 Alright, so some of our worst leading scientists have claimed that in a dozen years from now, like, we'll be able to, we have to keep global warming temperatures up to a maximum of 1.5 degree Celsius. Beyond which, even half the degree Celsius of increase would actually worsen degrees of floods, droughts, and other extreme weather patterns. We are also witnessing a scenario, like perhaps in mankind history, where we had one of the worst plastic pollutions. Our marine animals are dying, and microplastics have found its way into our food chain. If we don't act now, by 2050, we would have more plastics than fish. We are so involved in things like deforestation, we are cutting down the forest for the sake of development. And all of this worries me, Nadia. It worries me, it worries our future generations who are going to be inheriting this earth. You, Nadia, as the UN Good View Ambassador for the environment have been an inspiration to us all. Like, perhaps you could share with us a little bit about how, what got you started on that journey. Okay, thank you so much for asking, and thank you everyone for turning up. I started speaking about environmental issues in the 90s, actually. And the reason that I started on this journey is because I was a young mum. So I don't know if anybody heard my talk yesterday, am I repeating myself? Okay, so I will repeat myself a little bit. I first got my diving license around 26, 27 years ago. And I was absolutely petrified of what I could see under the sea. All of those things under there were like really scary, these shadows, they were monsters and aliens and all this kind of stuff. So I really hesitated to get my diving license. I first did my first dive off the boat. I was holding onto my dive buddy and I was crying in my mask and I couldn't let go and I was like, oh my God, everything's going to get me. And then my second dive I was like, you know what, forget this. I have to get up close and personal and really try to understand what these things are and they're not out to get me. So I got really close to all of the coral and all of the fish and that was it. Then you couldn't get me out of the water. Not long after that I had my first child. I'm 25 now and shortly after that then I went diving again in the same place about a year and a half, two years apart. And at that time when I went diving again, all of the colors were gone. The coral was broken, the fish were in fish traps and at that time already then there was already plastic floating on the ocean and it just hit me so hard and I thought, my goodness, even my lifetime, my world has changed so much. How about in the lifetime of my child? And so that's how I got started. I mean, aside from the fact that my mom was a greenie and she talked about being self-sustainable, living off the grid and she also rescued orangutans before I was born. My mom's Australian, my dad's Indonesian. So I kind of grew up with these things planted in my mental continuum from a very young age. But once I was a parent I realized that if I didn't do whatever I could in my very limited capacity, I'm not a scientist. I left school when I was 12. So I just had to do whatever I could, right? And then in my 20s I was blessed with a platform that was a regional platform on television across Southeast Asia and which was MTV. So I was one of the pioneering BJs that launched the MTV channel and we were kind of left to be free to talk about whatever we wanted. And it was usually crazy stuff. But I realized that aside from the intro and the outro, what I wanted to do was talk about issues that I cared about. And they were very basic then. It was an international year of the old student, reduce who used your cycle, talking about orangutans. But then that started to come back to me. It was being echoed back to me by the audience. And it was from then on that I used the platform that I've been blessed with to talk about issues that I thought were really important. That's why I got on this journey. It was a very lonely space. So welcome to the party. I'm not just the crazy lady sitting in the corner talking about things that people should be thinking about. So now it is thankfully a little bit noisier in this space. So you have been involved in eco-activism even before it became a thing, like since the early 1990s, I believe. How has that changed over the years? How do you know? You know, obviously in the last couple of years, it's become a lot noisier, which is great. I think now we have a lot more of the younger generation who are incredibly switched on, incredibly incredibly switched on. And they are shifting the dial. And I think they should be invited to not only engage in discussion, but also be involved in decision-making processes, because we're making decisions for them on their behalf. So it's crazy that they're not more involved. Right, right. So one of the conversations that I was having with a friend recently, what she said was a lot of people tend to identify more with social issues because they can see the direct impact of it. But when you talk about environmental impacts, sometimes it just goes past your mind. And it's almost as though we're having a dialogue that's 30,000 feet above ground. Like, how do we make it real for people? I mean, just in your role as an eco-activist, what are some of the strategies that work and what doesn't? That's a great question. I think what we need to do is have this sort of multi-disciplinary dialogue