House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on September 9, 2020 that Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama will address the Group of Seven speakers and heads of parliament at a virtual meeting this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020.
The annual meeting—which will feature Pelosi and her counterparts from Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom—will focus this year on the theme of “Addressing the Climate Crisis with Economic and Environmental Justice for All.”
The Dalai Lama will provide a video introduction for the first panel, titled “No Time to Lose: The Imperative to Solve the Climate Crisis.”
His remarks will stream live on Pelosi’s Twitter and Facebook accounts at 7:45 am EDT.
Dalai Lama’s environmentalism
One of the most admired leaders in the world, the Dalai Lama has spoken out frequently about the need to combat climate change and protect the environment for future generations.
When he earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, he became the first Nobel laureate to be recognized specifically for his support of environmentalism—along with his nonviolent campaign for human rights in Chinese-occupied Tibet.
In 2019, the Dalai Lama took part in the Daily Mirror’s “MillionMirrorTrees” campaign alongside International Campaign for Tibet Chairman Richard Gere.
Noting his gratitude to Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, the Dalai Lama told the Mirror: “The time has come for us to take a non-violent stance, not only towards each other, but towards the natural world.”
Pelosi’s support for Tibet
Pelosi, D-Calif., is also an outspoken advocate for the environment and has been one of the most important political supporters of Tibet anywhere in the world.
Last year, Pelosi spoke at ICT’s “Why Tibet Matters” event in San Francisco alongside Gere and Jetsun Pema, the Dalai Lama’s younger sister and the driving force behind the Tibetan Children’s Village school system in India.
G7 meeting
Looking ahead to this weekend’s G7 meeting, Pelosi said, “As House Speaker, I am proud to host this critical meeting of parliamentary leaders to call for urgent, strong and coordinated international action to combat the climate crisis and to advance justice in all our communities.”
Participants include the following heads of parliament from all G7 nations and the European Union, in addition to Pelosi, who is the host.
- Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons, Canada
- David Maria Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, European Union
- Richard Ferrand, President of the National Assembly, France
- Wolfgang Schäuble, President of the Bundestag, Germany
- Roberto Fico, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Italy
- Tadamori Ōshima, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Japan
- Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Common, United Kingdom
Others scheduled to take part in the meeting include Jane Goodall, U2 singer Bono and former US Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and John Kerry.