Expo Dubai 2020 joins Mastercard’s climate action coalition and five-year forestation plan
Expo 2020 Dubai has joined a global coalition, led by its Official Payment Technology Partner Mastercard, that seeks to tackle the global climate crisis by planting 100 million trees worldwide and re-growing forests over five years.
Mastercard’s ‘Priceless Planet Coalition’ unites the efforts of merchants, banks, cities and consumers to make meaningful investments to preserve the environment, working alongside forestry experts Conservation International and World Resources Institute.
It has identified three tree-planting locations for the coming year in Uganda, Brazil and Australia, after which it will expand its project portfolio to include other locations that meet established criteria.
As the effects of climate change ravage many parts of the world, with some of the most extreme weather events on record, innovative ways to inspire collective action to address the climate crisis are urgently needed. By committing to the Coalition as a strategic partner, Expo 2020 and Mastercard are reinforcing their mutual ambition to create a positive impact on the environment while also empowering and inspiring global action against climate change.
Emirates NBD, Expo’s Official Banking Partner, joins the alliance from the Middle East, with new global coalition partners including Barclays, HSBC, Westpac and Scotiabank.
The expansion of the Coalition was announced on the first day of Expo’s Climate and Biodiversity Week, a two-day event to explore solutions to better manage climate change and protect biodiversity. The second of ten themed weeks, it will open dialogue between some of the world’s brightest minds in the lead up to and during the six months of Expo, to address some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Expo 2020 hopes to inspire communities to think and act differently and to live in greater harmony with our planet for a sustainable future – encouraging collaborative solutions and igniting long-term partnerships for the benefit of all.
Expo 2020 Dubai – the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, MEASA, region – will run from 1st October 2021 until 31st March 2022 after it was postponed, which was scheduled for this year, due to the global impact of the COVID-19 health crisis. This global conclave will bring together more than 190 countries to explore new ideas, form new connections and collectively tackle some of the greatest global challenges; remaining faithful to the main slogan of Expo Dubai 2020 which is 'Connecting minds, creating the future'; all aimed at favouring global cooperation to face and solve global challenges by promoting the development of the most innovative technologies. Everything will revolve around the three main pillars of the world fair: Sustainability, Opportunity and Mobility.
