This December, world leaders will meet in Paris for the COP21 Climate Summit to try and finalize a new international climate treaty. The summit will be a major event, arguably the most important meeting on climate change since the failed Copenhagen talks in 2009, and likely the last major meeting of world leaders on climate change for at least the next few years.
At 350.org, we see the climate summit as an opportunity to send a signal that the world is moving rapidly and irreversibly away from fossil fuels. We already know that the treaty won’t do enough to “solve” the climate crisis: the outcome will, at best, be a framework to facilitate action, not a legally binding treaty that necessitates deep emission reductions. But the treaty can still be a significant step forward by setting a goal of decarbonizing the world economy and mobilizing the finance necessary to help poorer nations adapt to transition the economies to renewable energy while adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change.
The talks are as much a political moment as they are a policy moment. We’re confident that we have a strategy to take full advantage of this unique opportunity and help shape not only the treaty, but the work that follows. We’ve laid out one of our most ambitious campaign plans yet — a series of escalating events and mobilizations that will involve millions of people around the world. None of it would be possible without your continued engagement and support. Many thanks for joining us on this journey!
Here are the major moments that 350.org is planning:
September 10 Broadcast: We’re planning an event with Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and other movement leaders to lay out a vision of how we can turn off the fossil fuel industry and turn on a just, 100% renewable energy future. We’ll host the event in New York City and feature content and speakers from around the world.
September 26 Workshops: We’ll encourage our members and allies around the world to organize meetups, workshops, and house parties to talk about how their communities can stand up to the fossil fuel industry, divest their public institutions, and support a just, renewable energy future.
Nov 28-29th March and Mobilization: We’re working with hundreds of allies to pull off a major march in Paris and distributed actions in other major cities across the globe. We’ve got great staff on the ground in Paris who are plugging into organizing efforts there. Globally, 350.org will focus our efforts on coordinating thousands of distributed events, encouraging our supporters around the world to organize marches, protests, and actions.
Throughout the two-weeks of the talks, we’ll be working on various proactive and rapid response efforts. We’re looking at organizing a big fossil fuel divestment event, a variety of actions, and are partnering on a concert with Thom Yorke, Patti Smith and others. Our key priorities are pushing for a strong long-term goal coupled with short-term action, more ambitious emissions reductions and finance commitments, and a meaningful framework for the agreement.
December 12th Action: 350.org is also working with partners to organize a big, escalated action in Paris on December 12th. We want to show that no matter what world leaders decide (or don’t), the climate movement is going to move the world away from fossil fuels. We want to show that the power is really in the hands of the people — and that the people are moving forward, no matter what.
Throughout all this, we’re going to keep ramping up our divestment campaign, urging institutions to make divestment for Paris; keep pushing the narrative of keeping carbon in the ground, while challenging fossil fuel projects; and highlighting the unjust impacts of climate change around the world. In the US, we’ll also be responding to a potential decision on Keystone XL; keeping up our fight against fracking and other extreme energy; working with partners like Greenpeace to stop Arctic drilling; supporting the implementation of the Clean Power Plan; and preparing for the 2016 elections.
Thanks again for your loyal support to help make all this work possible!
– Jamie Henn, Strategy and Communications Director and Co-Founder