February 1, 2022

Kick-off for the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT 2022

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Austria´s Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen announce the date of this year’s AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT in a joint video clip. This year’s guests include the German entertainer Joko Winterscheidt and environmental activist Severn Cullis-Suzuki.

(Vienna, January 24, 2022) “I have great news: The AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT will be back on June 14,” Arnold Schwarzenegger, the host of the international climate summit announced in a joint video (available at www.austrianworldsummit.com ) with the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who traditionally serves as the event’s honorary patron. “Creating Hope – Inspiring Action” is this year’s motto of the conference, which will once again be held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna on June 14th 2022. The date is not just any date, but marks the anniversary of a historic day: 30 years ago, 154 countries agreed upon an international environmental treaty to combat pollution at the so called “Earth Summit” in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

“Over the past 30 years, many speeches have been given and many promises have been made, but fossil fuels continue to burn and emissions continue to rise. And the sad story is that pollution now is a bigger problem than ever before. At this year’s AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT, we want to learn from the past, but not dwell on it. Instead of doom and gloom, we will show the world that change is possible. You see, I am always optimistic. More than ever we need to create hope and collaborative action,” Arnold Schwarzenegger emphasized.

Looking back at the climate policies of the past 30 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will be joined by environmental activist Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who will be calling in at the event live from Canada. She became known as “The Girl who Silenced the World for Five Minutes” after giving a speech in Rio in 1992 at the age of twelve. Her messages then were frighteningly similar to the appeals of current youth activists. Why, despite the urgency, has so little been done? What needs to be done differently?

Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen stated: “In keeping with this year’s theme of the Austrian World Summit, I am confident that we can hand this planet over to our children in an orderly fashion. The climate crisis does not stop at national borders and therefore it can only be tackled by a joint effort of all. Therefore, I am very happy that my friend Arnold Schwarzenegger will be in Vienna again and that we all can motivate and inspire people worldwide for the sixth time at this international climate conference.”

In addition to looking back, the main focus will be on opportunities and solutions for the future. Topics such as the transformation of the economy, opportunities through digitalization as well as health and climate-friendly nutrition are on this years program and will again be discussed together with representatives from politics, science, business and civil society. In the afternoon, the focus will also be on successful climate communication. Guests such as Joko Winterscheidt will discuss how to reach as many people as possible with new and exciting formats and motivate them to take action.

“Too much bad news and apocalyptic forecasts can be overwhelming for many people and cause even well-meaning people to start avoiding conversations about the climate crisis and the search for solutions. This year we will focus on both hope and concrete action. We want to engage the broader community and show everyone that we will create solutions together,” explains Monika Langthaler, director of AWS and the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative.

Hallmann Holding International Investment GmbH, which plays a leading role in the field of sustainable construction, and the world market leader for building materials, Holcim Ltd, which has set itself ambitious climate targets, are supporting the conference as “Leading Partners” this year.

Background information:

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been fighting pollution and climate change for 20 years. The “Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative” aims to raise awareness of environmental pollution and the climate crisis, present concrete solutions from around the world and encourage people to take action. The initiative shows the general public that there is still hope and that every individual, every company, every country and every region can make a contribution and be part of the solution, instead the problem. The annual climate conference, the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT, is the centerpiece of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative and has become one of the largest climate conferences in the world since 2017. The summit, which will be held for the sixth time in 2022, provides a platform to present concrete solutions and actions and connect people from around the world.