Thank you so much, dear Nadia.
As usual, you are too kind.
 

Before anything else I would like to say it’s always a team effort.
My photography and exhibitions and even Instagram would not be possible without the insanely hardworking Antonin Potoski, here, and Patrick Codomier.

And my giving, awareness raising and informal public education would be impossible without Farrah Nurani, Izzy Hirji and Nazir Sunderji.

My work is literally only as good as my team.
 

It’s such a pleasure to be here tonight and a joy to meet or re-meet you all.

I feel like a bit of a fake at events like COP because to be honest I’m not all that well-versed in climate, nor particularly scientifically inclined.

As a conservation photographer, my goal is to show people the diversity, complexity, intrinsic value and beauty of the wildlife and ecosystems I’m incredibly privileged to see and get to know. As well as to show the relationships between creatures, notwithstanding the person on the other side of the lens.
​To encourage people to fall or stay in love with nature, to care deeply, spread knowledge widely and to cause change. If I can touch even ONE person in the audience at my events there is value. If I can get to many and ripple effects ensue then I just might have done my job. So please all of you be that one person this week!

I’m so thrilled to finally meet some of Focused On Nature’s partners, who FON values immensely and hopes to work with for years to come. And thrilled to collaborate with some of the greatest minds and biggest hearts of our time. These of course include my much-admired co-panelists Her Deepness doctor Sylvia Earle, Her Dolphin Mother Dr. Denise Herzing, His Whale Father Richard Sabin, and his cetacean saviour Chris Butler Shroud. Not to mention her super biologist, mover and shaker Reem AlMealla.

Also thank you Saw Htoo Lay, TAU Diseño, Nadia Verjee and your team at Expo City Dubai as well as the team at Terra, Rita Magnus and the teams from COP28, Sultan Allana, the Council for the UAE, President Aziz and Vice President Khalil, the volunteers from the Council who helped with translations of FON texts into Arabic, the volunteers from the security and Ismaili Centre, and whoever else helped which I am sure is more than just that list.

For any of you working on the frontlines of climate science or policy I beg you to do everything you can to save – as best you can – the burning, flooding tempestuous planet we presently live on. If we can’t stick to 1.5 let’s stay as absolutely close as we can to it. Focused On Nature will continue, with our partners, to try to protect invaluable ecosystems and wildlife as well as encourage everyone else to help.

Thank you all so much for everything you have done and everything you continue to do.