Embracing Climate Reality — Seven things EVERY organisation should be doing

The climate dragon is awake. Billions of tonnes of meltwater are pouring off the Greenland ice sheet just as Trump flippantly makes predatory real estate threats to acquire the country.

Much of Europe baked in record high temperatures last month, leaving people to adopt new ways of coping with the heat — from both the climate and social media. Funerals have been held for dead glaciers. Climate migrants gather at borders. As Extinction Rebellion’s book puts it: This is not a drill.

We need to spell out what to do next, beyond the greenwash and virtue-signalling. As much as I’m not a huge fan of online listicles, here we are: the seven things that every organisation should be doing.

What to do?

Declare climate emergency. Host a C-suite presentation and discussion on the reality of the crisis and do what hundreds of organisations have done — from local Councils, through global cities like London, and the UK as a nation — formally declare a climate emergency. You will be in good company joining almost 1000 institutions, in 18 countries, governing over 200 million people. The Amazon and the Arctic are on fire and Greenland is melting like it’s 2070 — what are you waiting for? Does this feel ‘emergency’ enough for you yet?

Carbon Zero is the goal. The most recent IPCC report states that we need a 40 percent minimum cut in carbon by 2030, with net zero following soon after. Measure your carbon footprint. Buy renewable energy (what? You mean you haven’t already done this?). Sign up to deliver science based targets (600+ companies already committed). What would your organisation have to look like, how might the goods and services you provide have to change, in a zero carbon world? Use this insight as your north star. Blazing the trail here is Orsted which is going from being a ‘black’ fossil fuel business to a ‘green’ renewable energy company in less than ten years, and will be 99 percent green energy by 2025.

Employees’ Assembly. Deliberative democratic Citizens’ Assemblies are now being planned around the world wrestling with the big complex challenges, compromises, risks and opportunities that the climate change crisis demands of us. Every organisation should convene an…