As world leaders unite in New York for Climate Week and the UN General Assembly, an immense, colorful 3D Ecosystem Restoration mural will emerge at the Javits Center as a call to heal nature.
Created by Mexican artist Carlos Alberto and curated by New York based non-profit Street Art for Mankind (SAM), the work of art focuses on the importance of the restoration of ecosystems and tree equity in our communities. It is part of a series #EcosystemRestorationMurals created around the world by SAM, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to spark energy and dialogue among the public in support of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global effort to halt and reverse biodiversity degradation to prevent catastrophic climate change by 2030.
The artist, inspired by his many years spent in the jungles of Mexico as a conservator in archaeological heritage at the National Institute of Anthropology and History, used his research to bring a unique scientific vision to the artistic creation.
The initiative began with a large 40 meter high “Ecosytem Restoration” mural by artist Lula Goce in Brussels in 2021, followed by a 16-storey high mural by artist Martin Ron in Houston, Texas, and now comes to New York before appearing in the heart of Detroit in October. Each mural carries a distinct and inspirational message on nature restoration.
The new mural, which was painted in just ten days, is a pledge to restore ecosystems and bring tree equity to every community as part of the global effort to curb dangerous climate change. It features a woman embracing a tree surrounded by the jungle, reminding us that communities need to be embraced by nature for human and environmental health in the “concrete jungle” of our cities. The mural is also a call to reverse biodiversity loss with its depiction of animals and plants from New York State and from around the world - extinct or endangered on one side and recovering on the other - highlighting the challenges and aspirations that come with ecosystem restoration efforts globally.
In order to meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius, stakeholders from all sectors need to work together to take immediate action to prevent, stop and reverse the degradation of our ecosystems. The new Global Biodiversity Framework has also set ambitious ecosystem restoration targets such as restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 to spur critical action.
Trees play a key role in climate change as urban forests are responsible for almost one-fifth of the country’s captured and stored carbon emissions. They are essential to the well-being of communities, as they clean air and can lower summer heat by several degrees in cities.
The Javits Center was selected to receive this landmark 12,800 square foot mural due to its sustainability leadership with its state-of-the-art 6.76-acre green roof, and its association with the UN General Assembly. The mural unveiling will kick-off the Nest Climate Campus, the Climate Week event at Javits that mobilizes thousands of doers and thinkers of climate action annually.
A free mobile app called “Behind the Wall®” published by SAM on Play Store and the App Store, works as an audio guide when scanning the mural. It enables the public to discover the story behind ecosystem restoration, hear officials discuss the issue, listen to the artist describe his creation and learn about how they can take action to address the issue.
This Ecosystem Restoration mural is the second of a five-part series installed in the United States. It has been made possible due to the generous support of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, a Diageo company which is a member of the UN Global Compact. In addition to this mural, Bulleit, in partnership with American Forests, planted trees in Queens, New York to improve tree equity.
Mural Address: Javits Center, on 11th avenue between 39th and 40th street in New York, New York
QUOTES
“We are pleased to be involved in this mural series as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystems Restoration,” said Rafael Peralta, Regional Director for North America, United Nations Environment Programme. “The UN Decade is building a strong, broad-based global movement to protect and restore natural environments around the world. Only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance the livelihoods of people, halt the collapse of biodiversity, and counteract climate change.”
“With urban forests being responsible for approximately one-fifth of captured carbon emissions, trees are essential to the well-being of urban communities, cleaning air and lowering summer heat by several degrees in our cities. The creation of this mural on ecosystem restoration contains a key takeaway: the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe all depend on the health and vitality of our planet’s ecosystems. By preventing the degradation of our environment and restoring damaged ecosystems, we can provide a more promising future for our lives on this planet Earth. We give thanks go to the mural artist Carlos Alberto for all the work and research he has dedicated to bring a scientific vision to this artistic creation.” said Zhimin Wu, Director, Forestry Division, Food and Agriculture Organization.
“We are thrilled to be back in our home base of New York and to create this huge mural in the concrete jungle of Manhattan!” said Audrey and Thibault Decker, co-founders of Street Art for Mankind. “With this big statement we wanted to pay tribute to nature and people, as they both pay the price of climate change. We sincerely hope that our art will inspire generations of passers-by to do their share and act for climate. We are very grateful for the journey we are in, painting murals across the world, and also honored to be given such a meaningful platform for Climate Week and the UNGA. Thank you to all our friends from UNEP, FAO, the Javits Center, the Nest Campus, Bulleit, New York State and New York City for uniting together to make this all happen. Nature needs us all. And we need nature everywhere, for everybody!”
“The Javits Center is delighted to work with Carlos Alberto and Street Art for Mankind to bring this important subject to the attention of all New Yorkers during Climate Week and the Nest Summit Campus. The mural educates and informs but it also brightens up the day!” said Alan Steel, President of the Javits Center.
“The Nest Climate Campus is honored to have this opportunity to support and amplify the critical message expressed through this magnificent mural by Street Art for Mankind and artist Carlos Alberto. The 6,000+ climate leading organizations and thought leaders are coming together at The Nest Climate Campus to educate, inspire and ensure a viable future for planet and people. This mural perfectly depicts the choice we all have in addressing the climate crisis. Climate solutions abound, what we need is the will to embrace them.” says Sharon Enright, COO and President of The Nest Climate Campus.
PR Contacts:
Laura Fuller, Regional Information Officer, UNEP North America: [email protected]
Audrey Decker, Street Art for Mankind & Carlos Alberto:– [email protected] - https://streetartmankind.org/ecosystemrestoration/
Visual Assets here. Required credit and tagging information: Photo Credit: @dr_derek for @StreetArtMankind #StreetArtMankind #EcosystemRestorationMurals #GenerationRestoration #ForNature #ClimateAction
Carlos Alberto is a Mexican street artist that represents big scale and surrealistic bright colors scenes, featuring nature, animals and people. He tricks the eye with 3D effects to make the scenes look like they are coming out or are deeper into the wall.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021 - 2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems across the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve global goals. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade, which is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The Street Art for Mankind (SAM) is a non-profit organization curating and producing large murals all around the world with prominent street artists. SAM’s goal is to raise awareness on social justice and environmental issues, and to give the public the means to become actors of change.
Bulleit, founded in 1987, is one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. In 2017, Bulleit celebrated its 30th anniversary with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art distillery located in Shelbyville, KY. Constructed with a focus on sustainable practices including natural habitat protection, water conservation and local ingredient sourcing, BDC received the Highly Commended award for Sustainable Distillery of the Year at the 2020 Icons of Whisky Awards from Whisky Magazine. In 2021, Diageo opened its first carbon neutral whiskey distillery in Lebanon, KY with Bulleit being the first and leading brand being produced at the site supplementing existing production at the Bulleit Distilling Co.
The Javits Center is more than just a convention center. Named after the legendary and lifelong New Yorker, Senator Jacob K. Javits, this self-sustaining New York icon has become a wildlife sanctuary, a community partner and a nationwide nexus where the latest ideas in business and pop culture converge under one very green roof. With a significant investment in our infrastructure, we have quickly become a leader in sustainability, security and technology, setting a new standard for convention centers throughout the country. We employ thousands of experienced event and construction professionals dedicated to coordinating and constructing events with major brands from around the world, generating waves of economic activity across the region. And with a historic expansion project underway, we‘re preparing to host an even wider variety of events in the years to come, attracting new generations of visitors to Manhattan’s West Side.