Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-hvd4g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-27T14:38:19.077Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

24 - Social Movements for Change

from Addressing Barriers io Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2021

By
Michael H. Smith
Edited by
Kenneth G. H. Baldwin ,
Mark Howden ,
Michael H. Smith ,
Karen Hussey  and
Peter J. Dawson
Kenneth G. H. Baldwin
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Mark Howden
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Michael H. Smith
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Karen Hussey
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Peter J. Dawson
Affiliation:
P. J. Dawson & Associates
Get access

Summary

A dynamic multi-stakeholder climate change social movement for climate action has formed that includes progressive institutional investors, business, civil society as well as with educators, students, youth and existing movements, such as the women’s, trade union, social justice, Indigenous and consumer protection movements. This bottom-up climate change social movement has played a critical role in building new partnerships and coalitions to create the political will for the Paris Climate Change Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals Agreement. This movement is now playing a critical role to provide bottom-up pressure on investors, businesses and governments to ensure the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals are prioritised and implemented. The chapter overviews the latest developments of this movement, and thereby provides an inspiring overview of how you and your business, organisation, government, or community group can partner and join existing cross-sectoral networks to share knowledge, and collectively take action to achieve the scale and speed of greenhouse gas emission reductions required.

Keywords

civil societycommunity justiceindigenousfaithhealthyouth networkscommunity
Type
Chapter
Information
Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free Economy
A Guide for Decision-Makers
 , pp. 646 - 667
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

