Arnold Schwarzenegger on Climate Change: Less Talk, More Action : ISWA Joins Forces with Arnie's R20 in Bid to Terminate Climate Change

The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with R20 in a strong statement of intent to act against climate change.

Legendary movie star and former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is also the Founding Chair of R20, an organisation set up to help sub-national governments around the world to develop and communicate low-carbon and climate resilient economic development projects.

Following the signing of the MOU, R20 and ISWA will cooperate to achieve mutual ambitions, ensuring that both parties contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The MOU was signed today at the Austrian World Summit, to which ISWA was invited to participate.

Action Heroes

The initiative has been designed to bring together sustainable development “action heroes” to showcase success factors and to facilitate more sustainable and climate protection projects.

R20 will bring together, annually, leading politicians, businesses, civil society, start-ups, representatives of regions and cities as well as experts to increase partnerships and exchange both experiences and ideas.

Some of the world’s most influential figures on climate change and leading Austrian politicians gathered in Vienna for the first summit on the most fundamental issue of our time.

Key figures in attendance, alongside ISWA, include: Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria; Christian Kern, Federal Chancellor of Austria; Arnold Schwarzenegger, R20 founder; Li Yong, Director General, UNIDO; Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC.

Speaking at the opening of the inaugural summit, Arnold Schwarzenegger stressed the need not to politicise our climate problems.

“I am a Conservative, the Austrian Chancellor is a Socialist, the President is from the green party – but when it comes to the environment we are all working together,” he said as politicians from across the spectrum gathered to discuss climate action.

This cooperative attitude was on display as ISWA signed the MOU with R20 CEO Christophe Nuttall.

Signing on behalf of ISWA, Hermann Koller said: “This MOU means that ISWA and R20 will cooperate closely on our mutual goals through project identification, capacity building, knowledge sharing and funding raising to name but a few,”

“This reflects ISWA’s continued ambition to ensure that developing sustainable waste management is considered a high priority on the climate change agenda,” he concluded.

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