of people from very diverse backgrounds and engage behavioral change scientists and guys from technology and so that we can move the dial. Environmentalists and scientists have been talking about these issues for a very long time, and the truth is unfortunately from hailing back as far as the days of the original hippies up until now, we haven't actually made a dent, and that's a sad reality. But I do think with the onset of engagement and engaging with technology, I think there's a lot of potential for us to shift things a lot faster. Sir, you mentioned something about not making a dent. Do you think that there's a disconnect between different stakeholders in terms of communicating on environmentalism? Is there a difference between how academicians do it versus someone in the public figure like yourself? What's the problem here? Yeah, there is a communication breakdown. I think having great minds in storytelling, in media, in the creative world to come together with the world's top scientists could be some of the best ways that we could move forward. You know, I was just at the United Nations Environment Assembly where we launched the G06, which is the Global Environment Outlook. And that is a document that's like an old phone book. I'm sure some of you still remember phone books. They were huge. They were door stops, right? And these are some of the world's top scientists working on these documents that get presented, and there's so much information in there. But how do people understand that? How do we get those critical messages out there so that it hits home? And these are challenges. I'm putting it out there because we clearly haven't figured it out yet, right? How do we really show the interconnectedness of things that really link back to individuals' lives that show the impact in their life directly? And as more and more people live in cities and more and more people are disconnected to nature and disconnected from each other even, right? It makes it increasingly more difficult. You're constantly on your mobile phones and plug into the Internet. We're so disconnected. Speaking of individuals, I actually did a quick survey with the Global Shapers community and the two top environmental issues that came up was the climate crisis and the whole issue around plastic pollution pertaining to the way that we consume over consumption and greed. How should we be managing these two issues? I think for the generation who have concerns about these things and I was mentioning this earlier is that it's wonderful to stand up and try to encourage or request for change or push for change or with the climate strikes and all of these things that are happening, but that's great because it is actually making a dent and just so you know, how many people are familiar with Greta Thunberg? Roughly, okay, but about half of the audience. Greta is a young climate activist and she has been the one who's instigating these climate strikes with school children across the world. Greta, because she made a comment about aviation emissions and that has sparked now flight shaming in Sweden. So the airlines have actually experienced a 10% drop in flying in business in the last six months. So there is impact in the younger generation or any individual raising their voice and concern about what's happening in the planet. But the next thing that needs to happen is that you arm yourself with an incredible toolkit. That toolkit includes understanding of policy, which I don't have actually, I wish I did, and great storytelling abilities, an ability to network, an ability to speak and listen outside your own circles, engage with people who, technology for example, AI tech and science, you know, these are the most exciting people to me because they're waiting, they're waiting for the challenges. They don't have the solutions in hand, but if you go to them and say, hey, I have this problem, they're like, okay, here's the solution for you, you know what I mean? They're the guys who are really based on solutions and finding solutions. So that's my recommendation. Don't just get out there with placards and sort of say, hey, I'm angry and we need to change the world, but you know, really arm yourself with a great toolkit. Right, yeah. So it seems like, you know, like we are, we always say that we are the first generation to acknowledge the fact that we are destroying the planet and you're probably the last to do anything about it. And yes, as you rightly mentioned, millennia is of use to younger people like are really stepping up their game. So in the global shapers community, for example, like we have actually committed to wanting to address the climate crisis and also people like Greta Thunberg, like she's inspired whole movement on these school strikes for climate, right? Apart from equipping ourselves with tools, like, you know, what are their advice would you give to, you know, this group of really passionate and hungry-driven, you know, millennias who are just out there wanting to champion their cause? Don't give up is the first thing. It's very easy to get, to get fatigued, you know, it's very easy to once one door closes, then you sort of say, ah, I've no, there's no hope, I'm not going to be able to do this, you know, but sort of, I guess what's really important is to surround yourself, build a community, identify who it is within your community and within the greater community who has the same feelings. Bring those people