Former World Leaders on Climate Leadership: Why the Biden Era will be Defined by the Climate Challenge

The five hottest years on record have all come since 2015. Antarctic heatwaves, melting glaciers, wave after wave of drought and wildfire, and an unremitting string of mega-storms: the effects of climate change have become ever more visible. At the end of 2020, the election victory of the new Biden administration and the global flurry of enhanced national and regional climate commitments offered renewed hope for the political engagement that is needed in the crucial decade ahead. Yet, the yawning gap between climate rhetoric and climate action remains and there is much to do if we are to safeguard a livable planet for future generations.

In discussion with Juan Manuel Santos, hosts Hazami Barmada and Mary Robinson will answer the questions: What are the implications of inaction on people and the planet? What does good leadership look like if we are to curb the threat of inertia on the climate crisis? How can we build the capacity of communities to cope with climate shocks? How can climate change be political but not partisan?

Speaker Biographies:

Mary Robinson is Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, who work together for peace, justice and human rights.

Mary Robinson was the first woman President of Ireland (1990–1997) and is a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002). A tireless advocate for justice, she was President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative from 2002 to 2010. Mary Robinson served as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa from 2013-2014, stepping down in July 2014 to take up the post of Special Envoy for Climate Change. She continued in this post until the end of December 2015 which saw the successful conclusion of the COP21 Climate Summit and the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change. In 2016, Mary Robinson served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on El Niño and Climate.

Juan Manuel Santos is a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, who work together for peace, justice and human rights.

Juan Manuel Santos was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his role in leading complex peace negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which put an end to over 50 years of intractable civil war. Santos is an outspoken advocate for the protection of biodiversity. During his presidency he significantly expanded protected areas in Colombia and strengthened the Ministry of the Environment. In 2017, Santos was awarded the Kew International Medal for his efforts to conserve Colombia’s natural environment.

Hazami Barmada is the Founder and CEO of the Humanity Lab Foundation and Executive Producer and Host of the Finding Humanity Podcast

Hazami is a social entrepreneur, thought leader, and public affairs and social impact expert recognized by Forbes as an “inspirational agent of change.” She has consulted for many leading global brands including the United Nations, United Nations Foundation, Aspen Institute, and the Royal Court of the Sultanate of Oman. She served as the Coordinator for the United Nations Secretary General's World Humanitarian Summit, an Advisor to the first-ever United Nations Secretary-General's Youth Envoy, as as a member of the UN's SDG Strategy Hub. Hazami has a Masters from Harvard University where she was an Edward S. Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management. She studied social and public policy at Georgetown University and has a BA from Rhodes College in Anthropology and Sociology.