National Geographic Society CEO, Ban Ki-moon explore ways to save planet

Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society, stressed the need to empower "change makers" on the front lines of the climate crisis, including scientists, educators and the media to deal with the "planetary emergency."

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, and Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society, discuss the climate crisis during a luncheon meeting at the Westin Josun Hotel in central Seoul on Oct. 17. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society, stressed the need to empower "change makers" on the front lines of the climate crisis, including scientists, educators and the media to deal with the "planetary emergency."

"Both climate change and biodiversity loss are the two biggest threats that we face in our world," said Tiefenthaler in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily and JoongAng Ilbo at the Westin Josun Hotel in central Seoul on Oct. 17.

Earlier that day, Tiefenthaler had a luncheon meeting with former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, president of the Seoul-based Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and chairman of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future.

During their talks, Ban and Tiefenthaler focused on challenges facing the world including combatting climate change, achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supporting women in science.

"We need to treat the climate and ecological emergencies as one planetary emergency," said Tiefenthaler. "They are two sides of the same coin. Global leaders, businesses and individuals can no longer address the climate and biodiversity crises separately."

Ban pointed to extreme weather events occurring in many parts of the world.

He noted that Britain was a country that does not need air conditioning even in summer, but temperatures there exceeded 40 degrees Celsius this summer. In China, a drought caused water levels to drop in the Yangtze River, while in Pakistan, a third of the country was submerged in historic flooding this summer.

"If we do not overcome the climate crisis, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters will increase," said Ban. "In the face of such natural disasters, there are also apocalyptic predictions that the time of the sixth mass extinction will come about, when humans will become extinct."

The National Geographic Society is a non-profit scientific and educational organization founded in 1888 to increase geographic knowledge. It has a joint venture with the Walt Disney Company, the National Geographic Partners, which oversees commercial activities related to National Geographic, such as magazines and television channels.

Tiefenthaler, an economist, comes from academia and previously served as the president of Colorado College and provost of Wake Forest University. She became the first woman CEO of the National Geographic Society in 2020.

She said in her talks with Ban, they discussed "making sure that climate change and the importance of addressing it doesn't get lost" amid other challenges that the world is facing including "geopolitical issues."

The National Geographic Society Asia Foundation was established in Korea 2015 to support Asian explorers and their research.

During her visit to Seoul, Tiefenthaler met with 25 explorers from across the Asia-Pacific at the National Geographic Society Women's Convening event.

The following are edited excerpts of in-person and written interviews with Tiefenthaler and Ban.

Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society, sits for an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Westin Josun Hotel in central Seoul on Oct. 17. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Q. What major projects are being pursued or supported by the National Geographic Society in relation to the climate crisis worldwide?

Tiefenthaler: I would say that both climate change and biodiversity loss are the two biggest threats that we face in our world. And at National Geographic, we're doing much in both areas. Our mission is to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. And we really deliver that mission through our explorers, funding our explorers, who are not only scientists and conservationists but also incredible storytellers, journalists, videographers, and also educators.

We do that by investing in and empowering change makers on the front lines of the climate crisis — scientists, storytellers, educators, conservationists and others who are working to understand the crisis, find solutions, and educate the next generation to inspire them to be planetary stewards.

Q. The National Geographic Society Asia Foundation was established in 2015. What are its major achievements and future goals in this region?

Tiefenthaler: In our long history, we've awarded more than 15,000 grants, and 3,000 of those have gone to storytellers, educators and scientists in Asia. Since our 2015 establishment of the National Geographic Society Asia Foundation, we were able to put an additional $3.75 million into 200 new grants for this region, adding to over 700 grants in Asia. We have been funding 15 incredible individuals in Korea, as well, including ecologist Yikwon Jang, a professor at Ewha University. She focuses on the ecology and evolution of communication in insects, frogs, birds, and mammals. All these amazing grants that we're giving are leading to the incredible science and storytelling that's being done right here in Korea.

Q. What did you discuss with former Secretary General Ban?

Tiefenthaler: I asked his advice on what more we can be doing at National Geographic to make the kind of changes we need to see in the world. And he advised very strongly that our use of the power of visuals is something that can not only resonate with so many generations, but really resonate with the young generation, and how we can continue to do more to help that generation, which we know cares so much about the issues of climate change and biodiversity loss.

We also talked a little bit about how we've had so much momentum with climate change, and we worry about how some of the geopolitical issues in the world have obviously been put at the forefront, and how to make sure that climate change and the importance of addressing it doesn't get lost as we deal with some of the other problems that the world is facing.

Q. As the first woman CEO of National Geographic Society, how are you driving changes in terms of diversity and fairness? What advice can you give women on taking leadership positions?

