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Secretary Blinken At the Conservation, Climate Adaptation, and Just Energy Transition Forum

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4 years ago

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SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, thank you. Good afternoon, everyone, and a big thank you, Hayde, to you for keeping us moving, and I will try to stay on your good side. (Laughter.) But it’s an honor to be joined at this table by so many leaders, so many colleagues – among other, President Tshisekedi – it’s very good to be with you – President Ramkalawan, President Hichilema, President Buhari, President Obiang, President Bongo Ondimba – thank you, thank you, thank you for your partnership, for your partnership to help preserve our planet.

We’re also joined today by members of Congress, members of the Biden Cabinet – I think Congressman Meeks is about to join us if he’s not already here – we have representatives from multilateral organizations, philanthropies, private sector leaders, activists, academics, youth leaders. To each and every one of you, welcome.

The diversity of this group is heartening – a statement not merely of how we’re all affected by the climate crisis, but how committed we all are to working together to address it.

Last month many of us were in Egypt for COP27. An African COP was a recognition that, as the urgency of the climate crisis grows, our focus must increasingly be on Africa.

As we know, 17 of the world’s 20 most climate vulnerable countries are on the African continent.

Four straight years of drought in the Horn of Africa have left more than 18 million people facing severe hunger.

Communities across the continent are feeling the impact of a changing climate. Severe storms have battered southern Africa; surging temperatures kindle wildfires in northern Africa; rising seas threaten lives and livelihoods on island nations, while extreme weather events in central Africa worsen already-dire food crises and fuel tensions that feed and fuel violent conflict.

We know that African nations have contributed relatively little to this crisis but are disproportionally harmed by it. It’s both unfair and unrealistic to ask them to turn their backs on economic development and opportunity in the name of a clean energy transition, to ask them in effect to forego what many of us have done in the past in developing our countries and our economies.

And so we believe that the best way – indeed, the just way – to address the climate crisis in Africa is to work together.

Earlier this year, in South Africa, I had an opportunity to set out President Biden’s new Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa. It’s based on a simple idea: we can’t achieve any of our shared priorities – tackle any of our biggest challenges – unless we do it together as equal partners.

That’s true of every major issue we face today, and it’s particularly true of climate change. So here’s how we’re addressing this crisis together.

First, we are partnering to conserve ecosystems. Africa is home to some of the world’s most precious ecosystems, which are critical for combating climate change. This summer I visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, where forests absorb more carbon than is emitted by the entire continent of Africa. The Congo Basin is also a place of tremendous biodiversity, a lifeforce for agriculture across the region.

To support the sustainable management of the Congo Basin rainforest, we’ve invested over $600 million in the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment, which brings together the U.S. Government and African and U.S. NGOs.

And we’re building new coalitions between African governments, the private sector, civil society to protect other vital ecosystems across the continent.

Oceans are also a key part of this fight. That’s why we’ve launched the Ocean Conservation Pledge to encourage countries to commit to protect at least 30 percent of their ocean waters by the year 2030.

Second, we’re partnering to make commitments and communities more resilient in the face of climate change. The President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience is working with national governments to help more than half a billion people in developing countries manage the impacts of climate change. This and other initiatives to support climate-resilient agriculture are increasingly critical as Russia’s war of aggression compounds the impact on food security.

At COP, the President also announced a doubling of our pledged contributions to the Adaptation Fund, which has deployed nearly $1 billion to help over 36 million people in the most vulnerable communities around the world. And we committed to begin discussions on loss and damage funding arrangements to support low- and middle-income countries.

Third, we’re partnering to advance a just transition to a clean energy economy that both saves our planet and fosters inclusive economic opportunity.

Africa will be at the center of the clean energy transition. Its renewable energy potential is second to none. It’s home to roughly a third of all critical minerals, essential to the technology that will power the clean energy economy, like batteries for renewable energy storage and wind turbines. But with nearly half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population lacking reliable access to electricity and the population set to grow to more than two billion people by 2050, how that transition is made will be decisive in shaping our future climate.

The United States will work closely with African countries as they determine how best to meet their specific energy needs – understanding that, for many, the clean energy transition will be a transition to consistent, reliable energy in the first place. We’ll do so through programs like Power Africa, which has mobilized the public and private sectors to deliver cleaner, more reliable electricity to over 165 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa who previously didn’t have access. We’re proud to announce a new investment of $290 million in that program.

