Georgia joins world’s biggest survey of public opinion on climate change
Monday, February 17
13 February marked the launch of Mission 1.5 – a global campaign that aims to bridge the gap between people and governments on ambitious climate action and give millions worldwide a chance to inform their governments what measures to limit climate change they want.
Led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the campaign is built around an internet and mobile-based video game in which players take on the role of climate policymakers and make decisions to try to keep global warming below the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius – hence “Mission 1.5.”
After playing the game, players can vote on key climate actions they want to see adopted. This data will be analyzed and delivered to governments, which often lack access to reliable information on public opinion on climate action. The previous biggest international survey of public opinion on climate change canvassed 10,000 people across 76 countries, and was conducted ahead of the 2015 Paris climate talks.
The Mission 1.5 game is available at www.mission1point5.org and can be played anywhere in the world.
UNDP Georgia was among the first UNDP offices in the world to sign on to the global campaign to enable citizens to cast their votes on how they want the Georgian Government to address climate change. A Georgian-language version of the Mission 1.5 mobile game will be available by the end of February and will be in use until end-2020.
“Georgia has already experienced firsthand the destructive impact of climate change, and people are worried about the future,” said Louisa Vinton, UNDP Head in Georgia. “Mission 1.5 gives them a chance to understand better both the threats and the solutions and to have their say on the urgent decisions ahead.”
Georgia is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Its mountainous landscape and countless rivers pose a high risk of floods, flash floods, rockslides, mudslides and other climatic hazards. Climate-driven disasters have already cost Georgia more than 152 lives and USD 1.2 billion in the past decade. With extreme weather events on the rise with climate change, these losses could increase tenfold over the next ten years.
Georgia is also among the countries most engaged in climate action. In addition to emission-reduction commitments undertaken under the Paris Agreement, the Georgian Government has launched a USD 74 million programme centered around risk reduction, prevention, and preparedness through improved monitoring, a nationwide early warning systems and new infrastructure. The seven-year initiative, implemented by UNDP with support from the Green Climate Fund, Sweden and Switzerland, covers 11 river basins and will protect 1.7 million, or 40% of the population, from a range of climate-induced hazards.
Mission 1.5 was developed by UNDP and partners as an online platform that educates people on climate action and connects them with their governments and policymakers. The campaign is called Mission 1.5 because we must act now to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis and drive and sustain growth to improve the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, we offer a global perspective and local insight to empower lives and build resilient nations.
