“As advocate for the forgotten and the ignored, Mary Robinson has not only shone a light on human suffering, but illuminated a better future for our world.”

―Barack Obama

This event was made possible in partnership with Menlo Spark, an independent nonprofit working to help Menlo Park become climate neutral by 2025. Menlo Spark collaborates with local government, businesses, residents, and top experts to accelerate proven sustainability measures through community engagement, while advancing community prosperity, economic vitality, and strong civic heritage. With the Global Climate Action Summit here in the Bay Area, we have an opportunity to come together to show local leadership on climate and embrace a carbon free, clean energy future. For more information, click here.

Holding the arm of her first grandchild, something occurred to Mary Robinson. Before his fiftieth birthday, nine billion people would share the planet with him. What kind of planet would it be?

In an instant, the faceless, shadowy menace of climate change became real. One of the most important voices on the International stage, Mary Robinson -- the former president of Ireland and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights -- bound herself to a single mission: to leave her grandson the best possible world.

Her work has been transformative. She founded the Mary Robinson Foundation-Climate Justice. She served in two capacities as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Change. She continues today to be one of the most dynamic climate activists in the world. From Mongolia to East Biloxi, Robinson’s work has touched lives the world over, reifying the countless local and international efforts for green, sustainable energy and combatting the tangled, nefarious web of hazards to our planet's future.

Award-winning journalist and radio host, Angie Coiro, sits down for a special This is Now with Mary Robinson.