THE SCHWARZENEGGER CLIMATE INITIATIVE
focuses on:
- building awareness of the climate crisis and the urgent need for action every day and once a year at our AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT (AWS). The AWS, entering its fifth year, has become one of the largest environmental gatherings in the world and provides a platform for highlighting concrete solutions and measures from global decision-makers committed to preserving a healthy planet and decarbonizing the economy by 2050.
- presenting workable solutions from all over the world and connecting these ideas to available technical and financial resources.
- supporting best in class climate protection projects from all over the world.
- serving as a "matchmaker" - we connect players from business, finance, NGOs and local & national governments committed to collaborating on sustainable projects.
Here you can find more information and the highlights from this year´s AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT. We will be back in June 2022. More details coming soon.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger talks to real Climate Action Heros, who are role models and inspire more and more people to become enthusiastic about active climate protection.
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Showcasing successful best practice projects for climate protection and sustainable development from all around the globe
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Latest News
June 27, 2022
Schwarzenegger: Eliminate addiction to fossil fuels
Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted this year´s AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT live from his filmset in Toronto, but his messages were very real: “We must do whatever it takes to eliminate our addiction to fossil fuels,” he emphasized in his opening speech and condemned the war in Ukraine and the dependence on Russian oil and gas. “No matter how you look at it, we have blood on our hands, because we are financing the war. We have to stop lying to ourselves.”
The war in Ukraine and the climate crisis were generally the focus of this year’s climate conference and many of the other guests and speakers present agreed with the former Governor.
For Schwarzenegger, technological solutions play a decisive role in the fight against climate change: “Right now, we have all the technology we need to leave fossil fuels in the past. To create a future, where our economy booms and our children breathe clean air,” Schwarzenegger carried on in his speech. “Technology makes the impossible possible. My friends, technology can be our saviour. We can build a future where our economy booms and our children breathe clean air. A future without pollution.”
After his speech, Schwarzenegger was joined for a conversation by two top climate and environmental experts from Europe and the USA: Michael S. Regan, head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Frans Timmermans, Vice President of the European Commission.
Michael S. Regan emphasised: “Under President Biden’s leadership, America is back and leading the way when it comes to tackling the climate crisis – and EPA is at the heart of delivering on that mission. From global leaders to youth activists, I am grateful for the productive conversations we had today about our work to protect people from pollution and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.”
"The good news is that there is still hope," added Frans Timmermans. "We have our fate in our hands. New solutions are being found every day, more and more countries are committing to a net-zero emissions path," said the Vice-President of the European Commission.
June 24, 2022
AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT 2022: Creating Hope – Inspiring Action
On June 14th 2022, Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted his climate conference, the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT, at the Hofburg in Vienna. Numerous prominent guests from politics, business, science and civil society highlighted the importance of climate protection and immediate climate action.
In addition to Schwarzenegger and the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, the two top climate and environmental leaders from Europe and the USA joined the international summit: European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, who is responsible for implementing the European Green Deal and the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency Michael S. Regan. UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the world via video message.
In accordance with the theme "Creating Hope - Inspiring Action" numerous representatives from the business world, such as Klemens Hallmann (Hallmann Corporate Group), Jan Jenisch (Holcim) and Ilka Horstmeier (BMW Group), talked about concrete solutions to environmental pollution and the climate crisis. Topics such as the transformation of the economy, digitalisation, successful climate communication and a climate-friendly agriculture where at the heart of the discussion panels this year.
With speakers from 15 nations and participants from more than 50 countries, the AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT was once again as international as ever. Above all, young and innovative people from all over the world were on stage. For example, Lorna Rutto, who fights against plastic waste in Kenya and creates hundreds of jobs, or 15-year-old Reshma Kosaraju, who predicts forest fires with the help of artificial intelligence. From India 16-year-old Vinisha Umashankar joined. She became famous for developing a solar-powered ironing cart to reduce coal consumption in India.
March 23, 2022
E-fuels: Do they keep what they promise?
The idea is simple: Synthetic fuels would be produced using electricity. These so called e-fuels could operate in existing combustion engines without major problems. They could be distributed via the existing gas station network. Clean fuel without climate-damaging emissions that all modern cars today can use - wouldn't that be an ideal solution?
Unfortunately not. First of all the efficiency of synthetic gasoline is shockingly low. In an electric car 73 percent of the energy provided is used to drive, the figure for e-fuels is only 13 percent. This means that e-fuels are by far the least efficient of the drive technologies currently available. It takes five times as much energy to cover the same distance with e-fuels as with an e-car. So for a car powered by E-fuels you need 115kWh for 100km and for an E-car only 18kWh.
Experts doubt that e-fuel generation can be scaled up to the levels needed to fuel the European or even the global vehicle fleet. They however do see a role for e-fuels in sectors where no alternatives exist, such as aviation or shipping.
Studies show that direct use of electricity through direct charging of electric vehicles is the most efficient way. Green energy to run those cars is naturally crucial. Of course, even electric cars are only one part of the solution: if possible, using cars less, car sharing or choosing public transport can be good alternatives to reduce emissions and advance our transport and mobility system towards a more sustainable or climate-friendly future.