EarthAction

Organizations Nominated to Support the 2020 Emission Reduction Campaign

Below is the latest Climate Scorecard Spotlight Report.

 

For Climate Scorecard Report #17 we asked our Country Managers to provide a list of organizations in their countries that might help support our 2020 Campaign.

Read the Report

Over the next several months we hope to explore whether the organizations listed in this report, as well as others, are interested in supporting the 2020 Campaign.

 

We also welcome expressions of interest by other organizations in participating or organizing such a Coalition. Please send expressions of interest to Marisa@climatescorecard.org.

 

Climate change is real, and what governments do matters.

 

2020 Emission Reduction Campaign

 

Our Campaign is directed at getting governments to set new urgently needed short-term and long-term emission reduction targets. Learn More

 

Donate Today!

Every donation helps our work.

 

Our global, grassroots organization relies on the support of other committed individuals.

 

Learn More about Climate Scorecard Here

Take Part in the Global Week of Action for Peace, the Climate, SDGs and Nuclear Abolition

The week of Sep 21-27 includes the UN International Day for Peace (September 21), UN Climate Summit (September 23),  UN Summit on SDGs (September 24-25) and the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (September 26).

Together these dates comprise a Global week of action on peace, climate, SDGs and nuclear abolition. Governments, parliaments and civil society are encouraged to take action on any of these days, and to highlight the connections between these key global issues in their action. 

Abolition 2000 has established a working group to promote the week and build cooperation beween peace, climate action, development and disarmament communities.

Sep 21: International Day for Peace

The theme for UN International Day for Peace this year is Climate Action for Peace. 

• Civil society organisations around the world are taking action on this day. List your peace event at Peace One Day.
   
• The United Nations will commemorate the day with a Student Peace Observance at UN Headquarters in New York on 20 September 2019 from 9am.Watch the event live on webtv.un.org.
   
• Peace One Day will hold a major commemoration event with civil society leaders and celebrities in London on September 21. The event will be livestreamed. Click here for information.

September 23: UN Climate Summit

July 2019: Hottest month ever: The earth is already heating up. According to the World Meteorological Organization July 2019 matched, and maybe broke, the record for the hottest month since analysis began.

There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society. To boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will host the 2019 Climate Action Summit on 23 September. 

Actions: 
a) Call on your government to commit in New York to deeper reductions in carbon emissions, a faster transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, and reductions in military budgets in order to fund climate protection.
b) Take action yourself to reduce your carbon footprint and reverse climate change. For more ideas see the Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World. 

Youth Climate Summit: 
The Youth Climate Summit, which will also take place on September 23, will involve youth leaders (18-29 years) sharing visions, campaigns and innovative ideas for reversing climate change.

September 24-25: Summit on Sustainable Development

On 24 and 25 September, Heads of State and Government will gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the SDG Summit 2019 to follow up and comprehensively review progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Action: Call on your government to highlight at the SDG Summit the importance of peace and demilitarisation in achieving the SDGs, and support the proposal of Kazakhstan that all countries redirect 1% of their military budget to the SDGs.

September 26: Nuclear Abolition Day

September 26 is the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. 

• UN event. The UN will hold a High-Level Meeting of government leaders to commemorate the day. NGOs can participate as observors with 2 NGO representatives invited to address the high-level meeting. To register click here (registration deadline is August 23). 
   
• Other events: Parliamentarians, religious groups and other civil society organisations are encouraged to commemorate the day with actions and events. UNFOLD ZERO is hosting a platform for listing events and promoting the day. Contact UNFOLD ZERO to list your event. 

Suggested actions:
a) Encourage your Prime Minister/President to attend the Sep 26 UN High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and to use this occasion to call on all States to never launch a nuclear war, and to negotiate for the complete abolition and elimination of nuclear weapons;
b) Organise a screening of ‘The Man who saved the World’ or other action for Nuclear Abolition Day.

Taken from Basel Peace Office. Learn more here.

2020 Climate Change Emission Reduction Targets Campaign

The case for strong government action to combat climate change is becoming clearer each day. Extreme weather, rising seas, forest fires, pollution, and droughts are on the increase, serving as a dark reminder of the growing threat that climate change poses to the well-being of our planet. The recent report of the scientific Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change provides the data that tells us there is little time left and that we have to act soon.

While much admirable work is being done to address climate change at the sub-national level (e.g. by cities, states, the business and faith communities and others), little is being done by national governments.

 

Yet, a strong body of evidence exists that points to the need for efforts at the national level to lead and support what other groups are doing at the sub-national level. Every significant industrial and technological advance throughout history has required the support of government.

 

The 2020 Climate Change Campaign is directed at getting governments to set new urgently needed short-term and long-term emission reduction targets.

