‘A threat maybe even graver than the White Walkers’

Winter is coming and Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau really wants people to start taking climate change seriously.

Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime Lannister in the addictive HBO series, also happens to be a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador and passionate advocate for climate action. 

The 47-year-old spoke at Mashable‘s 2017 on Sunday to discuss the importance of fighting climate change and how it relates to the hit show.

Coster-Waldau told Mashable’s Executive Editor, Jessica Coen, that not only is climate change an issue he’s seen impact some of his most beloved places around the world, but one he’s reminded of whenever working in the icy world portrayed in Game of Thrones.

When Coen brought up the popular fan theory that Game of Thrones is an allegory for climate change, Coster-Waldau said, “I don’t know if George R.R. Martin thought of it when he started writing this 20 years ago but it’s quite obvious that we’re facing a threat maybe even graver than the White Walkers.”

The actor has seen devastating effects of climate change in his wife’s home in Greenland, where icy grounds have seen unprecedented melting in recent years. “She was back a few years ago and she called me and was actually in tears,” he explained. “She said, ‘There’s no ice.’ So, of course, it changes a way of life.”

“If we don’t deal with climate change, all bets are off.”

Climate change concerns have been especially high since President Donald Trump removed America from the Paris Agreement — the core treaty that commits nations to tackling global warming — back in June 2017.

As it currently stands, the United States is one of just three countries to have rejected the agreement, but in Coster-Waldau’s mind the consequences of ignoring climate change are far too dangerous to risk. “If we don’t deal with climate change, all bets are off,” he said.

As a Goodwill Ambassador to the UNDP, Coster-Waldau hopes to do his part to keep the world safe for his two daughters and future generations. “It’s up to each and every one of us to make an impact,” he said.

About Social Good Summit

The intersection of technology and new media has redefined our understanding of human progress. In the midst of this rapidly changing world, the Social Good Summit focuses on where we’re headed. Held annually during the United Nations General Assembly week, the Summit unites a lively community of global citizens and progressive thought leaders around a common theme: #2030NOW. A dynamic exploration of the world we want to live in by 2030, the Social Good Summit will focus on how we can unlock technology’s potential to make the world a better place.

This year’s summit is brought to you by Mashable, the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations Development Programme, and the 92nd Street Y. For complete event details, visit socialgoodsummit.com.