Climate change

Civil society organisations hold the only remaining key to averting catastrophic climate change, according to the Green Alliance.

In a report published in 2009, the Green Alliance argued that sector organisations must seize the opportunity now to mobilise their supporters and beneficiaries, or the earth will be irrevocably changed.

It argues that the only way governments will be persuaded to overcome their inertia on the issue is if public attitudes to the problem change, and the only way the public will be persuaded to change their own behaviour and thus influence governments to take real action, is if they are mobilised to do so by the civil society organisations that they trust.

Defra has set up a taskforce to support environemtnal leadership in the civil society sector.  It is tasked with identifying specific actions the government and the third sector can take to tackle climate change, environmental problems and sustainable development.  It is populated by charity representatives and ministers.

However, the Every Action Counts programme that was set up for three years with £4m from Defra in 2006 as part of the UK sustainable development strategy, has now ended and no new funding has been forthcoming.