2000-2019 Climate Change: The Paris Agreement
Winnie D’eath, Senior Communication Adviser at WWF International
Judge's comment
"This was a historic landmark agreement: one that saw virtually every country in the world agree to take real, enforceable action to combat climate change.
With a treaty anticipated at the COP 21 in 2015, this was a pivotal year for climate communication. From Earth Hour in March to Earth Day in April public momentum was building. The Climate Action Network (coordinating over 1800 non-governmental organisations in over 130 countries) ensured there was consistent messaging in the run-up to the UN Conference. A Global Climate March took place in many cities around the world on 29 November 2015, the day before the opening of the UN Conference with more than 2,000 events in 175 different countries. The terror attacks earlier in November, prompted French authorities to cancel the march in Paris. A new approach was needed, and Pope Francis and Ban Ki-moon were among hundreds of people to donate 10,000 pairs of shoes to an installation that represented the people who could not march!
Misinformation on the issue of climate change is wide-spread and it was vital a coherent, consistent, and ‘hopeful’ message was heard around the globe. The Paris Agreement was a vital step in tackling climate change.
Explaining the scale of the climate crisis is important, but it can seem overwhelming, leading people to lose interest and tune out. However, without a concerned public, government and business are unlikely to act."
Public Relations Work
Objectives: Creating public momentum and consensus on the topic of climate change and the urgency to act
Target Audience: Decisionmakers, environmental organisations, and the general public worldwide
Key messages: Climate change is a pressing issue that requires immediate action. COP21 is the perfect opportunity to finally agree on what needs to be done.
Strategies and Tactics: A central idea of this campaign was that civil society should take the centre stage in climate-related discussions. Major themes also included unity in demands for action against climate change around the world and the importance of international solidarity with more vulnerable countries.
Tools and Channels: Civil society groups were brought together by groups such as the Climate Action Network, which intensified its communication and outreach activities in the run-up to COP21 and united over 950 NGOs in more than 110 countries. Coordinated worldwide public demonstrations were at the forefront of the campaign as they helped build the narrative of a global civil society calling for change, with one example being the Global Climate March on 29 November 2015. This campaign was also notable for its important use of social media in creating public momentum.
Implementation: COP21 was held in Paris from 30 November to 12 December 2015.
Results: The issue of climate change went through an unprecedented politicisation, with COP21 leading to a historical agreement on limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 °C.
Source:
Lifegate.com
Britannica
The Conversation
Diplomatie
Wikiwand