In 2017, American climate leaders stood together and declared to the world that America would not waver in its commitment to climate action. In 2018, American climate leaders are working together to implement our goals and step up our efforts.
Make your own contribution as an American participant in the global climate effort.
What is the We Are Taking Action Campaign and what is a US Climate Action Contribution?
The We Are Taking Action Campaign is a joint effort among the Leaders Circle of We Are Still In and the coalition's supporting organizations to push for new and ambitious climate actions by organizations while showcasing their existing efforts and actions. A US Climate Action Contribution is a tool for US cities, businesses, states, tribes, universities, faith groups and cultural institutions to commit to new climate actions, enhance existing actions, connect with the most up-to-date resources, and communicate their existing climate efforts to receive recognition. Regardless of the size, location or purpose of your organization, your “Contribution” reflects your part of a national effort to step up the fight against climate change. Each organization’s contribution will be posted online on the We Are Still In website, and showcased during the Global Climate Action Summit in California. We will provide you with tools and resources for implementation, as well as turn-key communication tools, such as template social media graphics, to broadcast your Contribution to your stakeholders.
How do I create a Contribution?
The Contribution is submitted through an online portal (the We Are Taking Action Contribution Platform) that guides you through three questions:
- What climate actions are you currently taking?
- What additional climate actions are you able to do?
- How may you be interested in collaborating with others, and what support do you need to achieve your climate actions?
Under each of these questions you will be presented with a menu of options customized to your organization type (e.g. large company; small or medium enterprise; investor; higher education institution; city or county; tribe or state; cultural institution; or faith organization) that helps simplify the possible actions that your organization can take. During the Contribution submission process you will also be connected with resources to help implement your actions. For more information, please see a walk-through on the bottom of this page and/or watch this webinar which We Are Still In hosted to explain the We Are Taking Action contribution platform and the process of submitting a contribution: https://ceres.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#A0000000ZqYY/a/1H0000004bF9/PV77vlvzBMWIy.gsa9kquXkK6GPPrrqgkVhgkcf.0AA
If your organization was already signed on to the declaration by another person and you need to gain access to manage the organization's information or add a contribution, email communication@wearestillin.com
I’ve already publicly made a climate commitment, should I still submit a Contribution?
Yes! The We Are Taking Action contribution platform is an innovative one-stop shop for any American entity that wants to showcase its commitment to combating climate change. Through the process of submitting a contribution you will be connected with opportunities to collaborate with other leaders in your area, tools and resources, and non-profit organizations that are here to support you. We recommend that all entities check out the platform to see if it will be helpful to them. Organizations that already report through the CDP disclosure platform will not need to provide information that they have already provided to CDP. However, we still encourage you to check out the WASI contribution platform and see if there is more that you might want to be doing!
What information do I need to provide to submit a Contribution?
A US Climate Action Contribution has three main components/questions:
- What climate actions are you currently taking?
- What additional climate actions more are you able to can you do?
- How may you be interested in collaborating with others, and what support do you need to achieve your climate actions?
The level of information you provide is largely up to you: Our platform is designed to minimize the burden on your organization and takes advantage of reporting mechanisms and/or surveys in which you may already participate. This platform is a collective effort of partners in the communities of business, cities, higher education, states, tribes, faith, investment, and cultural institution. Very importantly, the platform will share with you opportunities and suggestions for enhanced action and collaboration, as well as a consolidated look at the support and resources which are most relevant to your organization, and which may be helpful to you in implementing your commitments.
What will be done with our contribution?
Upon submission, your contribution will connect you with tools, partners, and assistance as desired and as necessary. Collectively, these contributions will provide a window into the scope and depth of American climate action, and help determine where opportunity gaps exist on the local and national level. These contributions will be posted online on the We Are Still In website, and showcased during the week of the Global Climate Action Summit in California and at the next iteration of major UN climate talks in Katowice, Poland (COP24 in December).
How does this relate to America’s Pledge, the Talanoa Dialogue, and the Challenge Areas of the Global Climate Action Summit?
America’s Pledge is a quantitative effort to study and fulfill the United States’ “nationally determined contribution” (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. Ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit in September, America’s Pledge aims to present an integrated analysis of US. emissions and action plan by presenting a set of specific, actionable “high ambition” emissions reduction opportunities that can keep the United States on a <2℃ decarbonization pathway. The US Climate Action Contributions platform, designed by coordinators of the We Are Still In coalition, identifies some of these “high ambition” opportunities. Organizations that submit their Contribution will have the opportunity to signal their interest in working on collaborating on these efforts.
The Talanoa Dialogue is a mechanism, established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to deliver and integrate the stories and actions of subnational actors into the formal Paris Agreement negotiation processes. We Are Still In, having organized the US non-federal presence at COP23 in Bonn, Germany, will continue to be an entry point for American climate leaders to interact in this more official capacity on the world stage. There are more than 20 Talanoa Dialogue events are announced as of March 2018. These events are designed to enable sharing of information from respective local and regional governments. The process is facilitated by ICLEI in its capacity of Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency and on behalf of Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments. A Talanoa Dialogue is scheduled to take place during the California Global Climate Action Summit.
The Challenge Areas of the Global Climate Action Summit are established around internationally relevant impact sectors (e.g., land use, jobs, sustainable communities, etc.). The US Climate Action Contributions platform offers a path of action for organizations based on their sector (business, cities, tribes, etc.). These two framings provide a lot of overlap, which will be reflected in the summary of contributions and how they are showcased during the week of at the Global Climate Action Summit.
Why now?
The momentum from America’s climate leaders is already powering us toward a clean energy economy, but we must pick up the pace. Most research indicates that the world is far off track for the Paris Agreement goals, and more ambition from all members of society is needed to right the ship. In 2020, countries will come back to the table, hopefully offering stronger national targets (called “nationally determined contributions”, or NDCs) to get the world on track. To ramp up their own ambition, these countries will benefit from seeing progress and ambition in the contributions of subnational actors. In 2018, American subnationals can positively influence this process and reassert the United States’ role as a global leader on climate action.
How do I get more information?
Please contact communication@wearestillin.com
We Are Still In / We Are Taking Action Walkthrough
