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120 speakers and more than 1,200 participants from over 70 nations, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, have accepted Arnold Schwarzenegger's invitation to the second R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT in Vienna on May 15th. The conference is Austria's largest gathering of leading international climate experts, ranging from politics to business.

Vienna, May 15, 2018 - "Our conference offers the ideal platform to build a positive dynamic for the COP24 in Poland. It is clear that discussions at all levels need to be intensified in order to reach a positive result at the end of the year in Katowice," explains R20 Austria & EU Director and organiser Monika Langthaler. 

Personalities from politics, business, civil society, science, start-ups, investors and climate experts as well as representatives of regions and cities are coming from all regions of the world - including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, EU Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, Deputy Mayor Sui Zhenjiang from Beijing, UN Peace Ambassador Jane Goodall and aviation pioneer Bertrand Piccard. They are all working together to build a sustainable future. The main goal is to work with even more energy for our planet and show leadership in fighting climate change. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger's commitment to climate protection has been unbroken for 15 years and he would like to see "less talk and more action" in this area. Under the patronage and with the support of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, he initiated the R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT in 2017. This year's conference enters its second round and aims to show what can be done and what is already being done. There are enough examples worldwide to prove that the sustainable path is also an economically profitable path. 

After the opening in the morning with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and international leaders, the most diverse aspects of climate protection will be discussed in nine expert sessions. From questions of financing and concrete implementation of climate projects to the often-underestimated effects of air pollution and climate change on human health, a wide range of topics will be discussed.

Three main aspects:

One goal of the summit is to raise awareness and use the joint expertise to set the course for the future from which everyone in global society will benefit. A healthy environment affects all aspects of society, so the R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT is building new bridges between the main players, focusing on the following three priorities: 

• New Era of Financing Climate Action The R20

AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT will discuss innovative financing mechanisms for accelerating climate protection and environmental projects. Enabling sustainable investment and access to financial instruments for local and regional authorities will be crucial to the management of investment capital. Financial institutions and private foundations can make a significant contribution to the global climate protection movement. 

• Paving the Way for New Solutions  

Cities and regions are leaders in providing new solutions in many areas: From building the cities of the future to concepts for the mobility of the future and intelligent solutions for new energy supply models. Sub-national cooperation is becoming an important driver of change in climate protection and the fight against pollution.

• The Fight against Environmental Pollution

 According to current scientific research, air pollution causes nine million deaths per year worldwide. This makes it the world's biggest environmental risk. Legal measures to improve air quality will therefore become a key element in the implementation of regulatory measures and standards.

Background Information: Leadership for a sustainable Future

In 2010 Arnold Schwarzenegger founded the international climate protection organisation R20 - Regions for Climate Action. True to the motto: "Less Talk - More Action", R20 has established itself as an international "Matchmaker for Green Solutions".

The R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT is an annual climate summit organised by R20 Austria & EU to implement the Paris climate agreement and the United Nations' sustainability goals. The results of the conference will be presented at the next UN climate protection conference in Katowice, Poland, in December. 

The R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT works with many important partners from business and civil society. This year not only the UN (United Nations) will once again be a partner, but also the Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the Langenburg Forum, the Vienna Energy Forum, the Assembly of European Regions and many more.

The R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT has a very special added value due to its close networking with the climate protection initiative of French President Macron - the ONE PLANET SUMMIT - and the initiative of Californian Governor Jerry Brown, the Global Climate Action Summit.  

In line with the Talanoa Dialogue 2018, the traditional process of participatory and transparent conversation between Pacific island states such as Fiji, the Summit will exchange ideas, skills and experiences through storytelling, applied practical knowledge and cutting-edge technology to inspire pioneers working for a sustainable future.