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Leadership to Achieve Net-Zero — H.E. Mike Rann in POP Climate Leadership Conversations
March 25, 2021
On March 25, 2021, a conversation was hosted by the POP Movement with H.E. Mike Rann, former Premier of South Australia, as part of the Climate Leadership Conversations: A tribute to our Chief Mentor, Late Dr. R.K. Pachauri. Moderated by POP Ocean Mentor, Ana Hanhausen, the conversation focused on the importance of leadership to achieve net-zero in countries.
When asked about the meaning of leadership, H.E. spoke about the importance of "going first", as sometimes it's all that is needed for others to follow. He noted that people will always say you can't do things, but we must change this attitude to "why not"! He highlighted the importance of creating alliances and setting interim targets to make sure current politicians start working on the proposed targets. He also emphasized on the importance of voting and its great impact towards ensuring that climate policies are implemented correctly.
Ved Sanyal, a youth leader from India asked about overcoming roadblocks to which H.E. mentioned the importance of getting positive attention for the project, as this may lead to receiving government help and guidance. During the conversation, he spoke about what could be expected leading up to COP, which is more investment in renewables, carbon tax against exports, and a shift in focus from what the government can do to finance. H.E. concluded noting the importance of leading by example and having models for everyone to see and follow.
About the guest:
H.E. Mike Rann is a former longstanding Premier of South Australia. He was also Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change (the first in Australia and one of the first in the world) and National President of the Australian Labor Party. Under his leadership, South Australia led his nation’s embrace of renewable energy, with a dramatic reduction in CO2 emissions. South Australia now draws more than 50% of its power from renewables. In 2012, he was appointed Australian High Commissioner to the UK and then Ambassador to Italy. He is now based in London and is a member of the UK, US and Global boards of The Climate Group, and is a Patron of the World Sustainable Development Forum. He is Chair of the UK charity Power of Nutrition and Visiting Professor at King's College London. Mike Rann has been involving in renewable energy and climate issues internationally and is a member of the advisory board of Brennan and Partners which assists companies from throughout the world to do business in México and Latin America.