together. Create an organization of you together. Together you have a more powerful voice and you have a network of people with different skill sets. And yeah, I think the most important thing is not give up, I mean, I've been doing this since for so long, right? And in all honesty, I think it's because I am an optimist, it's interesting to hear about the optimist pessimist thing about earlier, but in all honesty in the last six months or so I have actually been quite depressed by some of the numbers and statistics and some of the books that I'm reading, but I do believe with technology we may be able to come up with some of the great challenges or... So there's still hope, literally. There is still hope. I don't know. To be honest with you, I would like to think so. I think that humans are good at heart. I don't believe that anyone is 100% bad and I do believe that everybody wants to make a difference and perhaps if we could come up with a checklist or a playbook to enable people in whatever fields they're in, whether they're in science, whether they're in marketing, whether they're lawyers, whether they're in HR. Whatever you do, you can be in a position of influence and create impact. So it's really about playing to their strengths, depending on where they are. So in this room, we probably have some of the world's most powerful top corporate executives who are also policy makers and decision makers in their own right. But then some of them are also parents whose children will actually be inheriting the earth. How do we breach that intergenerational gap or divide in terms of having conversations about what we need to do for the environment? Like I mentioned earlier, I think the most important thing is that we are engaging with the younger generation. I do feel that they are a lot more in tune with what's going on. There's also a huge level of eco-anxiety, I think, for the younger generation, and we need to acknowledge that and be very mindful of that. I guess it really does come back to what I said earlier, is to really be looking to them for answers. You know, it is kind of... We've had this kind of hierarchical kind of attitude about things and saying, we know best and you guys follow our footsteps. But I obviously don't think that that is the case anymore. So if we can turn to the younger generation to really look for solutions or work with them and support them in whatever skill sets that we may have, but to acknowledge that they may have more answers than we do. I thought that's quite an interesting perspective that you've brought out, because in my experience, I'm often taught that you're either too young or too inexperienced to actually have an opinion. How do you think I should be responding to an adult or someone more mature that you just don't have much to offer? Persistence. I don't know, how do you approach somebody with a mind that's not open? That is a challenge. And I guess for me, what it is is when I've hit a door that doesn't open, then I will just continue to find other avenues and just not give up. Yeah. Just don't give up. And maybe there's a wall. Maybe I need to figure out, do I go around it this way, this way? Do I climb over it? Do I go under it? Just look for other ways to approach it. Right. Yeah, I guess, what are your hopes and aspirations for the younger generation? Say in the next five to ten years, what do you hope to see? I hope that the younger generation can be supported in terms of their emotional well-being. I do think that we are moving in a world which will have increased levels of fragility in the climate and in the communities. So for the younger generation, I think what's really important is that we shift the discussion, not only to be discussing climate change and the issues that our planet has, but also how we can rebuild that sense of community and connection because that is something that we'll be able to tide us through in many ways when we look at whole human issues and we can help to build resilience and empathy and compassion and reconnecting to the human spirit because it's very difficult, I believe, to get someone to care about elephants or orangutans or the ocean or climate change if they don't care about themselves first and foremost. If they don't care about themselves, then why are they going to even give a shit about what's going on with the planet? They need to care about their brothers, their sisters, their mothers, their fathers. So we need to look at how we can rebuild that sense of community and compassion. And I do sincerely hope that there are ways that we can do that to nurture that in the generation that's coming in this world that is facing the challenges that we have left behind. That we have left behind for them. Sounds great. And maybe from your side, maybe you could give some feedback also, an interesting point of view from where you stand for the generation who has come before you who has left this huge... Environmental burden. Disaster for you, yeah. Well, I think the younger generation are those who are... We are definitely very hungry, so we're very passionate about our cause. But what we do need from people like yourselves, I suppose it's really a platform for our voices to be heard. So we want to have a sit on the table to make sure that you hear some of our suggestions and also to pave the way for potential networking and collaboration. So we spoke a lot about wanting to build a community, but we cannot save the planet if