350.org (n.d.). History. 350.org. Available at: https://350.org/about/#history.Google Scholar
Ambrose, J. (2019). World’s biggest sovereign wealth fund to ditch fossil fuels. The Guardian. 13 June. Available at: www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jun/12/worlds-biggest-sovereign-wealth-fund-to-ditch-fossil-fuels.Google Scholar
AMWU (Australian Manufacturers Workers Union) (2008). Making Our Future: Just Transitions for Climate Change Mitigation. Australian Manufacturers Workers Union. Available at: www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=3a4a8f80-43f0-437e-89e9-fd7138fd0304&subId=460076.Google Scholar
Avaaz (n.d.). Avaaz is a global web movement to bring people-powered politics to decision-making everywhere. Avaaz. Available at: www.avaaz.org/en/about.php.Google Scholar
AYCC (Australian Youth Climate Coalition) (2015). 2015 Impact Report. Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Available at: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/aycc/pages/77/attachments/original/1459922021/AYCC_Annual_Report_2015_w6.pdf?1459922021.Google Scholar
CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) (n.d.). Carbon Disclosure Project. CDP.net. Available at: www.cdp.net/en.Google Scholar
CDP (2019). World’s top green businesses revealed in the CDP A List. CDP.net. 22 January. Available at: www.cdp.net/en/articles/companies/worlds-top-green-businesses-revealed-in-the-cdp-a-list.Google Scholar
Ceres (n.d.). We are still in. Ceres.org. Available at: www.ceres.org/initiatives/we-are-still-in.Google Scholar
Climate Action 100+ Initiative (n.d.). Climate Action 100+. Available at: www.climateaction100.org/.Google Scholar
Climate and Clean Air Coalition (n.d.). Who we are. Climate and Clean Air Coalition. Available at: https://ccacoalition.org/en/content/who-we-are.Google Scholar
Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment (2019). Private-sector led Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment brings together companies across the infrastructure investment value chain with assets totalling USD 5 trillion. Globe Newswire. 23 September. Available at: www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/09/23/1919391/0/en/Private-sector-led-Coalition-for-Climate-Resilient-Investment-brings-together-companies-across-the-infrastructure-investment-value-chain-with-assets-totalling-USD-5-trillion.html.Google Scholar
Cox, L. (2019). Former fire chiefs warn Australia unprepared for escalating climate threat. The Guardian. 10 April. Available at: www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/09/former-fire-chiefs-warn-australia-unprepared-for-escalating-climate-threat.Google Scholar
Deep Decarbonisation Pathways Project (2015). Pathways to Deep Decarbonization: 2015 Report. Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. Available at: https://resources.unsdsn.org/pathways-to-deep-decarbonization-2015-synthesis-report.Google Scholar
Dunlap, R. and McCright, A. (2015). Challenging climate change: The denial counter movement. In Dunlap, R. and Brulle, R., eds., Climate Change and Society: Sociological Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Elrick, C. and Kay, R. (2011). Impact of Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change on Surf Life Saving Services. Summary Report prepared for Surf Life Saving Australia. Claremont, Western Australia: Coastal Zone Management Pty Ltd. Available at: https://issuu.com/surflifesaving/docs/impact-of-extreme-weather-events-slsa.Google Scholar
Francis, (2015). Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ of the Holy Father Francis: On Care for Our Common Home. Rome: Vatican Press. Available at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf.Google Scholar
Futerra Sustainability Communications (n.d.). About. Swishing. Available at: http://swishing.com/about_swishing/.Google Scholar
Global Commission on the Economy and Climate (2018). Unlocking the Inclusive Growth Story of the 21st Century: Accelerating Climate Action in Urgent Times. Washington, DC: The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. Available at: http://newclimateeconomy.report/2018/.Google Scholar
Goldenberg, S. (2014). Heirs to Rockefeller oil fortune divest from fossil fuels over climate change. The Guardian. 23 September. Available at: www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/22/rockefeller-heirs-divest-fossil-fuels-climate-change.Google Scholar
Goodman, D. (2015). Deep in the Amazon, a tiny tribe is beating Big Oil. YES! Magazine. 13 February. Available at: www.yesmagazine.org/issues/together-with-earth/deep-in-the-amazon-a-tiny-tribe-is-beating-big-oil.Google Scholar
Hargroves, K. and Smith, M. (2005). The Natural Advantage of Nations: Business Opportunities, Innovation and Governance in the 21st Century. London: Earthscan.Google Scholar
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability (n.d.). Local Government Climate Roadmap. Available at: http://old.iclei.org/climate-roadmap/home.html.Google Scholar
IPCC (2018). Global Warming of 1.5 °C: An IPCC Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5 °C Above Pre-Industrial Levels and Related Global Greenhouse Gas Emission Pathways, in the Context of Strengthening the Global Response to the Threat of Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Efforts to Eradicate Poverty. Edited by Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Pörtner, H.-O. et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: www.ipcc.ch/sr15/.Google Scholar
ITUC (International Trade Unions Congress) (2014). Union leaders announce their commitments to the fight against climate change. 3rd ITUC World Congress. 21 May. Available at: www.ituc-csi.org/union-leaders-announce-their.Google Scholar
Jacobs, M. (2016). High pressure for low emissions: How civil society created the Paris climate agreement. IPPR: The Progressive Policy Think Tank. 14 March. Available at: www.ippr.org/juncture/high-pressure-for-low-emissions-how-civil-society-created-the-paris-climate-agreement.Google Scholar
Leidreiter, A. (2013). Hamburg citizens vote to buy back energy grid. Energy Transition. 8 October. Available at: https://energytransition.org/2013/10/hamburg-citizens-buy-back-energy-grid/.Google Scholar
Lock the Gate (n.d.). Lock the Gate Alliance. Available at: www.lockthegate.org.au/.Google Scholar
Maddow, R. (2019). Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth. London: Crown Publishing.Google Scholar
McKibben, B. (2018). At last, divestment is hitting the fossil fuel industry where it hurts. The Guardian. 17 December. Available at: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/16/divestment-fossil-fuel-industry-trillions-dollars-investments-carbon.Google Scholar
Newell, P. and Paterson, M. (1998). A climate for business: Global warming, the state and capital. Review of International Political Economy, 5, 679–703.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
