Category: Press Releases

First Lady of Pakistan, together with health and development organisations and the private sector, calls for world leaders to prioritise assistive technology access

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new global campaign, backed by the Honourable First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Samina Arif Alvi, was launched today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling for urgent action to improve access to assistive technology for millions of people around the world.

Three children standing with their arms around each other’s shoulders. The child in the middle has a prosthetic leg.

The campaign, ‘Unlock the Everyday’, is the first ever global campaign on assistive technology and aims to raise awareness of everyone’s right to assistive technology – such as wheelchairs, glasses, hearing aids, prostheses and digital devices – no matter where they live, or their income.

It is estimated that 2.5 billion people today need at least one form of assistive technology and most people will require assistive technology at some point in their lifetime. However, only 10% of people in low-income countries can access the assistive technology they need, compared to 90% in high-income countries.

The campaign is calling for global action to address this inequity. Without access to appropriate assistive products, millions of people are prevented from earning a living, gaining an education or living independent and fulfilled lives, further compounding existing social and economic inequalities.

The Honourable First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Samina Arif Alvi, is encouraging global leaders to support the campaign and prioritise assistive technology:

“Assistive Technology is a bridge that connects individuals with disabilities, ageing populations, and those suffering from non-communicable diseases to a world of opportunities – opportunities for education, employment, and above all, inclusion in society. It is vital to focus on enhancing the affordability and accessibility of high-quality Assistive Technology, ensuring that individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds can equally benefit from these advancements. As a key driver in achieving numerous Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative is essential to ensure inclusivity in our path towards 2030.Yet, we have a long road ahead in our journey towards full inclusion. I urge global leaders to prioritize the integration of assistive technology into their national plans and SDG strategies. Let’s work together to build a more inclusive world where no one is left behind!”

Launched by global partnership ATscale, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the International Disability Alliance, amongst other partners, the Unlock the Everyday campaign has already been endorsed by various leaders in the global development and private sectors.

Pascal Bijleveld, CEO of ATscale, said:

“Despite having the power to unlock potential and transform lives, assistive technology has historically been under-resourced and under invested in – leading to the shocking inequity in access and huge funding gap we have today. This simply cannot go on. Not only will improving access improve the lives of millions of people, it is key to accelerating progress towards the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which all UN member states are committed to.”

Unlock the Everyday was launched at a high-level panel event in Davos, on the sidelines of the 2024 World Economic Forum. As well as the Honourable First Lady of Pakistan, other panellists, representing organisations supporting the campaign, included:

• Pascal Bijleveld, CEO of ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology
• Leopoldine Huyghues Despointes, actress and disability activist
• Caroline Casey, Founder of The Valuable 500 and President of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness
• Professor Gilles Carbonnier, Vice President, International Committee of the Red Cross
• Louise James, Managing Director, Accenture Development Partnerships
• Jorge Olague, Deputy Director, Private Sector Partnerships, UNICEF

Panellists discussed not only the importance of improving access to assistive technology, but crucially, the role that policymakers, the private sector and those working in the health and development sectors can play in bringing about change.

Research from ATscale shows that for every dollar invested in assistive technology, a $9 return can be expected through improved educational outcomes, better paid employment and high productivity among adults and lower longer-term healthcare costs.

However, despite this significant return on investment, a vast funding gap remains, which the campaign aims to highlight and address. To ensure lifetime access to appropriate assistive technology for all people needing it in low- and middle-income countries today would cost approximately USD 700 billion over 55 years.

Overall, key things the campaign is calling for, include:

• Governments worldwide to commit greater investment in assistive technology – including investing in the provision of appropriate products and services so more people can access AT when they need it
• Governments in low- and middle-income countries to implement supportive and inclusive policies that establish assistive technology as core parts of national health systems/ services, financing schemes including insurance, social protection programmes, and education initiatives.
• Bilateral and multilateral donors to recognise the importance of access to AT and ramp-up their financial support
• Stakeholders, including those in the private sector, to collaborate to improve assistive technology supply chains

The campaign is asking policymakers and leaders across the world to show their support for assistive technology users and those in need of assistive technology, and help raise awareness of these issues to drive change.

All people who use assistive technology and other members of the public across the world can also get involved and show their support on social media.

Bijleveld concluded: “We truly believe that by uniting partners, policymakers, global decision-makers, the private sector, communities and of course, assistive technology users themselves, we can create a global movement that will motivate those in a position of power to take decisive action.”

