Bhumi Pednekar at UN General Assembly: Climate Crisis Needs Action Now

Actor and UNDP India National Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Bhumi Pednekar, has brought the urgency of climate action to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, delivering a message centred on the human impact of the climate crisis.

Swati Bhat

Image credit: Bhumi Pednekar at the United Nations General Assembly

On the global stage, Pednekar stressed that climate change should not be perceived as a distant issue for future generations. "I am at the United Nations General Assembly with just one message: The climate crisis is not a future problem. It is happening to real people in real places and we need climate action now,” she stated. Her message coincides with climate change being a major focus of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. This year's high-level week at the UN includes discussions on climate action, a just transition, and the increasing threats posed by rising sea levels, which the UN describes as an escalating threat already impacting communities, livelihoods, and economies.

Bhumi Satish Pednekar's involvement with UNDP India goes beyond a single appearance. In March 2023, UNDP India appointed her as its first National Advocate for the SDGs. In this role, she has worked to raise awareness about sustainable development, gender equality, and climate action. She previously joined UNDP India as a Women@Work Champion in 2022. The actor has increasingly utilized her public platform to address issues beyond cinema, such as women's rights, gender-based violence, and environmental concerns. Her association with UNDP has also enabled her to amplify campaigns focused on sustainable choices and climate awareness.

UNDP India has recognized Pednekar as one of the voices helping to boost its climate-action efforts, including the #ClimateCounts campaign, which aims to combat climate misinformation and promote informed collective action.

Her presence at the UN General Assembly adds another layer to her public advocacy: linking global discussions on sustainability with the everyday realities of communities affected by climate-related challenges.

For Bhumi Pednekar, the central message remains clear: climate change is already impacting lives, livelihoods, and communities. The pressing question is how quickly awareness can be transformed into meaningful action.

#BhumiPednekar #lifestyle #environment #awareness #UNDP

China using Tibet as dumping zone, destroying its environment

Lhasa [Tibet], June 19: The nature-bound systems of Tibet are now being shattered and destroyed by Beijing for their own benefit, who are using it as a dumping zone, destroying its environment.

Melting glaciers of Tibet. (Photo Credit - Reuters)

China, which currently governs Tibet, sees the region as a dump zone rather than a safe haven and does not provide Tibet with the required resources to protect this very fragile but significant eco-system and unique biome, Tibet Press reported.

Tibet has been experiencing the harsh reality of climate change through environmental destruction and degradation advocated by policies from Beijing. Large Lithium and nuclear (uranium) mines not only create a large carbon footprint through the emission of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere it simultaneously impacts the monsoon cycle, according to reports.

According to Tibet Press, the White Paper of Tibet titled 'Tibet since 1951: Liberation, Development and Prosperity from Beijing' highlighted very clearly how there was no concern about the level of destruction to Tibet's environment.

Over 50 per cent of the official document engaged in the development, the building of more dams and undertaking of several infrastructural initiatives with ironically only one paragraph mentioning anything at all about Tibet's environment.

Instead of acknowledging the destruction of the environment in Tibet, the document painted a good light on the Chinese government by wanting to take eco-friendly and sustainably motivated steps moving forward, reported Tibet Rights Collective (TRC).

All of these were eventually leading to the drying up of rivers, glacial melting, thawing of permafrost, flooding, loss of grasslands and many more, and all these were occurring due to the environmental destruction in Tibet under the Xi Jinping administration.

Moreover, the Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the Conference of Parties (CoP) 26 summit, the largest environmental summit held last year in Glasgow. Jinping's absence drew wide criticism as China not only is the largest polluting nation but its carbon emission has been on an unprecedented rise even with various environmental agreements signed by them.

#thecommunique #tc #tcn #tibet #china #environment #melt

Swarovski signs five-year agreement with Climeworks

Wattens, Austria: Swarovski is building on its sustainability strategy with a new five-year agreement with Climeworks, a leader in carbon dioxide removal via direct air capture technology to reduce, remove and offset its CO2 emissions.

Swati Bhat

Pic Courtesy: Swarovski

Swarovski is building on its sustainability strategy with a new five-year agreement with Climeworks, a leader in carbon dioxide removal via direct air capture technology to reduce, remove and offset its CO2 emissions.

In a statement, Swarovski said that the deal with Climeworks to remove accumulated CO2 emissions forms part of its cohesive greenhouse gas plan to reach its climate targets. In 2021, Swarovski joined the Science Based Targets initiative and committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct and indirect emissions from owned operations) by 47 percent and scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions from non-owned operations) by 28 percent by 2030.

“A climate strategy without carbon removal essentially means committing to pollute less today without clearing up the pollution accumulated so far,” explains Swarovski. “Reduction, removal, and offsetting are all necessary methodologies to reach the climate targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.”

As part of its plan to “drastically reduce” its global carbon footprint, Swarovski added that it is investing in more efficient manufacturing operations to reduce energy consumption in all new stores and to source more sustainable materials for products, packaging, and architecture. The crystal and jewellery company is also undertaking large-scale initiatives that will positively impact the transport of goods and other steps along the value chain.

Swarovski chief executive and interim chair Michele Molon said: “In 2021, we strengthened our sustainability strategy, focusing on the key area of climate mitigation. With the firm belief that scientific knowledge is indispensable to understanding and creating change, we also aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative to further our commitment.

“By signing this carbon removal agreement with Climeworks on their CO2 removal technology, we are marking our continued journey to confront one of our planet's most pressing issues.”

#swarovski #climworks #co2 #crystal #jewelery #climate #environment