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26 September, NEW YORK – Typhoon No. 14 slammed southern Japan last week, causing flooding and mudslides, as it ripped through the archipelago, located along the path which would likely see the number of intensified storms increase if global warming continues.

In Japan and many other parts of the world, 2022 has been another year of heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, flooding and other abnormal weather events.

Hit by the effects of global warming, Japan has accelerated climate action in recent years, committing to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 46 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

For their part, the country’s media outlets are now rallying behind the “” campaign, calling for behavioral changes by individuals and organizations to stave off the doomsday scenario.

The “” is an initiative born out of a commitment by member organizations of the SDG Media Compact – a global network of media companies that signed on to an agreement with the 51吃瓜 to promote the SDGs. Supported by the , the “” is the world’s first country-level campaign of its kind.

The goal is to promote the understanding of the need to limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5?C above the pre-industrial level, propose concrete actions to stop climate change, and encourage individuals and organizations to change their behaviours.

“The science tells us, people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake,” said Melissa Fleming, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. “The climate crisis threatens all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our lifestyles have a profound impact on our planet, and all of us can be part of the solution.”

Since the start of the campaign in mid-June, it has gained momentum with more than 130 Japanese SDG Media Compact member organizations joining the bandwagon, with their huge collective reach to the public.

Furthermore, 15-second campaign videos are being aired on large street screens in 12 major cities. Digital billboards playing the videos are also popping up in Otemachi, Marunouchi, Yurakucho – the most prestigious business district of Tokyo. In addition, Tokyu Line’s “SDGs Train” has started to air these videos on in-vehicle signage screens.

Six key broadcasting stations – NHK, Nippon TV, TV Asahi, TBS, TV Tokyo and Fuji TV – also aired a one-hour special programme on the “Promise of 1.5°C” on 25 September, the SDGs’ seventh “birthday”.

Ms. Fleming stressed: “Japan, as a major greenhouse gas emitter – but also as a great innovator in sustainability, green technologies and energy efficiency – can lead the way. I look forward to seeing this campaign mobilize action across Japan and inspire others to follow suit.”

This campaign is implemented under the umbrella “ActNow,” the UN’s global initiative to call for climate actions at individual levels.

The campaign title “Promise of 1.5?C” symbolizes the determination that all individuals and organizations support and act to keep the promises the Parties of the (UNFCCC) made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) last November. The slogan, “Act Now to Stop Global Warming” is a message to urge concrete actions to keep the 1.5°C goal alive.

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Watch the “Promise of 1.5?C” video aired as part of the SDG Media Zone Specials for this year’s UN General Assembly.

UN Web TV:

YouTube:

About the SDG Media Compact: Founded by the UN Secretary-General along with 31 founding members in September 2018, the SDG Media Compact seeks to inspire media and entertainment companies around the world to leverage their resources and creative talent to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Currently there are close to 300 members from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East. By disseminating facts, human stories, and solutions, the Compact is a powerful driver for advocacy, action, and accountability on the SDGs. For more information, visit /sustainabledevelopment/sdg-media-compact-about/

About ActNow: ActNow is a global campaign by the UN to call for individuals to take climate action. The campaign is a critical part of the UN’s coordinated effort to raise awareness, ambition, and measures towards climate change, and accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement. The objective of ActNow is to educate and prompt individuals to change their behavior through reviewing primarily their consumption patterns and lifestyles. Decisions made by people in their daily lives influence the whole planet. By making changes to people’s habits and common practices and making choices that have less harmful effects on the environment, people can be part of the solution and influence change. For more information, visit /en/actnow/.