Notes to editors

If you’re a journalist and want to find out more about the campaign or interview a spokesperson, please contact the press office on:

Please direct all enquiries to: UnlocktheEveryday@grayling.com / +44 2038613719

About Assistive technology

Assistive technology helps people live with greater autonomy and choice by facilitating daily activities they would otherwise be unable to do well, or at all. People in need of assistive technology include people with chronic health conditions or physical impairments, temporary injuries and diseases, older people, and people with disabilities.

Examples of assistive devices include wheelchairs, prosthetics, screen readers, visual or hearing aids.

Assistive technology: Key facts

• Today 2.5 billion people need at least one form of assistive technology and most people will require assistive technology at some point in their lifetime, whether because of a disability, injuries or simply old age. By 2050 this figure is likely to rise to 3.5 billion.
• Without access to assistive technology, when it is needed, more than 30% of the global population will struggle to meet their most basic human needs.
• Globally at least 80 million people need an appropriate wheelchair, but up to 95% of those in need do not have access to one.
• Global funding for disability-related issues stands at just 0.5% of all development aid.
• Improving access to AT is a powerful way to accelerate progress towards all of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those relating to overcoming poverty, good health, quality education, gender equality, reducing inequalities, decent work and climate action.

About the campaign

Unlock the Everyday is aimed at people who currently use or need assistive technology, their communities, organisations working to improve the lives of assistive technology users, the private sector and policymakers and leaders across the globe.

More information about the campaign can be found here: www.UnlockTheEveryday.org

About ATscale

ATscale is a global partnership working to transform access to life-changing assistive technology across lower- and middle-income countries. Its vision is to ensure every person can access and afford the assistive technology they need, enabling a lifetime of potential. Members include the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), China Disabled Person’s Federation (CDPF) the Government of Kenya, the Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the International Disability Alliance. The organisation is hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c3ba09f-1d79-4bb9-a3b4-3e83d0f26ff2

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9018070

MONACO, Jan. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Turkish team is the winner of the 14th Optimist Team Race. Trained by Alican Selcik e Gokhan Durkal of the turkish sailing federation, the team of four stood up against Spain and ended up at the top of the ranking. Third place for the Croatian team, which won the competition last year. “Derin (14) Eren (10) Erkut (12) and Ariela (13) have been sailing together for three years. It’s a young team but also a very strong one. They have been learning and improving. The race level here it’s very high and we’re very happy to have won,” said Selcik.

The international meeting, organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco, involved eighteen international teams of four, for 72 under-14 sailors in total. The aim is to test young people’s mastery of the team race format, which requires total concentration, precision, seamless communication and mastery of team match racing rules. “When you see all these children that have been sailing for many years, the first thought is that they’re the future of sailing. We have a way of work that goes through sea education, to learn the respect of the sea. I’m sure that among the children that you see here today there are some of the sailors of the future America’s Cup editions or other important regattas. We already have the example of some children who took part in the competition and then went on well in the world of sailing,” said Olivier Campana, YCM deputy director.

Organised in duels between two teams, it is like a ballet on water with well over 150 of these match race duels scheduled over the four days, giving all teams a chance to compete against each other. Usa, Sweden, Uruguay, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, France, UK and Monaco were all represented. The competition had the support of Monaco Marine, FxPro, sailing gear supplier Slam, the Erplast boatyard and Peace and Sport. “The Monaco Optimist Team Race represents much more than just a competition. It is a celebration of team spirit and discipline. It is a unique opportunity for young sailors to develop their skills while creating links with sailors from all over the world,” said Bernard d’Alessandri, Secretary General of the Yacht Club of Monaco. The Team Race format will once again be at the heart of the Yacht Club de Monaco program with the organization of the Optimist European Team Racing Championship (October 15-20, 2024).

For more information:
Press Office LaPresse – ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6afca23-a9ab-4d5e-97dd-97b4172fcbb4

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ec3b0bfa-d277-4800-93a0-71da57a037c0

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9017769

– Top Schneider Electric executives attending World Economic Forum annual gathering. – Sustainability and energy resilience at the top of the corporate and public policy agenda.

Far greater deployment of existing technologies is needed to keep climate change from spiraling out of control, Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, urged today.

Accelerating climate change, geopolitical tensions, see-sawing energy prices, and pressure from stakeholders to address these risks, have pushed environmental sustainability and energy resilience to the top of the corporate and policy agenda in recent years. They form the backdrop to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from 15-19 January, which several senior Schneider Electric executives are attending.

