10 years since the People's Climate March - the lessons remain

Where Does the Time Go?

Ten years ago, the People's Climate March (PCM) hit the streets of New York City -- 450,000 people participated, including: Frontline communities, Union workers, Scientists, Parents, Oyster fishermen, CEOs, and even The United Nations Secretary General. This event marked the largest public mobilization on climate change ever. Five years later, this record was surpassed by Fridays for Future, but no one has matched it since 2019.

After the PCM, the members of the Mobilization Support Team (MST) - a group representing key organizing blocs of the March (unions, environmental justice advocates, greens, etc.) - debriefed on the event. A decade later, I am struck by how many of these insights remain relevant to our movement work today:

What Made the March Work:

1. Diverse Leadership: - The leadership of the march was diverse, representing a variety of sectors. - Individuals who engaged had a range of skills and backgrounds. - Representation from local, national, and global groups kept the march rooted in community and brought together parts of the movement that had not collaborated previously.

2. Rooted in Local Leadership and Experience: - The march was grounded in local efforts, leading to a better understanding of local politics and actions that would motivate people.

3. Combination of Strategies and Tactics: - We combined various methods to mobilize large numbers of people, including:  - Strong online and offline organizing  - Effective communications and media strategies  - Traditional coalition building and relational organizing.

4. Open Broad Message: - While some organizations insisted on specific policy demands, the broad message allowed most groups to focus on organizing. - This approach prevented us from getting bogged down in negotiations or concerns about alienating certain sectors.

5. Strong Vision and Commitment: - We maintained a clear vision for the march and remained committed to our goal of a “People’s Climate March.”

6. Location and Timing: - The march took place in areas affected by climate events, such as Sandy and Irene. - The experiences in the NY Metro area made climate change tangible for individuals and groups who might not typically consider it.

7. Open Source and Decentralized Work: - We employed open source and decentralized organizing, with strong coordination and aligned messaging from the center. - The clear messaging from the PCM brand ensured that the original vision of the march was present in the press and public discourse, while decentralized efforts allowed individual sectors to integrate their messages into the broader issue.

8. Continued Focus on Thinking Big: - We prioritized increasing numbers of people, organizations, and sectors involved.

What Held the March Back:

1. Jemez Principles: - The Jemez principles were not fully implemented or used as a guide for decision-making.

2. Representation from faith communities, students, youth, and people of color (especially African-American communities).

3. Improved and clearer communication among various parts of the PCM operation, including staff and partners.

4. Increased focus on organizing outside of NYC, would have boosted other events

Lessons Learned from PCM:

1. It is important to think big, even without relying on philanthropy.

2. Public mobilization opened political space, not only at the UN but also locally and nationally.

3. Connecting to local work is critical.

4. Establishing clear agreements among partners is essential.

5. Coordination poses challenges.

6. Every organizing effort matters; no single effort is more important than others.

7. Bottom-up and decentralized organizing can yield large numbers.

Why MST Worked:

1. High level of trust was established.

2. People were open and willing to step outside their comfort zones.

3. Everyone treated each other with respect and as equals.

4. Patience was maintained, and people listened to each other.

5. Agreements were made and mostly adhered to (e.g., Jemez principles).

6. There was alignment with the bigger goals and movement over individual organizations.

7. Larger, more resourced groups shared with those having fewer resources (funding, resources, staff, etc.).

8. Flexibility in decision-making and implementation was present.

9. There was a lack of individual, personal, or organizational egos.

Tools and Tactics to Improve Our Work:

1. Better conferencing and virtual meeting tools and processes.

2. Enhanced coordination and communication on the day of events.

3. Full-time, clearly dedicated staff.

4. Increased coordination and capacity-building through organizing and facilitation training.

5. Upfront retreats and time spent understanding and learning about one another.

6. Earlier and sustained engagement of labor.

Plus est en nous?

Read the full article for the Gordonstoun Record here.

As delegates from around the world gather in Dubai to attend COP28, Iain Keith, Executive Director of the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group (CECG) and former Gordonstoun student, contemplates our shared responsibility in tackling climate change, talks about the roots of his environmentalism and reflects on the impact of his Gordonstoun education.

From a very early age I was passionate about the environment. Perhaps it was those 3rd form expeds rambling through the rugged wilds of Wester Ross, the 5th form cruises with dolphins of the bow of Sea Spirit, or those IRU cold swims in the pristine waters of the Moray Firth.

