bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

More than 100 artists would take part in a global "Live Earth" concert on June 18 to galvanise demands for climate action, former US vice president Al Gore said yesterday, in what would be the largest event of its type ever staged.
Concerts would be staged in six cities - Paris, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Sydney and Cape Town - and the final Antarctic gig would be played by a band of scientists at a research station, Gore said.
"We are going to have one event all over the world on all seven continents," he announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams, responsible for the planet-wide hit Happy, will be the show's musical director.
Gore predicted a TV, radio and online audience of two billion for the extravaganza, which will seek to ramp up pressure on governments over a UN climate pact, due to be concluded in Paris in December.
"This is the year of climate," Gore said during a presentation on global warming and its impacts.
"The Paris negotiation is crucial. If we're to ensure success, we need the political will."
The event will be organised by US producer Kevin Wall, who also took charge of the 2007 Live Earth concert to boost climate awareness.
Wall said the June 18 event would comprise concerts "in major stadiums".
"We start in China; Sydney, Australia; Rio de Janeiro; Cape Town, South Africa; New York City; in Paris, we're ending at the national stadium," he said.
"These events will run four to six hours."
A band will play from Antarctica to account for the seventh continent, added Gore, who became a campaigner on climate issues after leaving office, and was a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the UN's top climate science panel.
"We have major, major artists, some of the biggest artists ever collected, with one message: 'Take climate action now'," said Wall.
Williams would not divulge details on the lineup, but promised "there are some interesting surprises coming up."
He added: "We are literally going to have humanity harmonised all at once."
The July 7, 2007 Live Earth concert took place in eight locations - London, New York, Sydney, Hamburg, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Rio and Shanghai.
It had more than 150 acts, including The Police, Linkin Park, UB40, Eason Chan, Shakira, Crowded House, the Black Eyed Peas, Genesis and Madonna.
The 2015 concert will add star power to a years-old UN effort to curb earth-warming carbon emissions, which must climax in December with a new, global pact.
It will be followed by an online petition, said Wall.
"The purpose is to have a billion voices with one message to demand climate action now," Gore said.
Paris will host the final round of talks in the suburb of Le Bourget from November 30 to December 11.
Bringing together 195 nations, the agreement will aim to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels.
Scientists say the world is on track for double that by the end of the century, based on current emissions.
A 4 degrees scenario would spell catastrophic droughts, floods, rising seas and storms, as well as potential conflict as countries war over scarce resources, they warn.
The UN negotiations, always fraught, are at a difficult phase and campaigners and observers fear a weak compromise.


Al Gore and Pharrell Williams announce Live Earth concert to spur climate talks

Al Gore (left) speaks next to US rapper Pharrell Williams. Photo: EPA

Tech advances to explode faster than 1990s internet boom

Cisco chief executive John Chambers says tech advances are expected to explode 10 times faster than 1990s' internet boom. Photo: Reuters

News

World

Former US vice-president Al Gore says June concert will be held on seven continents to push for climate change deal in Paris this year


More than 100 artists would take part in a global "Live Earth" concert on June 18 to galvanise demands for climate action, former US vice president Al Gore said, in what would be the largest event of its type ever staged.


Al Gore and Pharrell Williams announce Live Earth concert to spur climate talks

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Former US vice-president Al Gore says June concert will be held on seven continents to push for climate change deal in Paris this year

Former US vice-president Al Gore says June concert will be held on seven continents to push for climate change deal in Paris this year