“With energy accounting for 80% of carbon emissions, the energy transition is central to decarbonization,” said Peter Herweck, CEO of Schneider Electric. “The potential of AI is currently capturing everyone’s attention. But let’s not forget that existing technologies – both renewable energy generation and digital and electrification tools that lower energy demand by rendering sites and operations far more energy efficient – can sharply reduce emissions now. There’s no time to wait for tomorrow’s solutions when much more can be achieved with what we have today.”

Action from the private sector – by companies around the globe – is key to lowering emissions. Encouragingly, the business world is increasingly making commitments to sustainability and decarbonization. As of January 2024, more than 4,200 companies worldwide have set emissions-reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), for example.

The power of energy efficiency, in particular, is gaining more recognition. Last year, Schneider Electric partnered with the International Energy Agency to bring together government and business leaders for a major conference on the topic.

A new report published by the World Economic Forum on January 8, found that acting on energy consumption through energy savings, energy efficiency and value cooperation partnerships could unlock up to $2 trillion in savings for the wider economy, and avoid building 3,000 additional power stations if actions are taken before 2030.

And research conducted by Schneider Electric recently showed that installing digital building and power management solutions in existing buildings could sharply reduce their operational carbon emissions, with a payback period of less than three years – highlighting the huge potential in that area alone.

Challenges and opportunities in tackling Scope 3 emissions

Another key area of focus is tackling the indirect emissions generated by companies’ “Scope 3” emissions activities. These come from their upstream and downstream value chains and account for the largest part of a company’s carbon emissions – more than 70%, according to the UN Global Compact.

The global supply chain disruptions of the past few years have helped push this topic up the corporate agenda. More than two-thirds of business leaders interviewed for a report last year by Schneider Electric, in partnership with Women Action Sustainability (WAS), said that regulatory pressure was pushing them to initiate decarbonization planning with supply chain partners. Those surveyed also said they were seeing an increased demand for supply chain decarbonization information from investors and/or financial entities.

“Businesses that are serious about decarbonization need to look beyond their own operations and address their entire value chain. And they need to realize that encouraging and helping their suppliers, customers, and other business partners to strive for greater energy efficiency – through electrification and digital technologies – and cleaner energy procurement, is a huge part of the answer,” said Olivier Blum, Executive Vice President of Energy Management at Schneider Electric.

Related resources:

• Commentary, Peter Herweck: Climate change won’t wait for AI – and we must not either
• Commentary, Jean-Pascal Tricoire: Less is more: time to wake up the power of energy efficiency
• Commentary, Gwenaelle Avice Huet: Unleashing Climate Action for Profitable Business Growth
• Commentary, Olivier Blum: Toward net-zero value chains: How to minimize your Scope 3 emissions

Attachment

• Press_Release_To accelerate decarbonization, focus on the power of electrification and digitalization, Schneider Electric urges as Davos meeting kicks off.pdf

Global PR Central Team

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000908722

MONACO, Jan. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eighteen international teams of four for 72 under-14 sailors in total. These are the numbers of the 14th Monaco Optimist Team Race, organised by Yacht Club de Monaco with support from Monaco Marine, FxPro, sailing gear supplier Slam, the Erplast boatyard and Peace and Sport. This international meeting tests these young people’s mastery of the team race format. It all kicked off on Wednesday 10th January at 11.00 am with the first match races, and continues through the 14th. “This event is a wonderful opportunity to highlight excellence, share knowledge and promote sailing to young generations, all Yacht Club de Monaco values which are part of our collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach,” explains YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri.

The Monaco Optimist Team Race requires total concentration, precision, seamless communication and mastery of team match racing rules. Organised in duels between two teams, it is like a ballet on water with well over 150 of these match race duels scheduled over the five days, giving all teams a chance to compete against each other. The programme comprises a round-robin, quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the finals. USA, Sweden, Uruguay, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, France, UK and Monaco are all represented.

To get everyone into the match race rhythm, many participated in an International Clinic (9-11 January) to help refine skills and get hands-on advice from experts supervised by international referee, Chris Atkins. With 45 years of team racing experience under his belt, this three-time British National Team Race Championship winner also coached Team Great Britain team to a gold medal at the first ISAF Team Race World Championship. President of the selectors for the British Olympic sailing team for Beijing and London, Chris Atkins is also a World Sailing umpire and judge.

For more information:
Press Office LaPresse – ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d91c6a76-f751-4198-8334-6a73480daf64

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9017008