“See You in Copenhagen” Short Films Launched at Climate Week NYC

New York, NY – United Nations Foundation President Tim Wirth today unveiled “See You in Copenhagen,” a short-film series highlighting the need for strong and immediate action on climate change.  The first installment in the series was broadcast at the beginning of the Climate Week NYC Opening Ceremony, where United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Danish Minister of Climate and Energy Connie Hedegaard, actor Hugh Jackman, and others addressed the urgent need to reach a new global agreement to combat climate change.  The films, supported by the UN Foundation and the Global Campaign for Climate Action, were directed by Gabriel London and produced by Colleen Hard, both of Found Object Films. They are designed to raise public awareness and support civic engagement in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen, Denmark this December.

“As these film so vividly demonstrate, the world and our future are gravely at risk from climate change.  The UN talks in Copenhagen mark a special moment in time – an opportunity to move forward toward a new climate agreement and a new round of economic growth based on the transition to clean energy.  These films can help build the political will to make that happen,” said Reid Detchon, Vice President, Energy and Climate, United Nations Foundation.

“What a campaign like ‘See You in Copenhagen’ does is bring home to viewers the opportunities and hopes wrapped up in Copenhagen by showing portraits of Copenhagen ‘stakeholders’; from green industry leaders whose businesses will benefit from a fair and binding climate deal, to the very people who will lose their homes and livelihoods if a deal is not struck, and climate change persists unchecked.  In the eyes of the those featured, Copenhagen is the Olympic city of climate change, and it is to this great meeting of nations that the world should turn its attention to ensure a climate deal emerges as victor,” said Gabriel London.

The short films, which will also be on display at the United Nations building and at different events across New York this week, feature real-life people whose stories are each a piece of the Climate Change ‘policy puzzle’: Nobel Peace Prize-winning scientist Stephen Schneider, green industry leader Shai Agassi, grassroots activist Manoel Silva de Cunha and Dessima Williams, Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States.

Just 70 days remain before those negotiations and Climate Week NYC represents dozens of events and forums in New York this week to provide a platform for business, government and citizens to demonstrate their support for world leaders to secure a global deal in Copenhagen.  More information can be found at http://www.climateweeknyc.org/.

The films can be viewed here: http://www.vimeo.com/user483430.

###

Background
The UN Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation is an advocate for the UN and a platform for connecting people, ideas, and resources to help the United Nations solve global problems.  We build partnerships, grow constituencies, mobilize resources and advocate policy changes to support the UN’s work for individual and global progress.  The UN Foundation’s work – focused on select global problems – is decreasing child mortality, improving disaster relief, protecting diverse cultures and environments, creating a clean energy future, empowering women and girls, and improving U.S.-UN relations.  For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.