 

The short-term target is to strengthen pledges to the Paris Agreement by 2020 that aim at having countries be 1.5 degrees Celsius compliant by 2030. The long-term target is for countries to pledge by 2020 to be carbon-neutral by 2050, if not sooner.

 

Climate Scorecard, an international NGO, is coordinating this Campaign.

 

A list of recommended policies for strengthening Paris Agreement pledges for leading greenhouse gas emitting countries can be found in our Global Report #16.

 

Climate Scorecard urges existing and new country level climate coalitions and groups to join this campaign, advocate for their governments to agree to these two targets and put forward policies that governments can use to reach these targets.

 

If your organization is working towards either one of our two goals and wants to join our campaign please let us know by emailing Marisa Young: Marisa@climatescorecard.org.

 

Please tell us what you are doing. We will publicize your efforts and promote the campaign at a global level through our social media and print platforms.

 

Read more at Climate Scorecard

This is so important

 

Harrison Ford at the 2019 Global Climate Action Summit

Ethiopia plants 350m trees in a day to help tackle climate crisis

National ‘green legacy’ initiative aims to reduce environmental degradation

About 350m trees have been planted in a single day in Ethiopia, according to a government minister.

The planting is part of a national “green legacy” initiative to grow 4bn trees in the country this summer by encouraging every citizen to plant at least 40 seedlings. Public offices have reportedly been shut down in order for civil servants to take part.

The project aims to tackle the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country. According to the UN, Ethiopia’s forest coverage was just 4% in the 2000s, down from 35% a century earlier.

 

Ethiopia’s minister of innovation and technology, Dr Getahun Mekuria, tweeted estimates of the number of trees planted throughout the day. By early evening on Monday, he put the number at 353m.

The previous world record for the most trees planted in one day stood at 50m, held by India since 2016.

Lord of the Rain: one man's fight against climate catastrophe – video

Dr Dan Ridley-Ellis, the head of the centre for wood science and technology at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Trees not only help mitigate climate change by absorbing the carbon dioxide in the air, but they also have huge benefits in combating desertification and land degradation, particularly in arid countries. They also provide food, shelter, fuel, fodder, medicine, materials and protection of the water supply.

“This truly impressive feat is not just the simple planting of trees, but part of a huge and complicated challenge to take account of the short- and long-term needs of both the trees and the people. The forester’s mantra ‘the right tree in the right place’ increasingly needs to consider the effects of climate change, as well as the ecological, social, cultural and economic dimension.”

Written by Anna Ploszajski. Originally appeared in The Guardian on 7/29/2019

Recommendations To Help Countries Make Paris Agreement Pledges That Are 1.5 Degrees Compliant

 

Below is the latest Climate Scorecard Spotlight Report.

 

For this report, we asked our country managers to provide a short-list of policy recommendations that their countries can follow to decrease the temperature of the planet and ensure 1.5 degree compliancy.

READ THE REPORT

 

We hope that these recommendations gain traction with NGOs, research organizations and the private sector who are in a position to advocate for their countries to strengthen their Paris Agreement pledge. 

 

Under the terms of the Agreement, countries are encouraged to strengthen the ambition of their 2015 pledge by 2020. 

 

We urge our readers and followers to review the policy recommendations in this Report. Adapt them, share with others, and give us feedback on how they can be improved. 

 

Climate change is real, and what governments do matters.

 

BECOME A PARTNER
We must save the Paris Agreement!

 

Our campaign is focused on raising public awareness and putting public pressure on leading greenhouse gas emitting countries. Learn More.

 

DONATE TODAY!

Every donation helps our work.

 

Our global, grassroots organization relies on the support of other committed individuals. Learn More

New Name | Same Mission

Over six years of working across the globe to fight wildlife crime through our intelligence-led approach to conservation, it has become clear that Elephant Actions League’s scope of work has expanded well beyond its name. As we continue to broaden that scope, we need a name that better reflects what we do and will do in the field. Therefore, we are excited to announce that Elephant Action League will now be EARTH LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL.
 
We are so grateful to the world’s elephants and how far these incredible creatures have taken us in only six years. Our investigative work on international ivory trafficking, from our landmark research on links between ivory trafficking and the Somali group al-Shabaab, to our undercover investigation on ivory trafficking in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam, published in the report “Blending Ivory" and featured in the Leonardo DiCaprio executive produced Netflix documentary The Ivory Game, has allowed us to hone our approach, build a world-wide team and informant network, and expand our operations.

