Water Warriors: Combatting the Climate Crisis to Save Our Seas and Rivers
Join icons David Suzuki, Severn Suzuki and moderator James Chau as they discuss innovative strategies to combat the climate crisis and protect our seas and rivers. This session will highlight the critical actions needed to preserve aquatic ecosystems and promote environmental sustainability.
Speakers
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James ChauPresident, China-United States Exchange Foundation and Goodwill Ambassador, WHOJames Chau
Counsellor
President, China-United States Exchange Foundation and Goodwill Ambassador, WHO
China-United States Exchange FoundationA long-time television news anchor, special reputation for his interviews with world leaders including Nobel Peace Prize laureates President Jimmy Carter, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and Professor Muhammad Yunus, as well as Christine Lagarde, Jane Goodall, and Madam Peng Liyuan among others. At the United Nations, Mr. Chau is the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals, appointed by WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan, and re-appointed by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Previously, he served as UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, the first person in China named to this role. Born in London, Mr. Chau studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music and graduated from Cambridge University and King’s College London. He completed an Executive Education course on Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a One Young World Counsellor.
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Dr David SuzukiGrandfather and Co-Founder, David Suzuki FoundationDr David Suzuki
Counsellor
Grandfather and Co-Founder, David Suzuki Foundation
David Suzuki FoundationDavid Suzuki has made it his life's work to help humanity understand, appreciate, respect and protect nature. He is familiar to television audiences from his 44 years as host of the CBC science and natural history television series The Nature of Things. In 2020 David received The Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television's Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been recognised by BC Achievement in partnership with the Lieutenant Governor of BC for his extraordinary work as a recipient of the 2021 BC Reconciliation Award. Dr Suzuki is a Companion to the Order of Canada and a recipient of UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for science, the 2009 Right Livelihood Award, and UNEP’s Global 500. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and holds 33 honorary degrees from universities in Canada, United States and Australia. His written work includes more than 56 books, 20 of them for children. Dr. Suzuki lives with his wife and family in Vancouver, B.C.
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Severn Cullis-SuzukiExecutive Director, David Suzuki FoundationSevern Cullis-Suzuki
Counsellor
Executive Director, David Suzuki Foundation
David Suzuki FoundationSevern Cullis-Suzuki is a lifelong activist and public speaker for intergenerational justice. From a young age, she has spoken widely about intergenerational justice, the need for ethics in our economics, and respect and recognition of Indigenous rights and title. Rooted on the West Coast of Canada, she is part of the global movement to shift our human path toward sustainability and survival. Severn married into the Haida Nation, and has lived on Haida Gwaii for many years, where she and her family have been focusing on learning and helping others learn the critically endangered Xaayda kil (Skidegate dialect of the Haida language) from elders. She is a Vanier Scholar pursuing a PhD at the University of British Columbia, researching Indigenous language revitalization. She holds a B.Sc. in biology from Yale University and an M.Sc. in ethnoecology from the University of Victoria. Severn hosted Aboriginal Peoples Television Network’s Samaqan: Water Stories and was a founding board member of the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society. She is a member of the Earth Charter International Council and, after serving on the David Suzuki Foundation board for over 15 years, is now the Foundation’s executive director.