61WALLY ADEYEMO
Deputy Secretary,
U.S. TreasuryU.S. TreasurySince being confi rmed as Deputy Since being confi rmed as Deputy
Treasury Secretary in March 2021, Treasury Secretary in March 2021,
in the midst of a historic public-in the midst of a historic public-
health and economic crisis, I often health and economic crisis, I often
think about the early days of my fi rst think about the early days of my fi rst
tour of duty at the U.S. Treasury. tour of duty at the U.S. Treasury.
I entered government in February I entered government in February
2009, at the height of the global 2009, at the height of the global
fi nancial crisis, when I received fi nancial crisis, when I received
a fi rsthand education in crisis a fi rsthand education in crisis
management. I quickly learned the management. I quickly learned the
importance of rigorously examining importance of rigorously examining
data to ensure policy choices are data to ensure policy choices are
grounded in fact, and the need grounded in fact, and the need
for careful consideration of the for careful consideration of the
alternatives in every decision. Over alternatives in every decision. Over
many late nights that often turned many late nights that often turned
into early mornings, my colleagues into early mornings, my colleagues
worked to save the economy from worked to save the economy from
what we feared could be a second what we feared could be a second
Great Depression. Great Depression.
But I also learned a great deal But I also learned a great deal
about the impact of the fi nancial about the impact of the fi nancial
crisis from my family and friends crisis from my family and friends
back home. I grew up in a region back home. I grew up in a region
of California called the Inland of California called the Inland
Empire, east of Los Angeles, Empire, east of Los Angeles,
where unemployment peaked at where unemployment peaked at
more than 14% and foreclosures more than 14% and foreclosures
spiked. Hearing about friends and spiked. Hearing about friends and
neighbors losing their jobs and neighbors losing their jobs and
homes, and seeing the impact of homes, and seeing the impact of
this crisis on my community, is this crisis on my community, is
something I will never forget.something I will never forget.
These two sides of the fi nancial These two sides of the fi nancial
crisis—the global policy response crisis—the global policy response
and the economic pain that hit so and the economic pain that hit so
close to home—left an indelible close to home—left an indelible
imprint on me as a person and imprint on me as a person and
as a policymaker. I try to carry as a policymaker. I try to carry
the lessons I learned with me the lessons I learned with me
each day and to never forget the each day and to never forget the
people whose lives and livelihoods people whose lives and livelihoods
depend on the choices we make depend on the choices we make
in Washington and in halls of in Washington and in halls of
government around the world.government around the world.IN CROPPING ME OUT OF THE PICTURE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAD CROPPED A WHOLE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAD CROPPED A WHOLE CONTINENT OUT OF THE CONVERSATIONCONTINENT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION
VANESSA NAKATE
Climate-justice activist
Before the World Economic Forum Before the World Economic Forum
in 2020, I was a little-known youth in 2020, I was a little-known youth
climate activist from Kampala, climate activist from Kampala,
moon landing, in July 1969. I was just moon landing, in July 1969. I was just
a little kid. I can still smell the freshly a little kid. I can still smell the freshly
cut grass as I lay down on the steep cut grass as I lay down on the steep
fi eld behind my family’s farmhouse fi eld behind my family’s farmhouse
in Tyrol and looked in disbelief and in Tyrol and looked in disbelief and
wonderment at the wonderment at the
sky, at the moon, which sky, at the moon, which sky, at the moon, which
was illuminating the was illuminating the
mountain meadows mountain meadows
in silver. It was hard to in silver. It was hard to
wrap my head around wrap my head around
the fact that humans the fact that humans
were walking on that were walking on that
shiny rock in the sky. shiny rock in the sky. shiny rock in the sky.
How on earth did they How on earth did they
get there? get there?
I was fi lled with so I was fi lled with so
many different feelings many different feelings
at the time. On the one at the time. On the one
hand, I felt in awe of the hand, I felt in awe of the
fearlessness of those fearlessness of those
men on the moon. I men on the moon. I
also felt an enormous also felt an enormous
interest and longing to interest and longing to
get to know space better. What was get to know space better. What was
it made up of? What was out there? it made up of? What was out there?
Something began stirring in me. A Something began stirring in me. A
curiosity fl ame had been lit that would curiosity fl ame had been lit that would
inspire and drive me for the rest of inspire and drive me for the rest of
my life. my life.
I studied natural sciences and I studied natural sciences and
went on to choose a career in space, went on to choose a career in space,
which eventually led me to the role which eventually led me to the role
of director general of the European of director general of the European
Space Agency. But it was that warm Space Agency. But it was that warm
night in July—in Tyrol, on a farm, night in July—in Tyrol, on a farm,
with the smell of grass—where the with the smell of grass—where the
foundation was laid that would steer foundation was laid that would steer
me in a new direction, away from the me in a new direction, away from the
fi elds and toward the stars.fi elds and toward the stars.
Uganda, though I was part of a global
movement that had brought millions movement that had brought millions
of young people to the streets. On of young people to the streets. On
the last day of the forum, I took the last day of the forum, I took
part in a press conference with four part in a press conference with four
other young climate activists, all of other young climate activists, all of
whom were white Europeans. When I whom were white Europeans. When I
scrolled through the coverage on my scrolled through the coverage on my
phone afterward, I was stunned by phone afterward, I was stunned by
what I saw: the Associated Press had what I saw: the Associated Press had
cropped me out of the photo it used cropped me out of the photo it used
for its article, and it had failed to even for its article, and it had failed to even
mention my presence at the press mention my presence at the press
conference in the text. conference in the text.
I had come to Davos to tell the I had come to Davos to tell the
brutal story of what the climate brutal story of what the climate
crisis is doing to Africa already. It crisis is doing to Africa already. It
felt like in cropping me out of the felt like in cropping me out of the
picture, the Associated Press had picture, the Associated Press had
cropped a whole continent out of the cropped a whole continent out of the
conversation.conversation.
The Associated Press has since The Associated Press has since
apologized several times. It told apologized several times. It told
me last October how that incident me last October how that incident
had led to big changes inside the had led to big changes inside the
organization and in how it covers organization and in how it covers
the climate crisis. Last month in the climate crisis. Last month in
Davos, I took part in a Davos, I took part in a
live conversation with live conversation with
the Associated Press, the Associated Press,
discussing how global discussing how global
media outlets can better media outlets can better
cover climate cover climate stories stories
from the global south.from the global south.
The story of that The story of that
photograph went viral, photograph went viral,
and while it shouldn’t and while it shouldn’t
have happened that way, have happened that way,
more people became more people became
interested in what I had interested in what I had
to say. There now seems to say. There now seems
to be interest from the to be interest from the
media in my opinions on media in my opinions on
different topics different topics. But that. But that
incident was refl ective incident was refl ective
of a world that has still of a world that has still
not properly woken up not properly woken up
to the climate crisis, to the climate crisis,
and especially not to the and especially not to the
suffering it is already suffering it is already
causing in Africa and other most-causing in Africa and other most-
affected areas.affected areas.
It is my hope that I can keep It is my hope that I can keep
lending my voice to these voiceless lending my voice to these voiceless
victims. And I will continue to use victims. And I will continue to use
my profi le to pressure governments, my profi le to pressure governments,
companies, and investors to provide companies, and investors to provide
funding to help the world’s most funding to help the world’s most
vulnerable communities deal with the vulnerable communities deal with the
climate losses and damages we are climate losses and damages we are
already experiencing.already experiencing.I LOOKED IN WONDERMENT AT THE MOON, WHICH WAS ILLUMINATING MOON, WHICH WAS ILLUMINATING THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS IN SILVERTHE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS IN SILVER