Introducing the Nobel Prize Summit ‘Our Planet, Our Future’

"MOBILIZING OUR BEST MINDS": Between 26-28 April 2021, the first Nobel Prize Summit “Our Planet, Our Future” will bring together Nobel Prize laureates and other esteemed leaders in the sciences, policy, business, the youth movement, and the arts to explore actions that can be achieved this decade to put the world on a path to a more sustainable, more prosperous future for all.

Registration is now open for the virtual summit, which is free and open to the public.

Join the conversation at #NobelPrizeSummit

The summit is hosted by the Nobel Foundation and organized by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Stockholm Resilience Centre, and the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics

It will draw upon lessons learned in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to mobilize action on fighting climate change and biodiversity loss, reducing inequality and advancing technologies with the power to transform the way we live and work.

Prominent contributors

Among the summit highlights are:

• an address by Al Gore, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former U.S. vice president
• an interview with the Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Tibetan spiritual leader
• remarks from Xiye Bastida, climate activist and youth leader

There will also be several dialogues and conversations with other laureates, esteemed researchers, and policy leaders, including:

• Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the U.S. president and director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Prize laureate and professor of biochemistry and biophysics, University of California, Berkeley
• Peter Doherty, Nobel Prize laureate and patron of the Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne
• Sandra Diaz, professor of ecosystems, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina
• Tom Lovejoy, professor of ecosystems, George Mason University

Triggering action

“Every year, the Nobel Prize underscores the value and power of science to benefit humanity,” says Nobel Foundation Executive Director Vidar Helgesen.

“The summit will activate science to advance new insights and help trigger actions for a healthier, more resilient planet.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put into sharp focus just how much our shared destiny depends on the collective health and safety of all people and of our natural world,” adds National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt.

“Just as scientists and researchers have come together in unprecedented ways to fight the pandemic, so too must we mobilize our best minds — across the sciences and all of society — to inspire innovation and chart a course to a more prosperous, equitable future for all.”

“In our Anthropocene Epoch, humankind has become the single most important force acting on the planet, and our own encroachments on nature are the underlying cause for today’s global crises,” adds Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He believes it is not too late to overcome these challenges and create a new vision for "our common journey on Earth.”

Three days of science, art and networking

The first two days of the summit will feature compelling talks and discussions, special artist performances, and opportunities for audience participation and networking; the final day will consist of online events to spur action among specific audiences.

In addition, concurrent science seminars — designed for laureates and other scientific experts in global sustainability, but open to all — will examine the role of science in supporting global sustainability and resilient societies.

Click here to read more and register for the virtual summit, which is free and open to the public.

Join the conversation at #NobelPrizeSummit