by Deanna Dority

In what may be his most challenging role yet, Hollywood star Hugh Jackman is taking on the role of World Vision ambassador on climate change.

“I hope to be a voice for the billion people in developing countries who will be the hardest hit by changing weather patterns,” said Jackman during the opening ceremonies of Climate Week NYºC.

The star of Wolverine and Australia was referring to the droughts and floods that too often destroy crops and threaten food security. Climate Week, a series of events addressing the need for action on climate change, started on September 21 in New York City.

“The best weapon I have”
Travelling with World Vision recently, Jackman saw first-hand the impact that climate change is having on developing nations. He and his wife, Deborah Lee Furness, flew to Cambodia and Ethiopia to see World Vision’s community development model in operation. These two trips “solidified” for Jackman “the importance of campaigning not just on issues of poverty but also on climate change, because they are inextricably linked.”

The experience resulted in the star’s pledge to use his voice—what he calls “the best weapon I have”—to make sure the poor are represented in any climate-change agreements that get made.

Families Pushed Over the Edge
“[In Ethiopia], they’re not just battling issues of development and poverty,” said Jackman in an interview with Sky News. “It’s the environmental impact from developed countries that’s really hitting them the hardest.”

Every year, World Vision is noting more frequent and damaging storms, deadlier cycles of flooding and drought, and increased conflicts due to decreasing water and food resources. Doug Brown, one of the organization’s environmentalists, also notes that deforestation, soil erosion and environmental degradation are compounding the already difficult living conditions for the world’s poor. These forces are pushing many vulnerable families over the edge.

To help combat these challenges, Brown says World Vision is utilizing an approach that encourages "sustainable livelihoods." For example, explains Brown, “farmers use natural-resource management practices that will improve both the yield of their crops and the fertility of the soil.”

An Ambassador’s Role
As a World Vision ambassador, Jackman will be advocating for a climate deal that benefits the poor in Copenhagen at the UN Climate Change Conference in December.

And while the Hollywood star is hoping his celebrity profile will attract attention to the need to address climate change, Jackman acknowledges that organizations like World Vision are having a positive impact.

In a recent interview with New York Entertainment, Jackman said “anything I can do to highlight their work and to make a contribution I try and do.”

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