Even in those days, I can recall thinking how much of our natural heritage was influenced by humans -- remains of highland crofts, Salmon Farming pens on the west coast, massive forestry commission projects. As remote as Northern Scotland can feel, its environment has been deeply shaped by its population over centuries (and vice versa!). As I left school and studied Environmental Science, I began to see that pattern playing out all over the world.

A great disservice has been done to humanity since the 1980s - when a fixation on individualism and 24/7 consumerism created a sense that we are all somehow separate from nature. Yet it is healthy ecosystems that give us water, soil, air, the very fundamentals that sustain all life on Earth, but today, according to the Earth Overshoot Commission, humanity is using nature 1.7 times faster than our planet’s biocapacity can regenerate, in short we are using our planet up quicker than it can repair itself.

Professor Johan Rockstrom describes nine planetary boundaries that we are dangerously close to, but one in particular is now in a state of emergency: our climate.

A lot of people have dismissed the framing of a climate emergency, they argue it causes doomerism and despair (not as much as losing your home in a forest fire/flood I would argue). Equally, emergencies tend to lead to laser focus, urgent response, and meticulous coordination, all of which are traits we now need based on the latest science of climate change. The question is what intention do you bring to a challenging scenario, and intention setting is something Gordonstoun knows well.

Plus est en vous - how many of us have faced adversity in our lives only to fall back on those memories of the time you pushed yourself just that little bit harder? You remembered there was "more inside you" and you pushed through. Humans, much like nature, can be incredibly resilient.

This doesn't mean there aren't challenges, and that young people today don't have a right to feel angry and anxious. Increasingly therapists and mental health workers are referring to Eco Anxiety, and the devastating research of the Lancet commission that polled 10,000 16-25 year olds in 10 countries and found: “More than 45% of respondents said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily life and functioning, and many reported a high number of negative thoughts about climate change (eg, 75% said that they think the future is frightening and 83% said that they think people have failed to take care of the planet)."

Many will look to COP28 in Dubai to governments to fix this problem, and whilst ultimately governments are the only institutions with the resources and mechanisms to drive the sort of widespread change we need, for a plethora of reasons they will fall short in Dubai. Instead we must take a view to 2025 - to Brazil, where 10 years on from the historic Paris Climate Agreement, countries will have to come back and offer improved carbon cutting commitments, and more money to help those countries that can't help themselves.

To make that happen will require an almighty and unprecedented mobilisation of all corners of society - not only in marches and activism, but in advocacy, public service, and leadership that thinks outside the box. And as a centre of education that was founded on breaking conventional moulds, Gordonstoun can be at the vanguard of that organising effort.

The school has already built the greenest classrooms in Scotland, as an example to all. And they will continue to build the next generation of leaders, rooted in community and public service. But there is more too that can be done. A climate curriculum could be a valuable offering for the next generation, so they can understand not just the crisis, but the opportunity too.

The international Summer School gives a chance to bring people from all over the world together for building community and connection. At a time when our world is increasingly polarised, Gordonstoun and its Round Square School partners can be a beacon of cross-cultural environmental exchange and collaboration. Finally, there's maybe the largest asset the school has - its alumni. Collectively, we can change policies in companies, run for office on climate platforms, we can write letters to decision makers, we can make films & music that inspire and motivate the masses, and we divest our funds from activities that are fueling planetary catastrophe.

The sacred oath between generations for centuries was you leave the world in better condition than you found it, those of us who are adults today are perilously close to breaking that oath. In the next 6 years we must cut carbon pollution in half. That is the challenge before us, and one that we must all collectively rise to. We already know there is more inside us but as we enter the mid-2020's perhaps a new motto might be in order? "Plus est en nous" – there is more in us -- because at the end of the day to change everything, it takes everyone, and a collective belief in possibility.

Interview With Ikea Foundation - Nov 2021

Click here to read my interview with the Ikea Foundation.

Farewell Avaaz

13 years ago, I walked into the office of a small but ambitious start up, with big visions for creating a better world for all living things, and more connected humanity. Today, the sun is setting on my Avaaz journey. 

On that autumnal day in 2006, I had no idea what was coming. I was 25 and thought I knew everything, but I had no idea what Avaaz would become, and if you’d told me then that it was possible to completely and utterly fall in love with your work and team I would have scoffed.

George W Bush was President, Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were killing thousands of innocent people and fueling western media narratives about a clash of civilizations, and Canada was the worst country in the world on climate change. Facebook was something only college kids could access and iPhones had not launched. But you could also feel something stirring in the air - the idea that global public opinion could be the world’s next superpower, was so ripe and pregnant with possibility. It felt right to be there.

