We are all climate influencers: how companies can unlock their influence

London was alive with over 200 events for London Climate Action Week - a week that aimed to demonstrate the whole of society engagement needed to support the delivery of decarbonisation and resilience. While political focus in the city may have been on the general election; for the 45,000 Climate Week attendees, climate was the only policy in the manifesto.

The week came at a pertinent time; following  flurry of reports and warnings from climate experts including reaching a 12-month streak for hottest months on average globally, the UN secretary-general making a plea for an “exit ramp off the highway to climate hell” and the UN’s World Meteorological Organization predicting an 80% chance that average global temperatures will surpass the 1.5C threshold within the next five years. Not to mention findings that global warming caused by humans is advancing at the highest rate since records began.

This all leads to the need to drive climate action further and faster – using every single solution we have available. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) final warning on climate, published last year, highlighted the tools, available today, that will have the biggest impact. Tools that both reduce or avoid emissions, whilst providing wider benefits — including conserving and restoring biodiversity, providing health benefits, supporting sustainable development and working with the communities most affected by climate change yet least responsible for it.

We now need to scale these solutions at a rate we have not seen before, realising the potential of the private sector. According to the UN’s latest report if we want to stay on a pathway to 1.5 degrees, we need to reduce emissions by 42% by 2030. Under current policies, they’ll rise by 3%. Private-sector climate action is more critical than ever to plug this gap.

To do this, we need to unlock companies’ climate action influence.

In a world of social media influencers, it can be easy to think that “to influence” means you need millions of followers or to have gone viral – but this is not the case. When it comes to climate action, and specifically corporate climate action, companies have a unique opportunity to inspire positive change. There are some key steps they can take to do this:

Target and talk:

Set ambitious targets and focus on concrete actions and measurable progress against those targets. Importantly, be proud of your targets and the action you are taking - talk about it.

Lead by example:

Be a leading voice in your industry and show others how they too can create ambitious climate strategies that deliver action today and will continue to deliver greater action year on year.

Empower Employees:

Your people are your greatest asset, make sure they are involved in your initiatives so that they feel connected to what you are achieving. Be open to their ideas for ways to advance your climate action strategy and empower them to talk about the action you are taking.

Consumer Power:

Make it easier for your consumers or clients to make climate conscious choices whether that be through carbon neutral products, eco-friendly packaging, or more sustainable services.

Partnerships for Progress:

Don’t be scared to collaborate with companies, NGOs, government to accelerate climate solutions or overcome barriers to action in your industry – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Provide Resources:

Share information on the organisations you have worked with to deliver on climate action– help others do the same.

Reflecting on London Climate Action Week and as we look to New York Climate Week in September, remember that every action we collectively take can drive further positive action; we are all climate influencers.  And the keyword here is ACTION.

Reflecting on London Climate Action Week and as we look to New York Climate Week in September, remember that every action we collectively take can drive further positive action; we are all climate influencers.  And the keyword here is ACTION.