Here’s the situation
This is who we are:
We are already a diverse and powerful movement: people, professionals, organizations, companies, and governments.
We research the science, educate and protest, and develop and implement solutions, and yet the largest, life-threatening, long-term crisis the world has ever known is still, at best, a secondary issue for most people, companies, and governments.
Yet, here we are. On the cusp of unacceptable failure.
And if you are asking whether there is something we can do to break through the inertia, the answer is “Yes, there is.”
There are three distinct and interconnected parts to building a stronger, unstoppable movement:
This website outlines the steps and opportunities to transform our current climate movement into an unstoppable social movement.If you are active in the climate movement, you are the intended audience, and hopefully an ally and collaborator.
This is what we need to do:
Everything rests upon there being a strong social mandate to support leadership and action. Every government policy, plan and program; every coporate policy and product will fail without consumer and support.
The bottom line is we’ve been building an environmental movement when we need to build a social movement. When 95% of the public doesn’t see climate change as a priority until it bites them in the ass, we need to find better ways of connecting with people where they live.
Strategically, this realization marks a radical shift in our approach to fighting climate change. Pragmatically, it means finding ways to connect climate solutions with social and individual benefit .
Our theory of change starts with people, finds solutions that fit social needs and desires, and builds the leadership and pathways to make them happen.
Here’s how we can do it:
This site has four key sections, eached aimed at a target audience within the climate movement:
Theory: those whose expertise lies in change theory.
Strategy: people engaged in policy, program, product, and pathways.
Creativity: people who design campaigns, programs and media to engage the public and promote solutions.
Action: people who are looking for ideas that will help engage their community.
Read them all: they are all connected, but concentrate on the your area of interest and expertise.
How do we make it happen?
No one owns a movement – it is influenced and shaped by participating organizations, thought leaders, and innovators, and public opinion. Which means we make it happen simply by making it happen and letting it evolve as we go. We already have a movement. Let’s make it better.
We will build an unstoppable movement when each of us, in our own way, finds a way to build on these ideas. All ideas and graphics on this site are free to use. They are intended as a starting point for your creativity. And if you have a bettter idea, bring it on! If not this, then what?
Finally, for all you are doing now, thank-you. Keep it up!
This site contains ideas you can adapt and use in your work to support climate leadership and action. All ideas and graphics are free to use under a Creative Commons 0 licence. They are ideas, nothing more. Feel free to adapt and adopt, and to suggest other ideas for a stronger climate movement.
Banner photos courtesy of Home – Climate Outreach.