It still does in many ways, and I'm proud of all we’ve achieved and that the Avaaz community today is leading the fight to save our internet and democracies from the threat of disinformation as well as supporting amazing climate activism globally. But for me, I've grown to be too comfortable, and with the world being where it is right now, this is no time to be in our comfort zones. 

And so, it's time to move on... to branch out and to look at our world, and the challenges and opportunities we face through new glasses. Next month - I'll be starting a new job as Director of the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group - a new effort to get funders and movement collaborating for 2020 which is a critical year for climate action. More on that to follow - but for those in Madrid, I'm happy to give you the download in person. 

For now though, I just want to express my heartfelt gratitude. For Ricken, Emma, Alice, and all the leaders who have mentored and coached me over the years. To the Avaaz teams, past, present, and future, you are exceptional people. For the members who made the whole thing possible. For all the amazing activists and organisations I've been fortunate enough to work with, learn from, and some of whom I'm lucky enough to count as friends. 

From the bottom of my heart. Thank you. I wouldn't be where I am today without your support.

Me, Avaaz and climate movement friends at COP 14 in Poznan, Poland, 2008.

Scotland’s Role? leadership options for the Scottish Government at COP26

In the face of an escalating climate emergency, a sixth extinction, and rising inequality, 2020 is a defining year for the world. The three main pillars of multilateralism aimed at solving the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and ending extreme poverty all face litmus test moments that could give us the political impetus needed to make the twenties the decade of delivery, or see efforts fall at the first hurdle. 

The Paris agreement was hailed as a turning point away from fossil fuels, but in the 5 years since, carbon emissions are still rising. We need an injection of speed into the low carbon race, and as a nation with a gold standard climate law, Scotland can be the pacesetter.  

Progress will be tricky to ascertain. Powerful activism from youth movements will mean COP26 will be expected to respond to the gravity of the science. But rising populism and a fraying of global bonds mean many governments will struggle in this task. And the US Presidential Election just 6 days before COP26 could make or break the multilateralism atmosphere in Glasgow. 

Given this backdrop we cannot expect one voice alone to carry the day -- there has to be room for a chorus of leaders from unique and diverse backgrounds. Voices that can authentically show that while challenges remain and more must be done, from boardrooms to town halls, and classrooms, the world is getting going on climate.

Such a dynamic role isn’t always possible given the formalities the COP Presidency. But given Scotland’s climate ambitions, and ability to convene, supporting and conducting this chorus could be a well calibrated leadership role for the Scottish Government.  

This would not be new. Every COP has had roles for alternative voices to the official COP President -- the UNFCCC has a rich history of hosts sharing responsibilities and roles. From Fiji and Germany co-hosting in 2017, to the ‘African COP’ in Durban, to the NAZCA Portal in Lima which gave stakeholders beyond official UN parties a platform to take climate action.

This is the challenge of COP26. To be clear-eyed about the distance left ahead, whilst ensuring the pace is increased - below are some options that could help make the Scottish Government a COP26 pacesetter. 

1. The North Star Observatory - Paris gave the world a Long Term Goal of Net Zero, but no clear deadline to get there, in Glasgow, the Scottish government can help make that North Star shine more brightly. Sharing its experience from national law, and working with the likes of the Carbon Neutrality Coalition, the Climate Vulnerable Forum, the Scottish government could host workshops in 2020 inviting stakeholders to come to Scotland and observe first hand how to chart the right policy course forward. If in Glasgow, 1.5 and Net Zero before 2050, become the de facto leadership criterions of a new high ambition coalition of governments, businesses, and leaders -- it can send a powerful signal to the world about how to adequately benchmark climate ambition. Currently the Carbon Neutrality Coalition is chaired by New Zealand, and a joint advocacy effort by Prime Minister Ardern and First Minister Sturgeon could prove incredibly effective.  

2. The Glasgow Nature Pact - in 2019 there’s been a massive upswell of interest on the biodiversity crisis and the role of nature as a solution to climate change. In 2020 via new commitments and mechanisms to protect nature -- the IUCN in June, COP15 of the CBD in China, etc -- there’s a chance to fuse together a new movement of indigenous peoples, countries, and non-state actors, to push the boundaries of possibility in the climate/nature spaces. One option for the Scottish government, who are already committed to ambitious Biodiversity targets, could be to use COP26 as a moment to ensure that Nature's role is understood, championed, and real. To achieve this, the government could spearhead a “Glasgow Nature Pact”. A new mechanism which socialises the importance of nature within the UNFCCC space, and add much needed definition to what constitutes a real “Nature Based solution” as opposed to an emissions accounting trick. A Glasgow Nature Pact could be developed to carry and cement targets and learnings from the IUCN and CBD into the climate world. This could give the Scottish Government a role to play in engaging with key stakeholders in the Nature space, from biodiverse countries and indigenous peoples, to land use industries. It could also make sense for Scotland to offer to host the Pre-Cop of the Convention of Biodiversity ahead of CBD COP15 in China in October. That way, the Scottish government would have a critical role to play in brokering this important space between two key UN conventions.       

