September 3, 2018

Tens of thousands of people preparing for global climate mobilisation

Global – On the weekend of September 8 people in more than 80 countries will take part in over 630 actions under the banner of Rise for Climate to demonstrate the urgency of the climate crisis by emphasising the increasing impacts being experienced by frontline communities while simultaneously showcasing innovative community-led solutions to keep fossil fuels in the ground. There will be hundreds of events showcasing 100% renewable energy champions, communities standing up to fossil fuel extraction, and people challenging the decision-makers attending the Global Climate Summit in California on September 12 to deliver more ambitious commitments and accelerate their climate action.

The extreme weather we have experienced this year and the recent research on ‘hothouse earth’ shows that rapidly cutting carbon emissions by 2020 and limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C degrees gives us the best chance of mitigating the worst impacts of global warming and never finding out how greater temperature rise could cause a series of vital earth systems to break down. We expect the upcoming IPCC report, due to be published and signed off by governments in October, to encourage a rapid escalation of decarbonisation efforts in sync with the demands of the communities planning to Rise for Climate this weekend.

What: The largest ever climate march the US west coast has ever seen in San Francisco; groups in the UK and Germany pushing for more divestment; actions across major European cities with a major march planned with unions in Portugal and a flagship event in Kiev, Ukraine; women marches in several countries across Asia; the first ever virtual mobilisation in Asia and creative actions in Latin America; events across the Pacific islands and Africa including local renewable energy summits; leaders coming under fire for continuing to dig up fossil fuels, protests outside the UN climate talks in Thailand; swathes of town-hall actions; and banks coming under fire in Japan for financing fossil fuels.

Where: Distributed local actions in cities, towns, institutions, universities, and places of worship across more than 80 countries.

When: The weekend of September 8 is the main focus for the majority of actions including flagship events like the march in San Francisco but there will also be some actions taking place under the banner of Rise for Climate either side of this weekend.

Who: 348 Rise for Climate partner organisations are registered representing environmental groups; faith groups; social, racial and immigrant justice groups; unions; youth groups and many more.

Why: Decision-makers and government leaders have upcoming opportunities at the Global Climate Action Summit and COP24 to boost their commitments and get on track to slash carbon emissions by 2020. Rise for Climate will send them a clear message and show that local action is a powerful driving force in the fight against climate change and people power is a vital driver of rapid social change. There are already stories from people around the world explaining why they will Rise for Climate, from health benefits of keeping fossil fuels in the ground to boosting the resilience of a community by harnessing renewable energy systems, there are myriad motivations for people stepping up to take action this coming weekend.

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