Brussels, 3 June: World Environment Day, observed globally on 5 June, comes at a pivotal moment this year, as the UN system is gearing up for its “Seal the Deal” campaign aimed at promoting a successful outcome for the Copenhagen climate change conference this December.
– Together, we must press governments to “Seal the Deal” for a new climate agreement, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will say in his message on World Environment Day.
The Seal the Deal campaign seeks to encourage governments to successfully conclude a fair, balanced and effective agreement on climate change when they meet at COP 15 in Copenhagen from 7-18 December.
In Brussels, the CoolPlanet2009 initiative of UNRIC – the European branch of the global Seal the Deal campaign – and UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, mark World Environment Day with a series of initiatives.
UNRIC presents a new “Wear-Seal-the-Deal” concept in partnership with the Belgian designer Jean-Paul Knott, featuring downloadable “Seal the Deal” campaign tools based on a do-it-yourself philosophy. It includes “Seal the Deal” postcards, pins and t-shirts. Jean-Paul Knott explains every step of the production in a 3 minute “Wear-Seal-the-Deal” video clip on the website.
Opinion makers, environmentalists, artists and individuals throughout Europe will wear “Seal the Deal” pins on World Environment Day.
A new 30 second video Seal-the-deal-for-CoolPlanet promoting the “Seal the Deal” campaign features on www.CoolPlanet2009.org. The video can be used by anyone wanting to help spread the word about the campaign.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
CoolPlanet2009, the European branch of the Seal the Deal campaign
The CoolPlanet2009 website is the centerpiece of UNRIC´s European Information Campaign, geared at generating interest and involvement in the climate change issue in Europe. Its Wall of events is a market place for European ideas, innovations and projects.
The website went live at a Press Conference of the five Nordic Prime Ministers, at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland 27 February this year.
CoolPlanet2009 is a part of the global Seal the Deal campaign which was presented at a press conference in Brussels 23 April by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.
– I have asked for the leadership of the European Union, to play the role of locomotive on the climate change issue, the Secretary-General said and continued:
– We count on the European Union’s continued and committed support on this matter.
President Barroso promised the EU´s support:
– We have to seal the deal, this is indeed our priority now to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen and I want to tell that we are going to work hand in hand with the United Nations to make that a great success for the future of our planet.
CoolPlanet2009has joined forces with numerous so-called Cool Friends and Partners, such as Yann Arthus Bertrand and Good Planet, the Icelandic rock band Sigur Rós, Björk´s NGO Náttúra and the three chairwomen of Road to Copenhagen, Margot Wallström, Vice President of the European Union, Gro Harlem Brundtland, UN Special Envoy on Climate Change and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland.
The first concerned European citizen to join the campaign was the Icelandic artist Björk who participated in a press conference in Brussels 6 November 2008, where it was presented, along with the co-chairwomen of the Road to Copenhagen.
CoolPlanet2009s hjemmeside: http://www.coolplanet2009.org
Læs mere om World Environment Day: http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/
