Connect4Climate joined the People's Climate March with Rachel Kyte, former Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change at the World Bank Group.
Days before world leaders gathered at the United Nations Climate Summit in New York, the People’s Climate March inspired more than half a million people to participate in public demonstrations. “Action, Not Words,” was the core message of marches and solidarity events worldwide, calling for leaders to take ambitious and immediate action to mitigate climate change.
166 countries
2,808 solidarity events
630,000+ social media posts about the NYC march alone
600,000+ people marching
People's Climate March in New York City
More than 400,00 people marched in the New York People’s Climate March, including youth associations, faith groups, nonprofit groups and celebrities like Leonardo Di Caprio, Mark Ruffalo, Sting and Edward Norton. Global leaders, such as Ban Ki-moon, Christiana Figueres, Mary Robinson, Al Gore, Jane Goodall also joined the march. Chief Oren Lyons of the Onondaga Nation and many indigenous community representatives marched with the celebrities. Mark Ruffalo said "I see the world changing very quickly already... I want to do my part to leave my children the best world possible."
Stars4Climate: @MarkRuffalo & @LeoDiCaprio exchange climate wisdom with @EdwardNorton listening in #PeoplesClimate pic.twitter.com/FyMvpunrDj
— Connect4Climate (@Connect4Climate) September 21, 2014
Rachel Kyte, Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change at the World Bank Group said during the march: "Here in New York, 21st of September, we've got children from the age of two all the way up... Students, high school students, middle school students. Everybody marching. Everybody demanding action. This is your moment, seize it, connect for climate."
People's Climate March around the World
Thousands of people flooded the streets of other cities, such as London, with more than 40,000 participants, including popular singer Peter Gabriel and actress Emma Thompson, who said at the march, “Every single person on this earth has the power to change the world. And when we all come together, our power becomes irresistible. Now we must use our power to tackle the biggest threat humanity has ever faced.”
40,000+ at the #PeoplesClimate march in London! More great shots here: http://t.co/hCXB96EHmt pic.twitter.com/fmVYp2BRZm
— Avaaz (@Avaaz) September 21, 2014
Thousands of Australians in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and other cities marched to demonstrate against fossil fuel expansion and to preserve their renewable energy sector growth.
From the popular Place de la Republique, Paris citizens and representatives from organizations such as Oxfam France, Avaaz, Fédération Protestante de France and many others joined the movement and asked policy-makers to change the course of history.
#PeoplesClimate heart in #Rome!More than 1000 climate defenders♥ @ClimateMarch @Greenpeace_ITA @Avaaz @ItalianClimate pic.twitter.com/naxRhD8HJM
— Greenpeace GL Roma (@Greenpeace_Roma) September 21, 2014
Rome, Cologne, Brussels, Copenhagen, Edinburgh—across Europe, marches demanded a world with green jobs, clean air and healthy communities.
New Delhi saw its largest ever climate mobilization with more than 1,500 marching with giant sculptures of windmills and solar panels, masks, placards and more.
#PeoplesClimate Marchers demand "Action and Not Words" from leaders in front of iconic India Gate in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/xBSzCTrkZa
— 350.org India (@350india) September 21, 2014
Events were organized in Indonesia to raise awareness of coal mining and coal-fired power plants, asking that the issues be addressed by the recently elected president.
South Asians demanded climate justice during the march in New York, and parallel events have been organized by Nepalese Youth for Climate Action and others in Kathmandu, Dhaka, Colombo and Malé, where they asked for ambitious strategies to reduce international greenhouse gas emissions.
@ensure justice to climate affected countries, Dhaka, Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/u9bQGORpjo
— A M NASIR UDDIN (@amnasiruddin) September 23, 2014
In the Pacific Islands solidarity events included rallies and beach cleanups in Suva, Fiji, and canoe blessing ceremonies in Tokelau and Vanuatu, which may disappear before the end of the century because of sea level rise. In October, Pacific Island Warriors will travel to Australia with the canoes to participate in an act of civil disobedience.
Letter from Kiribati: "Action to protect our islands, not words!" #PeoplesClimate via @350 pic.twitter.com/nZxNXfU7W1
— Avaaz (@Avaaz) September 20, 2014
Across the African continent groups also added their voices to the People's Climate March, largely under the banner of the #WeLeadYou campaign. Events included tree-planting and workshopping at city park in Nairobi, Kenya; beach clean ups in Cape Town, South Africa; and a rally in Accra.
#PeoplesClimate #WeLeadYou resolution from Nairobi: "Action, Not Words: Networking for feasible solutions for Kenya!" pic.twitter.com/UPvgY5R7SO
— Art of Hosting Kenya (@aohinkenya) September 21, 2014
#WeLeadYou organizations and community members gather at the Union Buildings to hand our petition to @SAPresident pic.twitter.com/GdpxaFq5ra
— 350 Africa (@350Africa) September 18, 2014
Latin America joined the People's March with a number of events, including marches in Bogotá, Guadalajara, Buenos Aires and Sãu Paulo. In the lead-up to "Caminhada pelo Clima" in Rio de Janeiro, organizers projected messages about the march onto the city's landmark statue.
Con @elihoyos15 marchamos por el clima del planeta #valelapena pic.twitter.com/VdE4uQPSf2
— Jesús David Acero Mo (@aceromora) September 21, 2014
While impacted by climate change in different ways, people united to show that they want action to prevent climate change and leave a safer climate to future generations.
Taking the momentum forward
Two days later the UN Climate Summit, convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to build “political will towards a meaningful, universal climate change agreement in Paris in 2015,” was marked by numerous commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through initiatives to spur investment in renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and halt deforestation. 73 countries and more than 1,000 businesses signaled support to put a price on carbon. The Green Climate Fund, created to support mitigation and adaptation in developing countries, received additional funding commitments.
See what Yeb Sano, Miriam Wilson, Jamie Henn, Wagaki Wischnewski, Masroora Haque, and John Crump suggest as the next steps to ensure that the marches change policy.
“When things quiet down after big moments like the People's Climate March, it's because people are organising and re-building their strength.” -Miriam Wilson, Fossil Free UK
"We need to keep combining online engagement with offline action. The two amplify each other. With the People's Climate march, we didn't just get hundreds of thousands of people in the streets. We also had incredible traction online." - Jamie Henn, 350.org
#ClimateWalk @GuardianGDP Sustain the momentum. Walk for the Climate. http://t.co/YocVbeYUlt https://t.co/1KyjzsYh4p pic.twitter.com/h1DyC7LAek
— Yeb Saño (@YebSano) September 25, 2014