Tiefenthaler: My appointment is a sign of where the National Geographic Society is going, which is toward a more equitable and inclusive future. I believe that to achieve the excellence that we can achieve, given our many assets including our brand, we have to make sure that we're bringing the best voices, the best talent to the table. And that means including women as well as those from underrepresented backgrounds. So we're thrilled that now we have reached gender parity in our new grants. Last year, 50 percent of our new explorers were women, which is really exciting. And over half our staff is women, including our leadership team. In January of this year, even our Board of Trustees achieved gender parity with half of our trustees of the organization being women.

We also know talking about biodiversity loss and climate change, that women and girls are often the most impacted and if we don't include women and girls in our solution seeking, we won't get to the best answers.

Q. What new vision or changes did the National Geographic and Walt Disney joint venture bring about?

Tiefenthaler: National Geographic has an old and revered brand and a global reach, and the Walt Disney Company partnership gives us the opportunity to reach people in many new ways. Not everyone wants to pick up a magazine or read a heavy science article. But to have our title on Disney Plus — I think there are 150 million global subscribers now to Disney Plus — is an incredible opportunity. We also through that partnership have other opportunities through consumer products and through the parks and travel opportunities to get our message out to the world.

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, president of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and chairman of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Q. How serious is the climate crisis that humanity is facing?

Ban: Humankind has achieved remarkable economic growth and technological advances through the Industrial Revolution, but such advances have been made through the unlimited use of fossil fuels. This has resulted in serious environmental degradation, global warming and climate change. The Covid-19 pandemic, which hit everybody, is a result of environmental destruction, and climate change is also causing numerous extreme weather events. Extreme weather events occurred in many parts of the world this year as well.

If we do not overcome the climate crisis, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters will increase. In the face of such natural disasters, there are also apocalyptic predictions that the time of the sixth mass extinction will come about, when humans will become extinct. This is a very serious and terrifying prediction. In the face of such global challenges, I put a lot of effort into responding to the climate crisis while I was UN secretary general.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report released in April, the global temperature has already risen 1.09 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. At this rate, the 1.5 degree target recommended by the Paris Agreement will not be easy to achieve.

Q. How do you evaluate the Korean government's carbon neutrality policy?

Ban: In order to realize 2050 carbon neutrality, the government promised at COP26 [the United Nations Climate Change Conference] in November 2021 to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent compared to 2018 by 2030 as an intermediate step. While this is a bit below the expectations of the international community, I think it is a meaningful pledge in light of the concerns of domestic companies. In the future, our government must make great effort to live up to these promises. In particular, a rational and scientific energy supply plan should be established. The plan prepared by the previous government has been criticized for being unrealistic.

I think it is a realistic and reasonable decision for the current government to further increase the utilization of nuclear energy. I believe investment to secure stable nuclear power generation will increase significantly in the future. When stability is secured, it will greatly contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality.

Q. In what direction should public-private partnerships involving the government, businesses and academia go in order to achieve carbon neutrality?

Ban: Carbon neutrality is an issue that requires the cooperation of governments and businesses, academia and civilians alike. The governments should be aware of this. And we need to make continuous efforts so that politicians and the public can share this perception.

From a company's point of view, corporate activities that are carbon-friendly are not only for the survival of humanity, but also for the survival of the company itself.

The European Union decided to implement the Carbon Border Adjustment System (CBAM) from 2026 for carbon-intensive industries such as cement, steel, aluminum, fertilizers and electricity, and from 2035, the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles will also be banned. The U.S. is also considering introducing a carbon border adjustment system, which will have a major impact on our economy. Our businesses need to prepare ahead of time for this global trend. Fortunately, more and more of our large corporations are actively responding to this trend.

The government should also expand investment in environmental technology along with companies and revitalize the environmental movement at the private level. If the government, corporations, and the private sector cooperate systematically, it will be possible to realize 2050 carbon neutrality.

Q. How feasible is it to achieve the United Nations SDGs, and what do you view as the most difficult task for Korea?

Ban: Although Korea is nominally considered to have entered the ranks of advanced countries, it has many shortcomings in terms of its international obligations as an advanced country. Official development assistance should reach 0.35 percent of the country's GNI [gross national income] to reach the average of OECD countries. However, it is still only about 0.15 percent of the GNI in Korea. It should be doubled.

Q. You have made efforts to promote women's rights during your tenure as UN chief. What role do you think Korea should play in promoting gender equality?

Ban: During my tenure as UN Secretary-General, I made a lot of effort to improve the human rights situation. Human rights are essential for peace and development. Many factors exacerbate a deterioration of human rights, including war, dictatorship and poverty. In any crisis, the weak and disadvantaged suffer first.

Korea has become an advanced country in human rights. The economy developed significantly, peace was maintained, and democracy was established. However, efforts on gender issues remain insufficient. In particular, women's advancement into leadership positions has not met expectations. Since the launch of the new administration, the percentage of women entering senior positions has become even lower. We all must make more effort to promote women's rights.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]