3. The New Lanark Just Transition Fund - Show don’t tell is a basic principle of creative writing. As the world moves to a Zero Carbon economy, climate advocates are writers of a future vision for the world, but we aren’t yet skilled at showing people what that future means to them. And if people can’t see how they will be included in the transition, they will reject it. That is why from Chile to France we’re seeing mass protests when governments grapple with climate action which doesn’t meet people where they are. But it is here that Scotland’s historic and current experience of transitions can give it a unique role in highlighting a different path. 28 miles south of Glasgow is the village of New Lanark which was built at the height of the industrial revolution. A UNESCO world heritage site, 200 years ago, the village offered the world a different vision of the industrial revolution, one where workers were valued beyond output and where groundbreaking policies and principles were born. From banning child labor, to creches for working mothers, and trade unions, many of the protections we have today in the workplace can be traced back to New Lanark. And that spirit is still present in Scotland today. It’s one of the few countries in the world with a Just Transition Commission that helps the government ensure the move to a Net Zero economy that is inclusive and follows the ILO’s just transition principles. This gives Scotland the legitimacy to work with the ILO, trade unions, other leading Just Transition countries such as Spain, and philanthropists to create a New Lanark Just Transition Fund. The Funds aim would be spread principles on the Just Transition globally, pull out and showcase the best learnings for the world, and arm the next generation of policy makers with the policies that deliver Net Zero, with the maximum support of citizens. 

Regardless of what happens with politics in London, or indeed Washington, many citizens around the world will be looking to Scotland to show there’s still reasons to hope on climate change. And from engaging the insurance industry and the financial sector, to offering platforms for the voices of young people, there are many ways Scotland’s government can show the world we’ve not lost yet.

China can help avert an extinction crisis

This oped was first published in China Dialogue and can be read here: https://www.chinadialogue.net/blog/10942-China-can-help-avert-an-extinction-crisis/en

Earth’s biodiversity is under dire threat. The way we live our lives and treat other animals has thrown ecosystems out of balance, creating a problem so severe that scientists warn two-thirds of wild animals will have vanished by 2020.

Rather than living in harmony with nature, we are destroying the web of life that sustains all species, including our own. Preventing the collapse in biodiversity and our own extinction requires political leaders to deliver an ambitious agreement for biodiversity similar to the one agreed for climate change in 2015.

Governments are currently meeting at the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Egypt. People from across the world are calling on their leaders to deliver a Paris climate style agreement for nature in time for the next major biodiversity summit in 2020. This will be held in Beijing, so Chinese diplomacy will be critical to guiding a successful outcome.

What to aim for

Top scientists agree that to avert the crisis in biodiversity we must restore and conserve half the earth by 2050, and sustainably manage the other half. Now, many are seeing this as a core element of any Beijing Nature Agreement.

The proposal is ambitious but viable; a recent study by Dinerstein et al. shows that roughly 15.5% of the world’s lands are currently under some form of protection, and another 31% are in a natural or semi-natural state. It is also popular. Over 1.7 million people have signed an Avaaz petition calling on governments to agree to it in 2020.

The goal will also be crucial to meeting the Paris Agreement’s high ambition target of staying below warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius. If we don’t act on land use, and restore forests and carbon sinks now, we’ll not meet it.

A Beijing Nature Agreement must offer support for countries rich in biodiversity but poor in the resources needed to respond to the crisis. The deal must protect the rights of indigenous groups and communities on the frontline of biodiversity loss and climate change, and engage businesses in ambitious, coherent and transparent actions. Finally, it must also incentivise governments to put in place policies that rebalance our relationship with nature by stopping destructive practices. At a minimum, there needs to be an end to harmful government subsidies and the use of toxic pesticides, and targets for zero net deforestation.

Rising to the challenge

Nature is sounding the alarm, people want to see an agreement, and scientists have offered a solution to this crisis. Now all that is needed is a torchbearer to rally political leaders for an ambitious 2020 outcome. One that can catalyse the actions from governments, citizens, and businesses that are needed to drive change not just in our ecosystems but our economic ones too.

