For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day that takes place on April 22, the Rotary Club of Newport Beach along with the Green Chamber of Commerce and Climate Counts are launching what they believe is the most audacious goal ever: to have two billion individuals and companies around the world join in a Global Climate Pledge by 2022.
“It’s going to take a massive movement to change the curve with climate, just like we are attempting to do with COVID-19” says Michelle Thatcher, CEO of U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce.
According to information received from the Newport Beach Rotary Club, the Global Climate Pledge goal is to take an inclusive and ambitious approach, breaking boundaries and engaging billions of people around the world in climate action.
“One lesson that we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic is that solving a global crisis requires collective action that engages massive populations across nation states, businesses, governments, and individuals,” says Steve Bender, Charter President of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach. “Rotarians are used to taking on big challenges and this is the biggest one of our lifetimes.”
Unlike many environmental-related efforts, Bender says this movement shifts the focus from reiterating the problem to guiding individuals on how to act in order to be part of the solution.
“Climate change sounds overwhelming to most people and they don’t know where to begin which is why the Global Climate Pledge was created. This pledge highlights fun, simple, positive, and inspiring actions for us all to join in to protect the environment,” says Thatcher. “It is designed to engage far beyond the environmental choir. You don’t need to be an expert to start helping the planet, it starts with each of us.”
The Global Climate Pledge consists of an individual and organizational pledge, both of which can be taken online at the official website (www.GlobalClimatePledge.com). Besides pledging, it is also possible to become an ambassador partner in the NGO, community, government, organizational or another sector to help lead the charge.
The Global Climate Pledge was originally created through a collaboration by the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, Climate Counts and Rotary Club of Newport Beach, but many more global partners are needed to achieve the goal of two billion people by 2022.
“This is not ‘our’ movement. The Global Climate Pledge belongs to the world, just like Earth Day, which is why we are launching it now,” says Thatcher. “It gives us all a way to recognize the importance of this day internationally with our own individual commitment to the future.”
The Rotary Club of Newport Beach launched the Global Sustainability Challenge in 2019 to educate and challenge individuals to take action to help save our planet.
Visit GlobalSustainabilityChallenge.org to learn more.
