Published: Nov. 3, 2021

Joint CU Boulder-Right Here, Right Now Climate Alliance news release

Leonardo DiCaprio, Camila Cabello, Pitbull, Cher, Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, Quincy Jones, LL Cool J, Jason Mraz, Melissa Etheridge, Jordan Sparks, Pentatonix, and more have teamed up with the Right Here, Right Now Climate Alliance and its global partner United Nations Human Rights to make an urgent plea to 120+ world leaders assembling at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26 Summit) in Glasgow through Nov. 12, 2021.

Over 30 celebrities will kick off the multi-year initiative with a Climate Crisis “Cause Flash” social campaign aiming to mobilize over 650 million followers to push for action from heads of state at the summit to accelerate the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and United Nations Human Rights seek to protect the rights of people around the world suffering from the devastating effects of climate change as experts warn global warming will increase well above 3 degrees by 2100. If this continues unabated, temperatures will continue to rise, bringing even more catastrophic flooding, bush fires, extreme weather and destruction of species.

“We’re grateful for all of the celebrities who are helping promote climate change as a human rights crisis, since people of color, the poor and marginalized will suffer most from this escalating climate catastrophe,” said David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause and Founder of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, “It is critically important that we humanize the issue through a human rights lens, as people need to understand the choices they make, have real impact on the lives of others.”

Right Here Right Now Global Climate Alliance is working with policymakers, NGOs, corporations, academic institutions, scientists, technologists, journalists, and the entertainment community to fast-track advocacy and awareness-building events. Initiatives in development include the Right Here, Right Now Concert & Awards, which will spotlight Climate Champions around the world, and the Right Here, Right Now Climate Tech 1OO, which will identify, elevate and speed the deployment of technology solutions to the climate crisis.

In late fall 2022, United Nations Human Rights and University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) will co-host the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit in Boulder, Colorado. Created as a cornerstone of the Right Here Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the summit is being designed to engage the foremost human rights, scientific, political, business, educational, cultural leaders to commit to specific outcomes that will address the accelerating impacts of climate change.

“The Global Climate Summit will bring people together across disciplines, cultures and experiences to address the climate crisis as the human rights crisis that it is. By working together to advance human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, people from all walks of life can help develop innovative and ambitious climate solutions, put a human face on climate change related loss and damage, and build the political will and momentum needed to survive the climate crisis and emerge from the other side with more just, inclusive and sustainable societies,” said Benjamin Schachter, Team leader for Environment and Climate Change, United Nations Human Rights Office.

Located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, CU Boulder is a global leader in climate, environmental and energy research, ranking #1 in earth science and atmospheric science (Shanghai Rankings of Academic subjects/Clarivate Analytics 2021).

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES), a joint institute of CU Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), hosts the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the world's official source of information on the world's changing frozen regions. The university maintains research sites on all seven continents, the world’s oceans and in the atmosphere. 

CU Boulder is the first U.S. university to: create a student-led Environmental Center; launch a student-led campus recycling program; purchase renewable energy credits; fuel campus vehicles completely with biodiesel; build an NCAA Division 1 zero-waste stadium and athletics program; and achieve a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) gold rating.

Leonardo DiCaprio
A Melissa Etheridge Tweet