It’s a tall order. For decades biodiversity has been neglected. The UN talks have received minimal engagement from environment ministers, let alone heads of government. But the pathway to Beijing could reverse that trend. China can be the political rainmaker for biodiversity, and it makes sense for it to do so.

China is taking huge strides to protect large swathes of land across the country through its creation of an ecological civilisation and network of ecological red lines. China is both one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet and a leader in using cutting-edge technologies to address climate change and environmental issues. It has a torch to carry that others can, and will, rally around.

The crisis in biodiversity is a failure of collective action, but the Paris Agreement shows that with the right diplomacy, countries can come together and agree to ambitious long-term change. France was a crucial torchbearer for the Paris climate deal through its efforts to inspire action and capture the world’s attention.

There is still time to avoid an irreversible collapse of the natural world. A 2020 Beijing Nature Agreement is a unique opportunity to provide a path for a global ecological civilisation to thrive, and China will be key to making it happen.

Davidson must tell May to help save the planet →

First published in the Scotsman as an oped: https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/iain-keith-davidson-must-tell-may-to-help-save-the-planet-1-4452125

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. So when Theresa May was snapped holding hands with Donald Trump at the White House it told a clear story – May intends for the UK to walk hand in hand with Trump’s America. But with the G7 leaders meeting this week, the question is, how far will May really follow Trump?

Two years ago, it was the G7 that laid the groundwork for the historic Paris climate agreement. Now Trump is trying to bully the world’s biggest economies to drop their ambition to phase out carbon pollution, which is the only way to stop climate catastrophe. Not content with gutting environmental protections in the US, he is brazenly threatening this landmark deal and our future.

Reassuringly, there is a massive global effort happening right now to isolate Trump and limit the damage of his climate broadside. One hundred countries, including China, India, Europe and even oil-rich Saudi Arabia, have spoken in defence of the deal and pledged to continue with or without the US.

The Conservative party just launched their manifesto vowing to step up their international leadership on climate. The first test of that leadership will be at the G7, where May faces a difficult political calculation – stand up to Trump on climate change or stay silent in the expectation of getting the UK a better trade deal post-Brexit. But there is a sliver of hope – Scotland can provide May with the clarity and courage she’ll need to take on America.

Scotland is fortunate enough to have cross-party consensus on climate action. But Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, is best positioned to change May’s mind. She’s called for more renewable energy and electric cars in Scotland, and, with the Conservatives hoping for a Scottish breakthrough in the election, right now she has the Prime Minister’s ear.

What better way to show Scotland that the Tories really have changed than for her to pick up the phone to the Prime Minister and call on her to firmly commit with the G7 next week to ambitious climate policies. Making that call would be an act of leadership, not just for Scotland, but for the world – not an opportunity that comes along often for a Scottish Tory.

This is one of those rare political moments when one person actually can make a world of difference. Germany, Italy, France and Canada – along with hundreds of businesses, cities and investors – are all trying to stop Mr Trump. So he’s hoping for May’s support to ensure he’s not completely isolated at the G7. Davidson can send a signal to May that letting Trump write the entire planet’s death warrant is not in the UK’s interests and certainly not in Scotland’s.

The Scottish people have made it very clear how they feel about the climate issue. Scotland is already a champion in clean energy, which is providing thousands of jobs, and 70 per cent of Scots want to see strong action on climate change.

If her past statements are to be believed, Davidson already knows this. She’s said that climate change is a threat to our economy, our environment and our prosperity. But the Conservatives in Scotland have said a lot of things that most Scots didn’t believe they would follow through on. If Davidson wants people’s votes, this is a perfect opportunity for her to put her words into action.

The overwhelming majority of countries recognise that responding to the climate crisis can invigorate their economies and reshape the landscape for a cleaner, greener future. The new Conservative manifesto vows to offer the international leadership needed, but the question remains whether May will bring that leadership to the G7 or pursue a hand in hand policy with President Trump to undermine that future. Millions around the world want the richest nations to recommit to the urgent action we need on climate. If Ruth Davidson is serious about leading in Scotland, she’ll speak out before Trump leads us by the hand towards global climate catastrophe.

Iain Keith, born in Aberdeen, is a Campaign Director with the global civic movement Avaaz. He has been shaping UN global climate negotiations for over a decade, and was one of the leaders behind the People’s Climate March, the single largest climate mobilisation in history.

Draft Paper for a UN Secretary General hosted Earth Summit in 2019

In 2014, Secretary-General Ban hosted a Climate Leadership Summit in New York. The aim was to put climate back on the radar of heads of state ahead of Paris. Leaders who were willing to make new commitments were invited to come and do so. The pull of world leaders in New York also made possible the largest single mass public mobilization on climate change -- the People’s Climate March -- creating a much needed sense of momentum. 