we were to do this in isolation. We need everyone on board. So what's missing? I think opportunities. If I have to summarize it in a nutshell, I think there just needs to be more platforms for younger people to just voice out what they're concerned about and to be part of the solution. Like, yeah. How do you see that forming? If you had a wish list, what are your top three or five wishes? Well, I mean, I think firstly, I think through the global shavers community, I think there's a lot of opportunities that we can leverage on, like perhaps to work with the YGLs, the Young Global Leaders Network, to see if we can actually come up with, as was an environmental program. I mean, in fact, we have actually just launched the Voice for the Planet campaign, where people can actually sign up to, like, and pledge your commitments to make the planet a better place to live in. So how many of you have actually heard of Voice for the Planet? Oh, okay. Like, that's not a lot, but hopefully at the end of this, we'll get all of you to sign up and make pledges accordingly. Can I ask, what is a pledge actually equal in reality? What does it equal? Commitments. So it's sort of a checklist that talks about some of the things that you can do as an individual. So it talks about lifestyle changes. Like, if you were traveling, for example, you can make a commitment to carpool or take public transportation at least, or to try being a vegan at least two to three times in a week. So it's not necessarily, like, huge steps that you have to make. They're sort of incremental small baby steps that you can sort of commit yourselves to it. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And I think with that, like, we should open up for questions, like, from the floor. Maybe we'll take three, and then we can direct to another. So you're just talking there about flagship commitments, which I agree with entirely, but I think one of the issues is that it's often made to... influentials are often made to feel very responsible, where they do bear responsibility, obviously. But when we hear, like, at the World Economic Forum, for example, which is extremely influential, should it not be for them, really, to lead the way in practical steps? For example, I was very shocked by the amount of plastic that is here. By the fact that we will have to fly very far to be able to partake in a really very exciting forum. I know people can watch it online, but should it not be for young global shapers like yourselves to try to influence those decision makers to make a difference at their level, and that can trickle down, top down, as well as bottom up? Yeah. Thank you, that was very valid. We'll take three questions, so then we'll answer. Great, thank you very much for your work. I think it's amazing, and I think that you're capitalizing on the fact that people are powerful, and if many people in the world believe in something, then they can make things happen, and you've used your platform to do so. But the question I have as a young scientist is with the methods of trying to tell people that these are things they should do because they should, that way of communicating is dangerous because another influencer can say the exact opposite, and nobody knows exactly what to believe. So as a scientist, what I was wondering is to what degree do you think that a public personality like yourself could try to convince everyone that they should try to think and reason and become scientists and mathematicians of their own because then the entire world of 7 billion people could be very reasonable and actually all come to a conclusion instead of them believing different people that they prefer to believe. Okay, and I think that was a question at the back. Are you going to remember them? I'm going to jump in. Okay, good. Yeah, I'm Jack Sim. I'm the founder of the World Toilet Organization. Hi. So I think that when they do something, they do little things like, oh, we don't use straw anymore, but we will still use the water bottle. So I don't understand if they don't use straw, why do they use the water bottle? So I went to the hotel and I say, hey, hotel, you don't use straw. Why do you still use the water bottle? They say, ah, you know, it's business. So this kind of problem, how do you solve? You go to the guy, almost they're like hypocrites, right? If all the hotels start to use glass, glass, which we used long ago, then they would have already legged, but then they say, oh, we did the straw. So how do you solve this kind of commercial thing? Then if you talk about, like, flights, Indonesia is going to build 100 airports. Of course, you've got to fly a lot. So the car manufacturing industry, so are we real or are we just pretending? This is the question. Yeah, would you like to address the first two questions? Okay, the first question was how do we get science... How do you get younger people into, you know, like influencing decisions that are being made? Yes. That's a great question. I think what would be wonderful is if... One of the audience, and I don't know if this will answer your question, if in these kinds of situations and settings, if from the onset we had maybe three grand challenges or five grand challenges, that everybody coming to the forum was aware of and we banked, we tapped into this brain trust to come up with solutions for these five grand challenges. And then I think that's something that has some solid take away from these kinds of forums and also can engage, include to engage the younger generation as well. And whether that could also mean not only looking at solutions and brain trust, but... Yeah. Getting the vote of the younger generation to push the forum, for example, and you're talking about travelling and emissions and water bottles and things like that and doing an audit of these types of events to happen so that we can continue to make change. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I think the Global Shapers community, I think we also have an advisory council and also serving committees, depending on which projects that you're championing. So there's a lot of engagement with WAP as well, like on that end. The second question was with regards to how can a media personality like yourself influence a lay person to think in a scientific or holistic manner? Yeah, I always do. I mean, I really, myself personally, this is my own, only my own experience, but I do really encourage people to read and listen to podcasts and science and all of this kind of stuff because you can't... I feel like you can't come to a very solid and fast kind of set of ethics and ways to live your life by it, unless you've really studied and kind of debated and used logic and reasoning to be able to sort of understand your position and your position in the world and also the effects on the environment. So that is something that I do really highly encourage and I think it's critical that anyone who does have a platform wants to talk about these things also arms himself with as much knowledge as possible from various different sources. Yeah. And the third question was with regards to hypocrisy, like, so you see a lot of people doing small things, like, you know, banning plastic straws, but then at the same time, you know, you have a lot of bottles that are being used. Like, how do you shift that sort of mindset, I suppose, like tough questions? Yeah, I don't know, I don't have the answers for that, but I do think that any small steps are good steps and, you know, of course there's the whole thing about greenwashing and things like that, but I do think that if somebody or a corporation does start making, taking small initiatives that we shouldn't crucify them, and of course what we can do is we can encourage them and give them the tools to be able to do better, because sometimes what happens in corporations or in organizations, when they do start to make small or incremental changes, people will attack them and say, hey, you know, you're not doing enough, and then they pull back. They decide, well, you know, we're getting flak for doing this, maybe we won't do it at all, maybe the best way is to support people in being able to make changes. Yep. I don't know, just an idea. I think we might have time for just one more question. Sorry, I think, yeah, the lady at the back, yeah, have put up her hand first. Good afternoon, I'm Vanshika, a global shaper from the New Delhi Hub, India. So I wanted to ask you that in this entire discourse of eco-activism, you know, we know their movements like the Earth Hour and so on, which are global movements and rightfully so, but for somebody coming from the global south, especially a developing emerging market like India, I mean, still, urban Indians can resonate with a movement like that, but for most Indians living in rural India where people don't even have access to electricity, the argument is, okay, how do we kind of integrate them in this process? One is because something like an Earth Hour caters to a particular type of demography, right? So people who are living in, you know, demographies and geographies which anyway are backward. How do we celebrate their practices which can be, so I guess my question is how do we kind of also take a bottom-up approach to integrate some of the local practices and from your experience as a UN, you know, goodwill ambassador, have you come across very interesting experiences of local communities? So the question is how do we engage from bottom-up and have I experienced any local initiatives that have been successful? India is very complex. India will be the worst affected by climate change and the farmers in India are having a very difficult time and it's interesting to note that on days when there are hotter days in India, the rate of suicide increases dramatically actually. So India is a place that needs a lot of attention. I don't have any... I don't know if I have an answer for you on that, but I do know that ground-up initiatives are very, very important. In conservation specifically, and my passion, maybe I haven't shared, but my passion actually is with elephants and I created a campaign to reduce the demand for ivory with the Asian consumers and it was focusing on demand side, but what I learned through this process was the organizations that had the most success with their conservation work were the organizations that focused on community work and so investing in community programs, scholarships, schools, hospitals, ranger conversion programs and things like this equals good conservation outcomes. So I think there's huge value, huge value in community-run programs. Great, great. So I'm afraid we have come to the end of the session. Thank you very much for the questions. In 15 minutes time, there will be a director's cut of Our Planet, which will be the very first time in China. So do stay back for that. Thank you very much everyone for joining us. Thank you Nadia.