These beginnings propelled us to many important operations and investigative activities around the world, including the first undercover investigation on rhino horn trafficking in China and Vietnam, jaguar trafficking in Latin America, and our seminal work to help save the vaquita through our investigation into the totoaba trade from Mexico to China, originally published in the report “Operation Fake Gold” and featured in the upcoming documentary Sea of Shadows, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and distributed by National Geographic.

that we have many more exciting projects and operations ahead of us, some working along side a number of important partners, we feel that the name Earth League International will help our supporters better understand our approach to protecting and fighting for wildlife and wild spaces, our ideas, and our potential.  
 
Earth League International’s mission will continue to be the protection of wildlife, oceans, and forests through intelligence and investigative operations, and cooperation with key government agencies around the world. This means continuing to operate at the nexus of civil society and law enforcement – bridging the resource, knowledge, and priority gaps exhibited by many government and law enforcement agencies around environmental crime.

Earth League International team will continue to manage WildLeaks, the world's first whistleblowing initiative dedicated to environmental crime. And, finally, we will launch international campaigns, educational programs, and media projects, in collaboration with other organizations and professionals, in line with our mission.
 
Thank you for having followed and supported us thus far. We hope you will help Earth League International become a strong, independent global player in the defense of Earth and nature against crime, greed, corruption, and overexploitation.

From Earth League International. Read more here.

Renewables 2019 Global Status Report: Now Available!

RN: Use the searchable microsite to access the report

• Read the press release in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.
• Use figures and infographics to tell the story                                                            

PARTICIPATE: Join us at an event: 

• Overcoming Africa´s Energy Access Gap: Strategic Priorities for Scaling up Renewables (Addis Ababa) 19 June
• EU Sustainable Energy Week (Brussels) 19 June
• 7th International Symposium on Environment & Energy Finance Issues (Paris) 2 July 

Or via a webinar:

• The Global Renewable Energy Transition: Who is leading?: two webinars with a focus on Europe (18 June) and Asia (19 June).
• Presenting: The Global Status Report of Renewables - REN21's 2019 GSR Report with a focus on the role of solar (26 June)                           

DISCOVER: Our new logo and website.
                                                                              
ENGAGE: We love to hear what you think about our new Renewables 2019 Global Status Report. Please tweet with the #GSR2019 hashtag and tag us (@ren21) so we can share your content! 

From REN2. Read more here

Professor Sachs Speaks to Subcommittee on Environment

Jeffrey Sachs spoke to the U.S. Congress today about climate change. He speaks first. You can watch it above.

Plastic Pollution Deadline

We need to crank up the pressure against Nestlé's plastic pollution before April 11!

Tell Nestlé to protect communities and wildlife - ditch single-use plastic packaging today!

SIGN NOW

Can you believe that the world's largest food company has built its entire business model on throwaway packaging?

It makes me furious, but it's true. 98% of Nestlé's products are sold in single-use packaging.

We need Nestlé to make big changes this year and that means we need to crank up the pressure before the corporation's annual shareholder meeting in two weeks.

ADD YOU NAME to demand Nestlé make real commitments to protect our oceans and communities by phasing out single-use plastic packaging! We need hundreds of thousands of signatures before April 11 to make Nestlé feel the heat.

There is no time to lose. Have you heard that every minute a truckload of plastic enters the oceans? Corporations - starting with Nestlé - must reverse their tie of plastic pollution or even more communities, whales, sea turtles and birds will suffer.

I know people-power can force Nestlé to go from pollution to solutions. How?

• We're building off your successes. Some of the biggest food service and supermarket companies are stepping away from plastics and that will put pressure on corporations like Nestlé.
• Nestlé is already feeling the heat. Because millions of people like you have already spoken out. Nestlé has finally acknowledged that recycling alone won't solve the plastic pollution crisis. Now it's up to you to make sure Nestlé goes beyond greenwashing and makes real commitments to phase out single-use plastic. It knows its reputation is at stake.
• We're building a global movement. Millions of people, and dozens of organizations, from every continent, are posed to take creative action calling out Nestlé. That is a force that cannot be ignored!

But for your voice to have the biggest impact, I need you to speak out right now before Nestlé's Annual General Meeting for shareholders on April 11. This is the most important day of the year, and our biggest chance to expose its massic plastic pollution.

Sign the petition to Nestlé today!

By taking action today, you will help change history. Nestlé is such a big corporation that commitments to phasing out single-use plastic will shift the entire industry.

You can make Nestlé - and other mega-corporations - see that breaking free from plastic isn't a passing trend, but a movement that won't stop until we have a circular economy based on reuse, instead of waste. It won't happen unless you start taking action right now.

Thanks for all you do,

Annie Leonard

Executive Director, Greenpeace USA

P.S. Nestlé's Annual General Meeting for shareholders is April 11. This is the perfect time to crank up the pressure on Nestlé. Sign the petition to demand Nestlé immediately move toward phasing out single-use plastics and embracing systems of refill and reuse.

Learn more at Greenpeace