This paper suggests we repeat that formula, but with a broader base, to drive forward political leadership across three key agenda: climate, biodiversity and sustainable development. There is already an SDG summit planned with Head of State engagement, but a rebranding and expansion of that meeting could create an opportunity for greater media and public engagement.  

Specific goals of the summit would be: 

1. Establish a political environment that rewards and incentivizes leadership on short-term ambition for the Paris agreement. And create a platform where countries can tease their net zero plans and other UNFCCC commitments to build critical momentum ahead of 2020’s landmark UNFCCC meeting.

2. Make Biodiversity a Head of State issue and signal support for a post-Aichi regime with a Long-Term Goal for nature, building momentum ahead of the Convention on Biodiversity COP15.

3. Link two big crises with the solutions agenda of the SDGs, emphasizing the need to rapidly end extreme poverty without destroying our planet in the process, and creating space for governments to update the world on their progress towards those critical goals.

4. Bring world leaders to New York -- creating a media hook and public organising hook for the climate, SDG, and biodiversity agendas. 

2020 is a moment of convergence for climate, biodiversity, and Sustainable Development, all of which require public and political momentum behind them.   

The world now has 17 goals to drive forward an agenda of eliminating extreme poverty through sustainable development. The global goals, are incredibly valuable, but they are so far reaching, it will take serious political will to ensure they are all met.     

On climate, governments agreed in Paris to keep warming under 2 degrees, aspiring for 1.5 degrees -- but current plans would still allow warming of 2.7 degrees. By 2020, not only must leaders prepare plans for Net Zero emissions, they need to raise their short-term ambition to show how they’ll close this dangerous gap.

For biodiversity scientists have a bold plan -- to set aside half the planet for nature and stop the next mass extinction. It would protect more than 85% of species, and allow our oceans and forests to recover and regenerate. We need this ambitious new Long Term Goal for nature to capture public attention and inspires all stakeholders to protect precious ecosystems. The next global targets will be agreed in 2020, but there’s one big challenge, compared to climate and the SDGs: the biodiversity issue is less famous, so there’s less pressure on governments to deliver. 

All three issues need a moment -- something to galvanize champions, drive up ambition, and inspire the public to push their leaders further and faster. However, with negotiations promising to be very technical the next few years, such a moment is hard to come by -- unless we make it. That is why the world needs an Earth Summit.  

Could France and the UK score a climate win today?

The embattled leaders of two of Europe’s powerhouses are sitting down today. With current headlines dominated by scandals and political tit-for-tats, they each need something big and bold to help them emerge from this meeting with positive momentum for the months ahead, and a new alliance to pull Europe’s climate ambitions up by the bootstraps could be just the tonic.

British PM Cameron and French President Hollande are facing stiff opposition at home and flagging legacies. President Hollande has been embroiled in an affair scandal and has the lowest approval rating of any French president ever. And the UK PM is trying to fend off rebellions from his own party on immigration and other tricky issues. They’re also both suffering from climate change in action -- meteorologists have just said it’s the wettest January for 100 years in the UK, and large swathes of France and the UK have been underwater for weeks.

Both leaders, and many of their voters, understand the scientific evidence which points to an accelerating climate crisis. Last week, over 220,000 Avaaz members from the UK, France and elsewhere in Europe sent personal messages to Commission President Barroso, calling for an ambitious European climate plan, including a carbon reduction target of 50%, binding renewable energy targets, and new energy efficiency goals. The aim was to influence Europe’s climate ambitions from now until 2030.

Unfortunately the Commission published a white paper with just a 40% target. This number, the product of political jockeying in Brussels, and is even below what the Commission’s own analysis suggested would be the economically optimal goal for unleashing a wave of green technology and job creation.

But the Commission doesn't have the last word -- it’s now up to European governments to lock the EU’s climate commitments in the next eight weeks. Our best hope is that the three major players -- the UK, France and Germany -- treat the Commission’s proposal as a floor not a ceiling. So today’s meeting is a vital first step to securing that leadership, and Germany and France then meet on February 19th.

The UK and France have successfully worked together before -- the Channel Tunnel is a great example of what they can achieve when they put their minds to it -- and now it’s time to do so again. If we’re going to leave a world to our children and grandchildren without increasingly violent storms, disruption to food (and wine!) supply and rising sea levels, we need an ambitious agreement next time the world negotiates a global climate treaty, which just happens to be in Paris 2015. Today, if Cameron and Hollande seize their meeting to agree on 50% cuts for Europe, they can score a big climate win and set Paris up for success.