Too often, those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of these changes have been denied a seat at the decision-making table. We’re committed to changing that, including through the new Accelerating Women’s Empowerment in Energy project, which is making sure that women have a say in how their countries move forward on clean energy.

All of these efforts recognize that combating the climate crisis, like so many other challenges we face, was actually championed by Africans in the first place. Indeed, in Africa, we see not only the stakes of this crisis, but also the solutions. Gabon has led the way in conserving its forest resources, which now absorb 140 million tons of CO2 every year. That’s the equivalent of taking 30 million cars off the road.

The Seychelles has pioneered the world’s first sovereign blue bond to marshal public and private investment for sustainable marine and fisheries projects. It’s on the way to conserving 30 percent of its ocean waters – that’s an area the size of Zimbabwe – by 2030.

Zambia is harnessing the power of its wetlands and forests to mitigate climate impacts, benefiting tens of thousands of people vulnerable to both floods and to droughts.

Nigeria has set bold targets and robust regulations for methane reductions – the first country in Africa to do so – which could reduce air pollutants by a third and avert tens of thousands of deaths.

Equatorial Guinea just raised its commitment to cut emissions by 35 percent by 2030. And the DRC has hosted the pre-COP27 meetings in Kinshahsa. It’s teaming up with the United States on a broad scope of these issues through our Sustainable Development Solutions Working Group.

Today, and throughout this summit over the course of this week, I look forward to hearing from this group on how we can most effectively deepen our partnership to the benefit of all of our people, and indeed to the benefit of people around the world. And I look forward to continuing this conversation in the months and also the years to come. This is an enduring project for all of us, but I think we also all feel the fierce urgency of now. And that determination is reflected in so much of the work that is being done and is being represented in this room.

With that, it is a pleasure and honor to turn the floor over to President Tshisekedi to offer some remarks. Mr. President, the floor is now yours.

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Business

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson Listed as Speaker for Global AI, Supply Chain Summit

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5 days ago

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October 9, 2026

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Organizers say the Oct. 26–27 conference will bring together business leaders, policymakers and technology professionals for discussions on global commerce, digital transformation and industry innovation.

DALLAS, TX (FNN) — Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson is listed as an invited speaker for the Global Procurement, Supply Chain, AI & Logistics Summit and Global Recognition Awards 2026, scheduled for Oct. 26–27 in Dallas, according to an announcement from the event’s organizer.

The American Association of Procurement, Supply Chain and Tourism Management, known as AAPSCM, said the two-day summit will take place at the AC Hotel & Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria, 5460 James Temple Drive.

The conference will focus on artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience, innovation and the future of global commerce.

Mayor listed among international speakers

Organizers identified Johnson among the invited speakers joining executives, policymakers, academics, consultants and professionals in procurement, supply chain management, technology and logistics.

The announcement describes participants as coming “from the United States and around the world.”

According to the release, Johnson is listed among speakers participating in the Oct. 27 program. The announcement does not specify the subject or time of his remarks.

AI, forecasting and digital transformation

The second day’s agenda includes a session on artificial intelligence and machine learning in inventory management, forecasting, and sales and operations planning.

An executive leadership session titled “Driving Innovation & Digital Transformation” is scheduled to follow.

The program will examine technology’s role in procurement, logistics and supply chain operations, with an emphasis on how leaders respond to changing business conditions.

Awards to recognize industry achievement

The summit will also include procurement and supply chain awards, followed by Global Excellence Awards recognizing individuals, organizations and industry leaders.

Organizers said the awards program includes more than 35 categories spanning procurement, supply chain management, artificial intelligence and logistics.

The announcement describes the awards as recognizing “achievement, innovation and leadership.”

Executives and decision-makers expected

AAPSCM said it expects attendees to include chief executives, chief procurement officers, chief supply chain officers, chief operating officers and technology leaders.

The anticipated audience also includes procurement directors, logistics professionals, government representatives and specialists in AI and digital transformation.

About the organizer

AAPSCM describes itself as a U.S.-based nonprofit professional organization that supports professional development through certification, education, training, membership, conferences and international collaboration.

