“Here in the magnificent Al Wasl Dome … showcasing innovations… with the Global Goals woven into the fabric of Expo 2020 Dubai, I cannot think of a more appropriate place for us to renew our shared commitment to keep the promises that we made in 2015,” (HE Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary General). During her visit to Global Goals Week in Dubai, her experience of the SDGs in action inspired her to commission a world-first immersive experience for the SDG Moment in New York, to provoke among global leaders a sense of "shock, urgency, and action as tomorrow is at risk’’. Her brief was that global decision-makers see the SDGs in the same extraordinary way. To immerse them in the SDGs in action and what we stand to lose if we do not grasp the solutions in front of us, for the future of people and planet.

We are Forces of Nature. Human beings have the ability to shape, or break, the world. This idea was born of six months of engagement and data-gathering with more than 190 nations and 24 million visitors. This message was clear: if we realise our innate power as human beings we can reverse, restore, rebuild and renew our world. That this is not a moment of scarcity, but abundance: of beauty, of intelligence and of solutions. In a spirit of urgent practical optimism: what if? Our story is in three parts: the innovation of nature, the innovation of humans and, finally, the innovation of both together. The lyricism and otherworldly beauty of the opening sequence is invaded in catastrophic fashion by the impact of humanity on the natural world; only when we come together in true understanding, learning from and respecting nature, will we realise our limitless and exponential potential.

Data was generated through six months of feedback and engagement with 192 nations, more than 24 million physical visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai and a further quarter of a billion online. This included the Change the World Challenge in which 80,000 people shared their priorities and action points through the lens of the SDGs, and the Global Goals Week programme which drew an online audience of more than 2 million. Our primary target was the 193 leaders attending the UN General Assembly’s SDG Moment in New York. Our secondary target: a global audience of all ages. To reach and activate these audiences we communicated the critical need for positive climate action in a way that is entirely science-based, while sensitive, empowering and enabling in varied social, political and cultural contexts. Our language is necessarily universal; our call to action urgent, incontrovertible and all-embracing as opposed to exclusionary.

Our ambition was to take our audience on a journey that combined the beauty of storytelling with an unforgettable sensory experience. Our first step was to create a visual 'canvas' that worked alongside the natural architecture of the General Assembly using 3D mapping. Our canvas was split into three sections, taking into account both structure and the material of the facade. For example, the central portion of the wall had a reflective façade, which presented its own unique projection challenges. We also incorporated lighting design to generate colour washes that mimicked the projection content and immersed audiences in the content of the show. Our sound design added a further dimension to our storytelling by drawing audiences in multiple directions. Rather than using a unidirectional audio experience, we aimed to create an environment that engaged delegates in a way that immersed them in the narrative, enhancing the message of our story.