For one thing, the colors are much more distinct in SoHo. They’re brighter. Perhaps that’s a reflection on the people living here. But for many of the cast-iron buiildings that give SoHo it’s unmistakable character, the reason for their bright coloring is actually pretty obvious: whenever you construct anything from wrought iron, it’s going to look like, well, wrought iron.

So the colors of SoHo as they’re known, or at least as they ought to be known, the colors that are just a street photographers dream come true (where else can you find so many amazing backdrops?), are actually the result of many, many coats of bright paints. And they light up a photo in ways even a flash cannot.

Setting the bar at 350

It seems somewhat fitting to use Earth Day as a moment to plug a new climate movement. My friends over at Step it Up have recently launched a new endeavour: 350.org

So what’s it all about? A couple of weeks ago, the godfather of climate science James Hansen, released a new paper stating that we’ve grossly underestimated the “safe” level for concentrations of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Previously, we’d been working with levels identified in the IPCC’s fourth assessment report that figure was 450 parts per million (the percentage out of a million). It varies depending on who you speak to, but generally we’re aiming to keep the rate of warming below 2 degrees Celsius. This means limiting the concentration of Carbon between 450ppm and 550ppm. Hansen’s paper blows this out of the water, finding that this figure is actually more like 350ppm. The ramifications of this are clear, given that the current level is about 385ppm and most governments are struggling to meet any targets at all.

While most have spent the last couple of weeks debating over whether this target is possible, the good folks of Step It Up have embraced Hansen’s findings to launch an all new global movement, the aptly named 350.org. You see, while many doubt that the target is an achievable advocacy ask, 350.org are pushing ahead and using this number as a rallying call for people around the world. As Bill McKibben puts it:

"We’re planning an international campaign to unite the world around the number 350, and we need your help. We need to make sure that the solutions the world proposes to climate change are to scale with the level of crisis that this number represents. Everyone on earth, from the smallest village to the cushiest corner office, needs to know what 350 means. The movement to spread that number needs to be beautiful, creative, and unstoppable."

What we need most right now are on-the-ground examples for how to take the number 350 and drive it home: in art, in music, in political demonstrations, in any other way you can imagine. We hope this project will grow tremendously in the months to come, and it helps all the more if people can see the great things others are doing already. We will connect actions all around the world and make them add up to more than the sum of their parts-but we don’t have all the ideas and all the inspiration. We need you to act on yours".

They’ve set themselves a high bar. However, if anyone can do it they can. People were fairly critical of the targets they advocated for Step It Up 2007, and now those targets are firmly in the political mainstream thanks to the fact that Step It Up mobilised thousands of Americans to act at the grassroots level. They may not have the budget of Al Gore -- who has pledged $300 million on a multi media advocacy campaign -- but they have an uncanny knack for motivating large numbers of people in a sustained way that Earth Days and Live Earths cannot. I wish them the best of luck and will be following their progress closely.

UPDATE: Click here to watch 350.org's outstanding video on why the world needs to know about the number 350.

Taking climate off the shelf

So it's been a while since my last post, due to an incredibly busy month at Avaaz: campaigning on biofuels, winning awards, and breaking online petition records. However, today's news that the Wilkins Ice sheet is dangerously close collapse compelled me to take a minute to reflect on what this discovery means.

Ever since the IPCC published its Fourth Assessment Report, we’ve known that evidence for anthropogenic climate change is unequivocal and the need for combative action is immediate. Yet, over a year after the scientific section of this paper was published, there is still a gap between what the scientists say needs to be done and the political response. Not even the European Union, who have played a very active role in international climate politics, has got it right.

Today’s bombshell then, should have everyone worried. Essentially, the rate at which this ice shelf is breaking up is 50% faster than what scientists had predicted and, given that the IPCC is towards the more conservative end of scientific projections, this news suggests that we should be extremely worried about the impact timetables upon which we have based most of our calls to action. But, I wonder--can some good come out of this? Perhaps it will take an event like the collapse of the Wilkins Ice sheet for politicians to finally realise the urgency with which we must tackle this problem. I’m not convinced that this event will kick start the world’s politicians into action. However, what it may well do is announce to the world’s people that global warming has arrived. We already know that public concern over climate change is high, but this melting of a giant ice sheet could spur a critical mass of public concern which will no longer provide politicians with excuses for inaction.

