Earlier, I researched options for declaring a climate emergency for my company and shared it in this video. Now, in this second of seven articles, I share which option I chose and how I declared a climate emergency.
Other episodes in this series of seven episodes coming up next will be on how I calculated my company’s initial greenhouse gas baseline followed by setting science-based targets, calculating my carbon footprint & offsetting any unavoidable emissions.
The first episode in this series on Seven options to declare a Climate Emergency is available in the link here and the accompanying video here.
Initial Thoughts on declaring a Climate Emergency
Over the past nine years of environmental consultancy through onePlanet Solutions Limited, I have striven to provide our services in the most environmentally and climate-friendly manner possible.
In case you have missed the United Kingdom news and, indeed, news from other countries, the role of Greta Thunberg and pressure groups, such as Extinction Rebellion, have shared the narrative on climate change and turned it towards recognition that it is a climate emergency that we are all facing.
Given that a number of organisations have declared a climate emergency, I was led in the similar direction and wanted to share the resources that I considered.
My choices to declare a Climate Emergency were:
Business Declares
A not-for-profit which wants to accelerate action on the climate emergency through the running of a campaign until the end 2020.
You can access their website here – https://businessdeclares.com/
B-Corporation
The B-Corporation promotes businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance and, whilst, they do not have a specific process for a “standalone” declaration of a climate emergency, there is much here if you want your organisation to become a B-Corp.
You can access the playbook here – https://pardot.bcorporation.net/climateemergencyplaybook
Climate Neutral Now
An initiative launched by UN Climate Change in 2015 to encourage everyone in society to take action to help achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century, as enshrined in the Paris Agreement.
You can access their website at Climate Neutral Now – https://unfccc.int/climate-action/climate-neutral-now
UK Architects Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency
A specialised website for UK -based Architects and their sister site for the construction sector allow for you to declare their Climate Emergency with 1,234 practices, who have declared as at time of this video (26 July 2022).
You can access their website at UK Architects Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency – https://www.architectsdeclare.com/
Declare a Climate Emergency
This website is a useful resource for identifying Governmental organisations, such as the NHS, Universities and Local Councils, who have declared their Climate Emergency as well as commentary on News items and political policies from the major Political Parties.
You can access their website at Declare a Climate Emergency – https://www.climateemergency.uk/
Pledge to Net Zero
An initiative established to commit organisations from the environmental sector to take a leadership role in the transition to a Net Zero carbon economy.
You can access their website at Pledge to Net Zero – https://www.pledgetonetzero.org/
Race to Zero
United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign, which allowing signatories to specific initiatives, such as Business Declares, B-Corporation, Climate Neutral Now & Pledge to Net Zero campaigns to gain further recognition of a declaration of a climate emergency.
You can access their website at Race To Zero Campaign | UNFCCC
My final Choice
So, my final choice was: (drum-roll, please):
Climate Neutral Now
And
Pledge to Net Zero
Which both included additional recognition through the UN’s Race to Zero initiative as they provided the most comprehensive options to:
- Help development of a framework for my declaration
- Assistance for the calculation of the carbon account for my business
- Provide public transparency through publication on the United Nation’s Climate Neutral Now & the Pledge to Net Zero websites, and;
- Provide external oversight of the Declaration by the UN Climate Neutral Now & the Pledge to Net Zero.
The process for declaring a climate emergency is, initially, a simple completion of an online form for the Pledge to Net Zero acknowledging that you are making the pledge based on their criteria and, for the Climate Neutral Now initiative, completing a formal letter declaring your commitment to the UN’ Climate Neutral Now initiative.
Additionally, I published my declaration of a climate emergency on the EMSmastery.com website:
You can see my active participation in the above climate emergency declarations at the UN’s Climate Neutral Now website and, also, at the Pledge to Net Zero website:
If this article has helped to advance your understanding of options for declaring a climate emergency, please leave a comment in the box below, if this video has help you.
In my next and third article in this series, I will look at what I did after I declared a Climate Emergency and the practical steps to calculate my carbon emissions baseline, which are a requirement of declaring a Climate Emergency on behalf of my business through the UN Climate Change’s Climate Neutral Now & the Pledge to Net Zero initiative. Click on the video link at the end of this video to follow the third episode – What I did after I declared a Climate Emergency? in this series.
If you enjoyed this article, you should check out our YouTube Channel – EMSmastery, where you can watch our videos, such as our video accompanying this article on My Learning Points from declaring a Climate Emergency and subscribe in our YouTube channel for new videos released each week.
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