OECD (2017). Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth. Paris: OECD. Available at: www.oecd.org/economy/taking-action-on-climate-change-will-boost-economic-growth.htm.Google Scholar
Oreskes, N. and Conway, E. (2010). Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Climate Change. Bloomsbury Publishing.Google Scholar
People’s Agreement of Cochabamba (2010). People’s Agreement of Cochabamba. World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. Available at: https://pwccc.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/peoples-agreement/.Google Scholar
People’s Pilgrimage (n.d.). About the People’s Pilgrimage. People’s Pilgrimage. Available at: http://peoplespilgrimage.org/.Google Scholar
Petronizio, M. (2016). How young Native Americans used social media to build up #NoDAPL. Mashable. 8 December. Available at: http://mashable.com/2016/12/07/standing-rock-nodapl-youth/#7bxk4hKZdqqm.Google Scholar
Powering Past Coal Alliance (n.d.). Powering Past Coal Alliance. Available at: https://poweringpastcoal.org.Google Scholar
RE100 (n.d.). RE100 overview. RE100. Available at: http://there100.org/re100.Google Scholar
Repetto, R. and Austin, D. (1997). The Costs of Climate Protection: A Guide for the Perplexed. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. Available at: http://pdf.wri.org/costsclimateprotection_bw.pdf.Google Scholar
SAYEN (South Asia Youth Environment Network) (n.d.). Projects. SAYEN.org. Available at: https://sayen.org/sayen/templates/default/page_tpl.php?p=30.Google Scholar
Scouts (2010). Scouts support Earth Hour 2010. Scouts. Available at: www.scout.org/es/node/6810.Google Scholar
Scouts (2018). WWF and World Scouting join forces for a healthy planet. Scouts. 12 March. Available at: www.scout.org/wwf-world-scouting-join-forces-to-mobilise-young-people-for-healthy-planet.Google Scholar
SEE-Change (n.d.). Working together to create sustainable change in Canberra. SEE-Change. Available at: www.see-change.org.au.Google Scholar
Seed (2014). Indigenous youth declaration for climate justice. Seed Mob. Available at: www.seedmob.org.au/indigenous_youth_declaration.Google Scholar
Sierra Club (n.d.a). We’re moving beyond coal and gas. Sierra Club: Beyond Coal. Available at: https://coal.sierraclub.org/campaign.Google Scholar
Sierra Club (n.d.b). Beyond gas. Sierra Club: John Muir Chapter. Available at: www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/beyond-gas.Google Scholar
Sinclair, U. (1994). I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked, 1st ed. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Slow Food (n.d.). Climate change and the food system. Position Paper. Available at: www.slowfood.com/sloweurope/wp-content/uploads/ENG-PAPER-climatechange.pdf.Google Scholar
Smith, M. (2009). Advancing and resolving the great sustainability debates and discourses. PhD thesis, The Australian National University. Available at: https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/49387.Google Scholar
Smith, M. (2013a). Assessing Climate Change Risks and Opportunities for Investors: Property and Construction Sector. Canberra: The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and The Australian National University (ANU). Available at: https://igcc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Property-and-Construction-1.pdf.Google Scholar
Smith, M. (2013b). Assessing Climate Change Risks and Opportunities for Investors: Mining and Mineral Processing Sector. Canberra, Australia: The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and The Australian National University (ANU). Available at: https://igcc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/mining_assessing-climate_change_risks_for_investors.pdf.Google Scholar
Smith, M. (2013c). Assessing Climate Change Risks and Opportunities for Investors: Oil and Gas Sector. Canberra: The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and The Australian National University (ANU). Available at: https://igcc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oil-and-Gas.pdf.Google Scholar
Smith, M. (2014). Assessing Climate Change Risks and Opportunities for Investors: Industrials and Manufacturing Sector. Canberra: The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and The Australian National University (ANU). Available at: https://igcc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Assessing-Climate-Change-Risks-and-Opportunities-for-Investors.pdf.Google Scholar
Smith, M. (2015). Doubling Energy and Resource Productivity by 2030: Boosting the Global Economy by >$25 Trillion above BAU Whilst Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy. ANU Discussion Paper. The Australian National University.Google Scholar
Smith, M. and Hargroves, K. (2006). $uper powers: How investment funds are driving progress in an emerging ‘sustainability’ economy. ECOS, 132, 24–28.Google Scholar
Smith, M., Hargroves, K. and Desha, C. (2010). Cents and Sustainability: Securing Our Common Future by Decoupling Economic Growth from Environmental Pressures. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
SolarShare Canberra (n.d.). SolarShare Canberra. Available at: https://solarshare.com.au/.Google Scholar
Stern, N. (2006). The Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
The Climate Group (n.d.a). EP100. The Climate Group. Available at: www.theclimategroup.org/project/ep100.Google Scholar
The Climate Group (n.d.b). EV100. The Climate Group. Available at: www.theclimategroup.org/project/ev100.Google Scholar
Transition Network (n.d.). About the movement. Transition Network.org. Available at: https://transitionnetwork.org/about-the-movement/.Google Scholar
Transition Streets (n.d.). How Transition Streets works. Transition Streets. Available at: www.transitionstreets.org.uk/about/.Google Scholar
Under 2 Degrees Coalition (n.d.). Under2Coalition.org. Available at: www.under2coalition.org/.Google Scholar
UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2015). Islamic declaration on global climate change. UN Climate Change. 18 August. Available at: https://unfccc.int/news/islamic-declaration-on-climate-change.Google Scholar
We Mean Business (n.d.). We Mean Business Coalition. Available at: www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/about.Google Scholar
WEF (World Economic Forum) (2018). An open letter from business to world leaders: ‘Be ambitious, and together we can address climate change’. World Economic Forum. 29 November. Available at: www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/alliance-ceos-open-letter-climate-change-action/.Google Scholar
WRI (World Resources Institute) (2014). Better Growth, Better Climate. The New Climate Economy Report. The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. Washington, DC: The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, World Resources Institute. Available at: www.newclimateeconomy.report//2014/.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×