Change of perspective South-North in view of the intensifying climate collapse
Philanthropy and Brazilian foundations fly the flag in Rio de Janeiro with Foundations 20
Klaus Milke, Chairman of the Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit
Rio de Janeiro – June, 2024: “I am thrilled by my successor as F20 Chair, Alice Amorim, her foundation iCS (Institute for Climate and Society) in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian partners, how powerfully they are taking on the responsibility of their country’s G20 presidency this year,” said Klaus Milke, Chairman of the Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit. He was present at the main activities of the international foundation platform in Brazil and was very impressed by how the F20’s solution-oriented course is being continued and at the same time given new accents.
This year’s F20 Climate Solutions Forum was held in Rio de Janeiro on June 4 and 5 as part of a wider philanthropy week with over 300 participants and over 150 from around the world following via livestream. The host city of so many important environmental and development conferences showed itself from its best and already very beautiful side. This year’s G20 summit will also take place in Rio at the end of November.
F20 deliberately timed its own focus and events in Rio a few months before this event so that the recommendations for action presented to the G20 in Rio can also have an impact in the subsequent process (see https://foundations-20.org/publication/f20-recommendations-to-the-g20-under-the-brazilian-presidency/).
Above all, the many participants and speakers from politics, business, think tanks and civil society and important parts of society from Brazil and neighboring South American countries made it clear that the Global South has a very strong and self-confident voice. At the same time, however, it was made clear that stronger bridges need to be built between South and North and that more transformative partnerships and cooperation are needed. It was expressed several times that Brazilian philanthropy must see itself much more as part of the solutions to major challenges such as the increasingly visible climate and biodiversity crisis, in line with the fundamental motto of F20.
The current and severe flooding in southern Brazil underlined for everyone the great importance of the program points relating to adaptation to the climate crisis and the special consideration of the most vulnerable people. On the one hand, Indian and South African stakeholders involved in Rio were able to report on the key experiences of the last G20 presidency in Delhi, but also on the growing expectations regarding the South African presidency for 2025, which begins on December 1, 2024.
Together with our Brazilian partners, the F20 journey now continues. Many debates on the F20 recommendations for action are now being held in the individual G20 countries. And over the course of this year, the Biodiversity COP in Colombia, the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Climate COP in Baku and, last but not least, the first Hamburg Sustainability Conference will play important roles for F20 and other players from the world of foundations and philanthropy.
“The time for action is becoming ever shorter: everyone really must see themselves as part of the necessary solutions and get involved accordingly!” – says Klaus Milke, looking ahead.
More, including the recording of the Climate Solutions Forum at www.foundations20.org.
