In 2015, Australian actor Damon Gameau pitched his aspirational film, 2040, about climate change to some of Australia's most influential philanthropists. In 2020, his hopes for the world are coming true.
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The film has been translated into multiple languages, including Czech and Korean, and distributed to 12 countries around the world, with more to come. But most excitingly, says Damon, "we're getting close to the tipping point".
That was the message Damon, best known for his lead role in That Sugar Film, and appearances in Love My Way and The Tracker, gave to The Northern Rivers Review ahead of The Business of Climate Change summit in NSW's Byron Bay which took place this week.
"I'm more optimistic than ever that we have a shot at this. I feel so hopeful now.
"In the last year, the amount of money flowing into climate solutions from the business sector, councils, schools, governments, means it is now an unstoppable train.
"There is a huge ripple effect going on in terms of political agreement around the world.
"And now with Biden in power, there is a definite global shift."
Like all locals, Damon is acutely aware of how lucky he is to be able to bring up his young family on the NSW Northern Rivers - an ecologically blessed part of the planet and largely untouched by the recent pandemic.
"I do think that comes with a responsibility to protect the community and its assets; its natural resources and landscapes.
Over the past year, Damon has joined forces with other groups and initiatives as part of Resilient Byron "to rethink how we live today to build a more resilient and regenerative tomorrow".
"Creating the architecture to amplify this knowledge is more important than ever, as we move forward in an unprecedented world of more climate shocks.
"We need to have sovereignty around the future so that medical services can be called up in emergencies.
Of the Business of Climate Change summit, he hopes it will "inspire local businesses to understand the importance of their role in creating ecological change".
"It is fast becoming cheaper to save the planet than to destroy it in many areas of production.
"It is fast becoming cheaper to save the planet than to destroy it in many areas of production."
- Damon Gameau
"Many companies are discovering if there is no fork in the road from contributing to the destruction of the world, there will be no world. It is as A and B as that right now."
Pressure is coming from the ground up, he says, and people are looking for leadership. Even global giants, such as BP are reducing their oil and gas production by 40 per cent by 2030 and ramping up their renewables. Their share price rose 7 per cent on the announcement.
At the UN Climate Change Summit in 2019, the head of shipping company, Mearsk, Soren Skou, spoke of how the company had to change directions towards zero emissions in order to attract employees out of the European universities.
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And up here, on The Northern Rivers, there are so many people saying the same thing, says Damon.
The summit is an initiative created by We the Many, a social impact group founded by Brookfarm CEO, Will Brooks. The group is using the Indiegogo crowd-funding platform, to raise profits for climate action projects through selling its cereal.
2040 drew on the best minds from around the world to find a a pathway to a more ecologically sustainable and equitable future. Damon is now using the same formula to create Regenerate Australia, based on interviews and the dreaming of Australians across the country.
Damon is also working with acclaimed environmentalist, Paul Hawken, on a project called Regeneration, which looks at 80 actions and solutions to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030, and then another 50% by 2040.
"It is about what Australia could look like in 2030, if we applied the best community-led solutions going on around the country, from community energy projects to revegetation initiatives and embedding Indigenous culture."
It was on the eve of Trump's victory four years ago, Gameau made his seven minute pitch about the 2040 concept to Good Pitch Australia at the Sydney Opera House.
The pitch, hosted by Shark Island Institute and Documentary Australia Foundation, took place in front of 400 philanthropists from around the world.
The documentary has received an extraordinary reception for its children-focused narrative, based on solutions for the planet. Funds were raised to make the film and develop curriculum outcomes for schools and a website.
Gameau says it's been a been a "bizarre journey" over the past few years during which he has met some incredible people and watched the learning of the past 15 years begin to be implemented.
"I even got a message from U2 wanting to use some graphics from 2040 for a film they were making," he says.
Seems he's reached, not just the tipping point, but The Edge.