Precision Politics from Palau

Two weeks ago, at a UN General Assembly special meeting on climate change, the small Pacific island state of Palau announced its intention to formally request the UN Security Council’s protection from climate change and rising sea-levels. Specifically, in the form of a Security Council Resolution calling for mandatory emissions reduction targets.  

It’s an incredibly smart move. The UNSC’s mandate is to maintain international peace and security, both of which will be under intense pressure as climatic impacts become more pronounced. Most of Palau lies barely above sea level (its highest point is slightly over 200m) making climate change a direct threat to this small nations physical and cultural existence. Could there be a clearer purpose for the UNSC than to protect the smaller nations of this world from annihilation? 

The Palauan UN Ambassador, Mr. Beck addressed the meeting: “It is the obligation of the Security Council to prevent an aggravation of the situation … Larger countries can build dikes, and move to higher ground. This is not feasible for the small island states who must simply stand by and watch their cultures vanish.” Fearing that the Resolution may get rejected the first time around,  he went on to urge other countries, “whose very existence is threatened, to utilize Article 34 of the Charter, which empowers each Member State to bring to the attention of the Security Council any issue which might lead to international friction.” He finished: “I think we can all agree that international friction is a mild term to describe the terrible plight in which the island nations now find themselves.” See the full text here.

The reality is that it is probably already too late for the 20,000 citizens of Palau and the other Pacific islands--as their governments stand before the world’s most powerful countries pleading for help, the wheels of devastating climate change are already in motion.  However, Palau’s UN mission is demonstrating a lesson in principles: how long can the world sit idly by as entire cultures vanish? Moreover, Palau is giving all small countries a course in precision politics: if you want to change the world; aim high. 

With luck, Palau’s call to action will trigger other low lying countries to take up the cause. It seems that their only hope is for global citizens and other low lying countries like Bangladesh and the Netherlands to join their call for a resolution. They certainly have my support.   

Things are looking up down under

I have to say it: Australia is rapidly moving up in my estimations. The nation that brought us Neighbours has accomplished some amazing things in the past 2 months--and I for one am impressed!

Back in December, the new PM Kevin Rudd announced his first task in office would be to ratify Kyoto; signalling a major shift in the geopolitical landscape of climate change. Granted, this symbolic gesture was not followed up with bold action--the Australian delegation to the UN climate negotiations in Bali was eerily silent throughout the conference's 2 week duration. In fairness though, the new administration only had about 3 weeks to prepare.

Then yesterday, the PM made an official apology to the “Stolen Generations”, victims of a government policy from 1910 to 1970 that took mixed-race children--mostly of Aboriginal mothers and European fathers--to orphanages, church missions or foster homes to be raised separately from their families and culture. Many claim the ultimate purpose was the extinction of Aborigines as a distinct race. It is unbelievable to think that such a policy operated in a democratic country until 1970. The apology is well overdue, but kudos to Mr. Rudd I can think of few politicians who have the guts to apologies for the atrocities of governments past, or present. As Getup! said in their recent email: “one small word; one giant leap forward”. I couldn’t agree more.

So that’s two enormous gold stars for Australia. Yet, there’s something else that inspired me to sing Australia’s praises, something that will probably go unnoticed in the rest of the world.

On recent trip to Oz I noticed an advert for Cooper’s beer (see image). Many companies are currently jumping on the green marketing bandwagon. Yet to date, climate conscious marketing tends to be either exclusive or head bashing; not targeting the masses, or activities thereof. What struck me about this ad was its simple and wholesome message--walking to the pub and drinking domestic beer not only reduces emissions; but decreases drink driving incidents, offsets extra calories from those couple of beers, and supports the domestic beer industry (**note: this is more appealing in a country like Australia that actually has good domestic beers).

Now, I don't think I would be going out on a limb to suggest that beer swigging males represent a pretty large section of society and that they are also a pretty carbon-intensive bunch. Simple advertising like this serves as a reminder to the climate movement that we needn't over complicate messaging. The best way to tackle this problem is to engage the masses with messages that have a point of common resonance, and what could be more homogeneous than beer? I’d love to see the numbers, but I suspect that a worldwide Ad campaign encouraging beer drinkers to walk to the pub and drink domestic brews, would result in a measurable emissions reductions.I'm not saying that we can avert a climate nightmare by drinking, but that mainstream marketing has to be the next step in public mobilisation. It's a lesson that Greenpeace seems to agree with and Cooper's has so effectively demonstrated.

So Australia, in two months you have re-joined global efforts to tackle climate change and apologised for the human rights abuses you inflicted upon your indigenous people. You have showed the world that political will and socially creative marketing can be a positive force for change and for that, I will raise my next pint to you.