Event and registration information

  • Event: 2nd Global Procurement, Supply Chain, AI & Logistics Summit & Global Recognition Awards 2026
  • Dates: Oct. 26–27, 2026
  • Venue: AC Hotel & Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria
  • Address: 5460 James Temple Drive, Dallas, Texas 75240
  • Organizer: American Association of Procurement, Supply Chain and Tourism Management
  • Registration: aapscm-conferences.org
  • Organization: aapscm.org

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Entertainment

Kym Whitley, Yvette Nicole Brown to Headline First Ladies Health Initiative Brain Health Luncheon

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4 weeks ago

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September 15, 2026

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Side-by-side headshots of actresses Yvette Nicole Brown and Kym Whitley, speakers at the First Ladies Health Initiative brain health and caregiving luncheon.
Emmy-nominated actresses Yvette Nicole Brown, left, and Kym Whitley will participate in the First Ladies Health Initiative’s “Mindful of the Memories: A Path to Better Brain Health” luncheon Sept. 19 in Marina del Rey, California.

The Sept. 19 luncheon in Marina del Rey will spotlight Alzheimer’s, dementia, caregiving and brain health as the First Ladies Health Initiative celebrates new grant support for programs empowering girls.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FNN) — Emmy-nominated actresses Kym Whitley and Yvette Nicole Brown will headline a First Ladies Health Initiative luncheon focused on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, caregiving and brain health on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Marina del Rey.

The First Ladies Health Initiative, or FLHI, will host its leaders summit luncheon, “Mindful of the Memories: A Path to Better Brain Health,” beginning at 11 a.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey.

Whitley, whose credits include Act Your Age and Raising Whitley, and Brown, known for Community, Act Your Age and The Mayor, will participate in a fireside conversation moderated by Dr. Shalonda “Sunshine” Crawford, co-pastor of Experience Christian Ministries.

The discussion will address the experiences of families affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia, including the demands placed on caregivers and the challenges of balancing caregiving with careers and other responsibilities.

Personal Experiences Bring Caregiving Into Focus

FLHI Co-Executive Director Marquisé Alston-Allison said Whitley and Brown were selected in part because both have personal experience caring for their fathers.

“Alzheimer’s disease has a devastating impact on the African American community, where individuals are approximately twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia,” Alston-Allison said in the organization’s announcement.

The luncheon takes place two days before World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept. 21.

Brain Health and Prevention Take Center Stage

FLHI is also partnering with the INSPIRE-Faith program at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, led by neurologists Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai.

The program emphasizes lifestyle factors associated with brain and overall health, including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management and social connections.

The initiative brings prevention-focused health education into faith and community settings while addressing conditions such as dementia, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

Luncheon to Feature Music and Special Honors

Radio personality Aundrae Russell of 102.3 KJLH-FM will serve as emcee, with a musical performance by recording artist David Daughtry.

FLHI will also pay tribute to its founding president, Tracey Alston, who died last year.

Dr. Betty Ruth Price, former first lady, co-founder and matriarch of Crenshaw Christian Center, will also be honored during the event.

FLHI Among Organizations Receiving Girls Opportunity Alliance Support

The event comes as FLHI celebrates its selection for support through the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance.

According to the announcement, a total of $500,000 will be distributed among 10 organizations working to empower girls, with FLHI among the selected recipients.

FLHI is currently led by second-generation co-executive directors Marquisé Alston-Allison and Taylor Alston-Cleveland, alongside co-founder and National Chair Jamell Meeks of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago and Los Angeles Chair Crawford.

The organization also acknowledged support from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Healthy Mind Initiatives, Black Girl Vitamins and The Ritz-Carlton.

For additional information, visit First Ladies Health Initiative.

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Entertainment

Chaka Khan, Q Parker to Lead Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Gala in Atlanta

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1 month ago

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September 12, 2026

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Chaka Khan and Q Parker, honorary ambassador and honorary gala chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala.
Ten-time Grammy Award winner Chaka Khan, left, will serve as honorary ambassador, while Grammy-winning singer and founding 112 member Q Parker will serve as honorary gala chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala on Oct. 2, 2026, in Atlanta. Chaka Khan photo: Nick Nelson; Q Parker photo: Quadir Thomas

Milestone celebration will recognize the executives, radio personalities, entrepreneurs and cultural leaders who helped shape Black music and entertainment

ATLANTA, Ga. (FNN) — Ten-time Grammy Award winner Chaka Khan will serve as honorary ambassador and Grammy-winning singer and founding 112 member Q Parker as honorary gala chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala, the organization announced.

