Climate Change: Not Just Any Action Will Do
By Pablo Solon, co-authored with Josie Riffaud and Tony Clarke
On Sunday, hundreds of thousands gathered in New York for one of the biggest marches against climate change. The occasion is the Climate Summit convened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the theme of which is "take action." But does that action actually include measures that could do further harm to the planet?
Read moreSeptember 19 – 23, New York: Mobilize and organize to Stop and Prevent Planet Fever!
(Français ci-bas, el espanol abajo)
When we, as human beings, get a fever, we immediately get worried and take action. After all, we know that if our body temperature rises to 1.5ºC, let alone 2ºC [3.6 ºF] above the normal average, there can be severe damage, while an increase of 4-6ºC [7.2-10.8 ºF] or more can cause a comatose situation and even death.
Read moreTo confront the climate emergency we need to dismantle the WTO and the free trade regime
The Polaris Institute has been involved in the Climate Space process that began in the lead-up to the last Social Forum in Tunis. The following is its most recent statement on the state of our climate emergency in relation to the world's trade regime.
World Social Forum Climate Space Declaration: To Reclaim Our Future, We Must Change the Present
This declaration comes as a result of the activities of the Climate Space at the World Social Forum 2013 in Tunis, Tunisia. The Polaris Institute co-organized two of the 14 Climate Space workshops and was one of the 20 facilitators.
The Climate Space inside the World Social Forum 2013 in Tunisia was organized as a space to discuss the causes, impacts, struggles, alternatives and strategies to address climate change.
Read moreOpen call to join the Climate Space at the World Social Forum in Tunisia
(English, français, español)
Open call to join the Climate Space at the World Social Forum in Tunisia,
March 26-30, 2013
CLIMATE SPACE
RETHINKING STRATEGIES TO FIGHT FOR OUR FUTURE
The 2013 World Social Forum will be held this March 26-30 in Tunisia, where only two years ago, a revolution began and resulted into a historic change that created a ripple effect on the region. Now, Tunisia is an inspiration to movements both old and new, across the globe.
Read moreREPORT: The Bitumen Cliff
Bitumen Development Poses Critical Challenges for Canada
February 21, 2013
OTTAWA—A failure to carefully regulate the Canadian bitumen industry is putting Canada on a dangerous economic and environmental trajectory, says a new report released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) and the Polaris Institute.
Read moreLand Grabs in Africa - Fueling Water and Climate crises
Two short reports on land grabs intersecting with water and climate justice produced by the Polaris Institute and the Oakland Institute.
Read moreCorporations, Climate and the UN
November 24, 2011 - In time for COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, the Polaris Institute has prepared a report outlining how multinational corporations and their lobbyists have infiltrated the United Nations and are influencing the outcomes of climate negotiations. The report uncovers and describes where corporations influence the United Nations in the build up to and during climate change negotiations and how this corporate interest is the driving force behind the preferred market based initiatives that are emerging from the UNFCCC process.
One Million Climate Jobs
The One Million Climate Jobs Campaign is an alliance of labour, social movements and other civil society organisations that are mobilising for real solutions to the threat of climate change. Cutting emissions that lead to climate change is urgent and involves doing many things while overcoming unemployment and creating decent jobs is just as urgent. The campaign places the interests of workers and the poor at the forefront of strategies to combat climate change and demands that governments work to create ‘one million climate jobs.’
Recent News / Nouvelles
Climate Space
In 2013, the Polaris Institute was one of 20 facilitating organizations from around the globe who organized The Climate Space during the World Social Forum in Tunisia. Climate Space sessions examined how climate change relates to the issues people face daily: access to jobs and economic development, migration, faith communities, food sovereignty, and more. The Climate Space initiative will continue in 2014 and 2015, with a focus on the 2015 World Social Forum in Tunisia.