ADVISORY: Global Leaders Call for Urgent Acceleration of Climate Adaptation Solutions

New Commission to be led by Ban Ki-moon, Bill Gates, and Kristalina Georgieva

Launch event will introduce convening countries and commissioners, including heads of state and leaders of industry

WHAT: Launch event and opening ceremony of the Global Commission on Adaptation, which will catalyze a new global movement to bring scale and speed to climate adaptation solutions. The Global Commission on Adaptation will be led by Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Kristalina Georgieva, CEO, World Bank.

The Global Commission on Adaptation will raise the visibility of adaptation and focus on solutions. More than 14 convening countries and more than 23 global Commissioners representing all regions of the globe and all sectors of development and industry will be introduced at this event. Several heads of state will be present, including Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, the initiating convening country.

Press availability will immediately follow the launch ceremony. Members of the press are also invited to attend a dialogue discussion featuring Commission partners to take place at 4:00 PM CEST.

The managing partners of the Commission are the Global Center on Adaptation and World Resources Institute.

WHERE: The Ridderzaal in the Hague. 2511 CS Den Haag, Netherlands

WHEN: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 12:30 pm CEST

• Media Q&A immediately following launch ceremony
• Lunch served

WHO:

• Ban Ki-Moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO
• Bill Gates, co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (via video)
• Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Minister Cora Van Nieuwenhuizen, Water and Infrastructure, the Netherlands
• Heads of state and representatives from more than 10 convening countries
• More than 14 global commissioners representing all regions of the globe and all sectors of development and industry
• Dr. Andrew Steer, President & CEO, World Resources Institute (Managing Partner of the Commission)
• Dr. Patrick Vincent Verkooijen, CEO, Global Center for Adaptation (Managing Partner of the Commission)

Members of the media must RSVP by October 12, 2018 and arrive by 11:30 AM on October 16. Press credentials will be required.

Please RSVP to Lauren Zelin at lzelin@wri.org

For media inquiries, please contact lzelin@wri.org or nicholas.walton@wri.org