The Drumbeat for Climate Action Grows

The appetite is all but gone for hearing more about our frightening global forecast and who’s at fault for it. The more time the environmental and sustainability movement spends sharing solutions, the more mainstream these choices will have the chance of becoming. As those involved in the global negotiations for a climate treaty approach this December’s meeting in Peru, the milestone events during Climate Week in New York have provided two main reasons for optimism. First, a series of actions taken by the public and private sectors, and second the 400,000 people marching in the streets. Collectively, participants sent a clear and powerful message: it’s time for action, and leaders will be rewarded.

While signing a global treaty in Paris next year remains an important goal, many are now looking beyond the treaty for solutions. This growing drumbeat of action across sectors is in response not just to the amount of carbon pollution in the atmosphere. Many stakeholders are now acting because they see that the global competitive landscape and marketplace is rapidly changing due to the many connected issues of energy security, food security, water security, disaster risk, and our current unsustainable approach to managing other essential resources.

Climate change is an undercurrent to all these issues, and if these important issues inspire action that benefits the environment – that’s a good thing and should be celebrated.

Country action:

• China, the global leader in carbon pollution, committed for the first time to capping its carbon emissions “as early as possible”—with a specific timeframe expected in 2015. As Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli said, “we are doing it for our own sake.”

• The European Union Commission approved a plan to cut EU carbon pollution by 40% in the next 15 years.

• Mexico pledged that one-third of its electricity generation will be based on renewable energy within the next five years.

Company action:

• Building on a recent pledge to eliminate deforestation in its palm oil trade, Cargill pledged to cut deforestation across other commodities it deals in, including soy, sugar, beef and cocoa.

• Mars, Swiss Re, IKEA and Nestle committed to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2020.

Cross-sector action:

• A global call for a price on carbon, organized by the World Bank, was signed by 73 countries, including China, 11 states and provinces, 11 cities, and over 1,000 companies and investors, including Shell, Dow Chemical, Rio Tinto, and others. The countries and states represent roughly half of both global GDP and total carbon pollution.