From Paris onwards, a change in the climate narrative

PARIS—Conveying the message of grassroots climate action took a colorful and creative turn at a peaceful protest during the final day of the December climate summit in Paris.

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An estimated 10,000 members of civic organizations and individuals marched from Avenue de l’Armee to Eiffel Tower with a 2-kilometer long red banner painted with a plea for a warming limit of 1.5°C so earth may remain habitable in the future.

Chants of “1.5 to survive” and “leave it in the ground” filled the air, two core messages that highlight what needs to be included in the climate deal: first, an ambitious warming limit that has been a sticky issue for two decades of the negotiations and second, the need to leave 80% of coal in the ground to slow down global temperature rise based on recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Dubbed by many as a contrast to the serious briefings at the conference site, the festive protest delivered in creative ways a much-needed message of hope: more people care about the issue and they are doing something about it. Just look at grassroots communities that are becoming hubs for innovative tools and lessons on climate adaptation.

Before the Paris summit, some scientists, civic society members, and journalists who following the negotiations find the climate change story has gone stale after prior negotiations failed to produce a strong emissions target and concrete steps on how to fund it.

For years, climate change only figures in news during tragedies and climate summits until news outlets focus on another hot topic.

In 2013, the Philippines started to become the “poster boy” and a stronger voice for climate impacts when typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) disrupted lives and development in the country.  Two years on, many Filipinos still remain in temporary shelters as local and national government struggle to rebuild key infrastructure such as water pipes that are essential in house relocation planning. UN agencies said it could take a decade before Haiyan-hit areas can fully recover.

Global figures stress the urgency of the matter: 26 million people every year flee their homes due to climate impacts such as strong floods and long spells of drought. Poor countries with limited resources and capacity to adapt are also located in regions vulnerable to this impact. At least 80% of climate vulnerable communities live in developing Asia, which includes the Philippines.

Interestingly, one of the people in the crowd was Filipino muralist and environmentalist AG Sano who was in Tacloban during Yolanda’s onslaught. He helped in rescues and hauled bodies from the debris for about a week. He walked to Paris with his brother, Yeb Sano, leader of the 60-day climate pilgrimage from Vatican, and another one from Manila to Haiyan’s ground zero in Tacloban for its second year of commemoration.

“It is at the grassroots where the fight for climate change happens everyday. It is where lessons and stories of survival can be drawn from,” AG said.

He said it best: a strong agreement is crucial but it is not the only pillar to a sustainable and climate-resilient future, the grassroots approach is just as important.

The grassroots movement is a diverse group of active players composed of civic society members, social entrepreneurs who are developing open source climate solutions, artists who are retelling the stories of climate impacts and vulnerable groups such as the youth who are working directly with vulnerable communities by raising awareness and improving adaptation planning, among others.

Hope coupled with action is the best narrative that can be told of climate change today. While a transformational policy has always been the core outcome expected of the negotiations, everyone has a job to help realize a sustainable future where communities can weather climate impacts.

Climate Reality Project founder Al Gore and primate expert (primatologist) Jane Goodall, who also founded the Roots and Shoots youth leadership program, both agree. In addition to governments and businesses, civil society especially the youth have a big role in taking leadership for climate action and help change the climate narrative to a positive note, both said.

This does not mean ignoring the doomsday facts and daily challenges faced by vulnerable communities. Rather, it is about also sharing solutions and lessons learned so that more people are equipped with knowledge that something is being done in communities, and lessons can be replicated if people are willing to participate and act on it. There is power in sharing these stories to raise awareness and to inspire sustained action.

Climate action is about inspiring hope, but above all else, it is putting in the work after saying words of commitment.

A change in the climate narrative is coming. And hopefully, it is a good one.