“Greening” the Red Carpet
Celebrities can make a great contribution to raise the awareness about climate change challenges. By lending their voice and by being role models for many, the message of the importance to act on climate change can have a significant reach. We are very happy many celebrities use their fame to get the message to the hearts of people, and even prouder our green carpet welcomed some of them at THE green event of Oscar®Week — the 13th Green Pre-Oscar Party by Global Green USA.
Global Green USA is dedicated to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future. For over a decade, Global Green has been gathering celebrities at the Annual Pre-Oscar Party to raise awareness about environmental sustainability during the huge media blitz leading up to the Academy Awards.
This year, the whole party was green. The organizers made the event zero-waste — celebrities arrived in eco-friendly vehicles and enjoyed an all-organic menu for the dinner. At the center of it was the green carpet, manufactured by Milliken using Aquafil’s sustainable ECONYL® nylon yarn. The carpet greeted celebrity guests as they arrived, and for the first time at Global Green’s Pre-Oscar event, the guests could walk on a true green carpet; green in color and character. Made completely from various nylon waste materials — such as abandoned fishing nets and discarded spent carpets — ECONYL® yarns breathe new life into old products that would otherwise pollute the world’s oceans and landfills.
Many eco-conscious guests walked on the green carpet
More than 500 guests, including celebrities, eco-luminaries, environmental companies and political leaders from around the world gathered at the event to celebrate sustainable solutions and achievements.
It’s great to see so many celebrities supporting the environmental issues and lending their voices to the importance of going green, including Paula Abdul, Emily Ratajkowski, Heather McDonald, Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily Foxler, Maggie Grace, Radha Mitchell and Matt Walsh.
Radha Mitchell has been faithful to Global Green for many years now. She is trying to come every year, as she says “because I learn so much about new initiatives, and about what’s going on, and what we can do. For example, I’m very excited that I’m walking on the green carpet tonight, made from recycled materials.”
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Sustainability was reflected in the music performances as well
After the intimate dinner, the party started with the opening act by Charlie Puth, the talented young musician, followed by Grammy-winning veteran singer Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder took the stage with a new song titled “The Living Killing Life”, in which he highlights the climate change challenge with words “things you are hearing about global warming are not some fallacies”.
Thanks to Matt Walsh, we can have a sneak peek into the music performances of the night.
After Stevie sang nine of his greatest hits, his two sons joined him on stage to present him with the Global Green Hero Award, which he returned to them as a symbolic gesture to encourage younger generation to carry on caring about the planet.
Global Green shed light on sustainability achievements
Global Green also awarded The World Bank and the United Nations Foundation with the organization’s Partner Award. The United Nations was recognized for its leadership on climate change and the World Bank for the Connect4Climate initiative, a global partnership program with public outreach, youth engagement and climate change education, and advocacy work with creative industries to maximize exposure of the issues at stake and encourage the acceleration of solutions.
Global Green also recognized four eco-heroes or “Global Green Champions” drawn from LA schools. Four student gardeners who will help launch a global educational curriculum through a partnership with the MUSE school overwhelmed the hearts of the guests. MUSE Seed-to-Table curriculum program is focused on students actively engaging in the reduction, conservation and repurposing of food, energy and water resources.
The green continued to be in the spotlight all the way to the Oscars
The Oscars are no doubt the biggest event in Hollywood and wider, attracting several hundred million viewers from all over the world each year. The Oscars’ red carpet remained red, at least for now, but many dresses were green thanks to Suzy Amis Cameron “Red carpet green dress” initiative she started seven years ago to support sustainable fashion. Oscars’ night with so many “What are you wearing?” questions is the perfect event to shine a spotlight on it.
And this year, climate change made it right to the Oscars’ stage, when Leonardo di Caprio dedicated a part of his thank you speech to it.
“Climate change is real; it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this. For our children’s children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed. I thank you all for this amazing award tonight. Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted. Thank you so very much.” Leonardo di Caprio, after receiving the Oscar 2016 for the leading act in The Revenant.
We must all strive to act on climate change
We can say Hollywood is sending a signal to the world that they are in to act on climate change. However, protecting our environment and fighting climate change is a significant task and requires all of us: individuals, non-profits, governments and businesses.
We must strive to make taking care for our environment mainstream. The foundations are solid. Governments have reached a historical breakthrough last year with a global agreement at the Paris climate conference (COP21). 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To make it happen, businesses can take the lead. We are doing what we can to contribute to solving environmental challenges of today, with both acting on and raising awareness.
What about you? Are you in?
