PARIS, HERE I COME!
Young COP23 star, Timoci, to address a climate mobilisation summit after invitation from French leader Line up of famous private sector representatives includes Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Leonardo Di Caprio
After blowing away the crowd in Bonn, Germany with a power-packed climate change speech to world leaders during the COP23 negotiations, young Timoci Naulusala is jetting off to France today.
The 12-year-old climate activist Timoci had impressed the French president Emmanuel Macron when he spoke passionately and confidently about how climate change affected Fijians.
Timoci told of how his life had been affected by climate change
In light of this, the French leader personally extended an invite to young Timoci when the two met at the Fiji Pavilion in the Bonn Zone on the margins of COP23 negotiations last month. Timoci will be addressing a climate mobilisation summit in Paris on December 12.
The Naivicula, Tailevu boy, is being accompanied by his mother, Raijieli Tinai, who was also with him in Bonn.
Timoci’s father, Onisivo Sausauwai said he was proud of his son’s remarkable achievement in Bonn, but to be extended an invite by the leader of one of the world’s largest economy, was beyond him. “I am happy and proud of him, he had worked hard this year, and he is excited about his trip,” Mr Sausauwai said.
French ambassador to Fiji Sujiro Sean said that Timoci’s travel arrangements were funded by the French Embassy.
About the climate mobilisation summit
An update from European Union news and policy debates from the European Media Network present in 12 EU capitals, called EURACTIV, reported that the meeting ‘seems to confirm a change of approach in global climate change action initiated at the COP21 in Paris.
Rather than pushing heads of state to pledge billions and abstract sums, the Paris Climate Agreement encourages all stakeholders to mobilise.
Citizens’ initiatives against unambitious states are multiplying, and coalitions of cities or businesses are taking leadership.
About 50 heads of state, 4000 participants, and 1000 journalists are expected in Paris. But, it is especially representatives of the private sector who will make the headlines: Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Leonardo Di Caprio. “It will be an important summit to release concrete solutions and develop the instruments of climate finance,” said a source in the French Presidency, the news site reported.