the world and was recently appointed to the House of Lords.
The Climate100 event will kick off with a speech from Wawa Gatar, a strong advocate for comprehensive climate action and committed to amplifying the voices of Black women.
Her work challenges traditional narratives that often portray marginalized communities as victims, rather than leaders and problem-solvers, in the climate crisis.
Ghattar’s deep awareness of the climate crisis began when her first-grade art teacher showed her “An Inconvenient Truth,” the Oscar-winning climate documentary by former Vice President Al Gore. As she grew older, she began to see the disconnect between climate decision-makers and the people most affected, who are often people of color and women.
In response, she founded Black Girl Environmental, the largest Black youth-led climate organization in the U.S., which supports Black girls, women, and gender non-binary people interested in joining the climate movement and pursuing environmentally conscious careers.
Her many accomplishments include being the first Black person to receive the prestigious Rhodes, Truman and Udall Scholarships for environmental activism. She will graduate from Oxford University in 2022 with a Master’s in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance.
She was the inaugural member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Youth Advisory Council and serves on the boards of organizations including EarthJustice and Climate Power.
she, Forbes 30 Under 30 One Glamour College Woman of the Year; And graced the cover Popular Alongside Billie Eilish.
Ghattar’s goal in life is to help create a climate movement that is in the image of all of us, and as the opening speaker at Climate 100, she will talk about what it means to be an environmentalist now and how we can make the tent of the climate movement big enough for all of us to join.
Next up will be award-winning author John Vaillant, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rather than relying on traditional activism, the author uses both fiction and non-fiction to expose the often-overlooked consequences of human impact on the environment.
His bestselling books, The Golden Spruce and The Tiger, are testament to his ability to shed light on important issues through masterful storytelling.
Vaillant’s latest work, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World, was shortlisted for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in general non-fiction. This powerful book recounts the devastating wildfires that raged in Fort McMurray, Alberta, in 2016. In just one day, the devastating event melted vehicles, burned nearby communities, and forced the evacuation of 88,000 people.
Through this harrowing tale, Vaillant offers a stark warning about the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in a rapidly warming world. With cinematic detail and insight, he explores the deep connections between the oil industry, climate change, and a new era of megafires.
Participants will also hear from Belle True, The Independent’s award-winning chief international correspondent, photographer and documentary filmmaker.
True began her career in the Middle East at the start of the Arab Spring in 2011, reporting on uprisings and wars from South Sudan to Yemen, Israel/Palestine to Syria. She has since broadened her horizons, covering news events around the world, including Europe, Pakistan and Ukraine, where she produced her first feature-length documentary, “The Body in the Woods.”
Bell recently travelled across the US to film a new movie ahead of the election. She was named Foreign Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards and also won the Marie Colvin Award last year.
Bell’s work focuses on conveying the very real human reality of war to audiences thousands of miles away, uncovering evidence of war crimes and the devastating impact of conflict on civilians. Bell’s talk will focus on the impact of an increasingly hotter and drier planet and how this is fueling conflict, from increased recruitment of jihadi groups to gender-based violence.
How to get involved with Climate 100
The event will take place on Zoom and will start at 2pm PST (11am PST or 7pm BST) on Wednesday 25th September. You’ll need to reserve your place to access the stream.
Once you’ve registered, you can attend as many events as you like, which will run until 5:30pm ET (2:30pm PST / 10:30pm BST).
For more information and reservations click here.