The milestone celebration is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, in Atlanta and will bring together artists, music executives, radio personalities, creatives, entrepreneurs and cultural leaders to recognize the people whose work has helped shape Black music, media and entertainment.

For Khan, the role marks a return to an organization that recognized her more than three decades ago. She was among the artists honored by the Living Legends Foundation in 1992.

“When you cross a bridge, you don’t think about all the hands that built it. Some of the most important contributions are the ones we never see,” Khan said in the announcement. “Thank you, Living Legends Foundation, for seeing that every story matters and for honoring those hands and hearts that helped build the way for all of us.”

Chaka Khan Returns for Milestone Anniversary

Living Legends Foundation Chairman David C. Linton said Khan’s connection to the organization makes her participation especially significant during its 35th anniversary.

“Having Chaka Khan serve as our Honorary Ambassador during this milestone year is incredibly meaningful,” Linton said. “Chaka’s history with the Foundation reaches back to our earliest years, and her extraordinary career represents the excellence, longevity and cultural impact we have worked to celebrate for 35 years.”

Khan’s appearance also comes as she prepares for another chapter in her recording career. According to the foundation’s announcement, her new album, “Chakzilla,” is scheduled for release Sept. 18. The project, described as her first full-length album in seven years, includes collaborations with Sia, Snoop Dogg and Lenny Kravitz.

The combination of Khan’s new music and her honorary role highlights one of the gala’s central themes: connecting the legacy of Black music with the people continuing to move the industry forward.

Q Parker to Serve as Honorary Gala Chair

Joining Khan is Q Parker, a founding member of Grammy-winning R&B group 112. Parker will serve as honorary gala chair and help promote the foundation’s work recognizing and supporting music industry professionals.

“Black music has given me a career, a community, and an opportunity to use my gifts to impact people around the world, so serving as Honorary Chair for the Living Legends Foundation’s 35th anniversary is truly an honor,” Parker said.

Parker said the industry’s success extends far beyond the artists audiences see on stage.

“This organization understands that our industry is bigger than the names we see on the marquee,” Parker said. “There are countless people behind the scenes who have dedicated their lives to moving our culture forward.”

Parker recently released the single “Stare,” from his forthcoming album, “Evolution of Romance, Volume Two,” expected this fall, according to the announcement.

Honoring the People Behind Black Music and Culture

Founded in 1991, the Living Legends Foundation has built its mission around recognizing professionals whose work has helped bring Black music and culture to audiences around the world.

Beyond its annual honors, the nonprofit provides support to music industry professionals with confirmed needs and invests in future generations through mentorship, scholarships and other assistance.

The anniversary gala will continue that mission by placing executives, broadcasters, advocates, entrepreneurs and other behind-the-scenes leaders alongside some of the most recognizable figures in entertainment.

2026 Living Legends Foundation Honorees

This year’s honorees include:

  • Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award: Louis Carr, president of BET
  • A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award: Black Promoters Collective
  • Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award: Kenny Smoov, vice president of urban programming, Cumulus
  • Frankie Crocker Radio Personality Award: Greg Street, air personality, V-103 Atlanta
  • Impact Player Award: Juliette Jones, COO, Alamo Records
  • Music Executive Award: Tim Reid, senior vice president, repertoire and marketing, BMG Recorded Music
  • Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award: Phylicia Fant, global director, Black Music + Culture, Amazon Music
  • Kendall Minter Entertainment Advocate Award: James McMillan, Esq., CEO, ART@WAR Entertainment
  • Hip-Hop Visionary Award: Ted Lucas, founder and CEO, Slip-N-Slide Records
  • Entrepreneur Award: Ralph McDaniels, executive producer, “Video Music Box”

Why the 35th Anniversary Matters

The anniversary reflects more than three decades of recognizing people whose contributions to Black music and entertainment have not always received the same public attention as the artists they helped build, promote and sustain.

That history is reflected in Khan’s return. After being recognized by the foundation in its early years, she will now help honor another generation of industry leaders.

The 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala will continue the Living Legends Foundation’s tradition of celebrating achievement, leadership, innovation and service while preserving the stories of the people who helped build the business and culture surrounding Black music.

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