Our top 12 COP26 campaigns
The Greenhouse Communications team was on the ground at COP26 to deliver tangible climate action: from billions of investment in the Glasgow Breakthroughs on energy and technology to the significant global collaboration announcing an end to deforestation; from representing Indigenous youth voices on the need for climate justice to committing to a carbon-free energy system for Sustainable Energy for All.
Greenhouse is defined by our 100% commitment to driving positive social and environmental change – whether that is providing communications support for the UK government’s high-level announcements at the World Leaders Summit for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), or supporting multiple NGOs hosting Nature4Climate’s COP26 Nature Zone or campaigning on fossil fuels with Carbon Tracker and Insure Our Future, and calling out greenwashing and demanding climate justice with Avaaz. We are focused on communications to accelerate action at scale.
At COP26, we saw organisations coming together to achieve bigger outcomes than they could do on their own, with countries, policy makers, investors and NGOs pushing the boundaries for climate action. From films and events to influencer outreach and digital toolkits, protests and photo calls, Greenhouse delivered communications to drive impact.
The Glasgow PACT for the first time lays out the elements that we need to move forward to keep 1.5°C alive. It was never going to be enough: it is just the start. We need to act fast and we will work tirelessly to ensure that the right people are represented – women, youth, Indigenous peoples, people on the front line of climate change – to ensure that their voices are heard and that we hold world leaders, businesses, investors and decision makers to account. There is no time to waste.
Here are some of the highlights from the campaigns at COP26 thanks to our awesome clients:
Our top 12 COP26 campaigns:
- World Leaders Summit – launching Glasgow Breakthroughs live on the world stage
- Nature Zone – delivering the ‘Paris moment for forests’
- Avaaz – youth activists mobilising to end climate betrayal
- ActionAid – amplifying female voices on the front line of climate change
- Delegation of Mothers – demanding no new fossil fuels
- Insure Our Future - campaigning to make coal uninsurable
- Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) – accelerating innovation through new policy frameworks
- SOMN! – saving mangroves in the Western Indian Ocean region
- Mission Innovation – putting innovation at the heart of decarbonisation
- Sustainable Energy for All with Google – making carbon-free energy a reality
- Carbon Tracker – launching the world’s first fossil fuel registry
- Just Rural Transition – calling for greater consideration of food and agriculture in negotiations
1. World Leaders Summit – launching Glasgow Breakthroughs live on the world stage
Greenhouse was instrumental in launching the Glasgow Breakthroughs at COP26 – a special moment and also one that will have real impact for years to come.
More than 40 world leaders signed up to the new Breakthrough Agenda, representing more than 70% of the world’s economy, to make clean technologies in each of the most polluting sectors the most affordable, accessible and attractive choice globally for all by 2030. Progress will be tracked across sectors including power, steel, road transport, hydrogen and agriculture.
Greenhouse provided comms support for the launch, from drafting the narrative to working with stakeholders to create a digital and social toolkit and major films that were broadcast at the event to an audience of world leaders. And our team was there on the ground working with BEIS, Cabinet Office and Number 10 teams to reach and engage leaders, businesses and investors across the world.
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https://youtu.be/SFvqvK8YB8M “Working with U.S. President Biden, Bill Gates and the Duke of Cambridge was certainly a plus – but the real-world impact of the Breakthroughs will change those sectors for years to come. I will never forget the day we helped deliver pledges that covered 70% of global GDP and 60% of global emissions.”
Joe Dillon
Greenhouse Communications
2. Nature Zone – delivering ‘the Paris moment for forests’
Nature, biodiversity loss and ecosystem restoration was at the heart of COP26 with Forbes journalist Felicia Jackson calling the Glasgow-based conference the “Paris moment for forests”.
Our nature team supported the biggest announcements to come out of the World Leaders Summit, such as 100 world leaders agreeing to end deforestation by 2030, along with pledges by the public and private sector to invest huge sums of money in tackling the issue. The momentous announcements were covered by national and international media including Bloomberg, Sky, The Financial Times and The Guardian, with coverage in over 30 countries.
From press briefings with leading politicians, businesses and NGO leaders to daily media round-ups and a digital toolkit, the team ensured nature was at the heart of COP26.
The team amplified the voice of those most affected by the climate crisis and nature, securing interviews with Sky, France24, Deutsche Welle and Euronews for youth and Indigenous voices, resulting in the coverage of the word ‘Indigenous’ in COP26-related articles to increase by 219%.
Sindhu Ram
Greenhouse Communications
3. Avaaz – youth activists mobilising to end climate betrayal
Greenhouse worked closely with Avaaz as youth activists called for world leaders to ‘end climate betrayal’. Media and social engagement was huge: working with inspiring youth activists including Txai Suruí, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Dominika Lasota and Patience Nabukalu our team helped to arrange a photocall, and we were on the ground securing interviews for all the youth activists with major news publications including Reuters, AFP, PA, FT, the Guardian, Deutsche Welle and VICE.
Will Vowell
Greenhouse Communications
4. ActionAid – amplifying female voices on the front line of climate change
We launched a campaign with ActionAid, a global federation working for a world free from poverty and injustice, to help amplify the voices of women and girls from the Global South at COP26. The campaign featured new research and activist case studies from Kenya and Sierra Leone.
At COP26, highlights were the all-women panel conversation exploring diverse perspectives on the climate crisis and the ‘finish line’ projection of people across the world participating in EarthWalk, adding their voice in Glasgow to demand a just, feminist and more equal post-COVID world.
These actions, along with the unique perspectives of ActionAid’s spokespeople, culminated in significant media engagement, including coverage from Forbes, the New York Times and Radio 4.
5. Delegation of Mothers - demanding no new fossil fuels
The biggest parent mobilisation in history called for an end to all new fossil fuels, delivering a letter to COP26 President Alok Sharma, asking him to safeguard children’s health and futures, followed by a media briefing and photocall.
Led by UK mother Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lost her nine-year-old daughter Ella due to severe asthma linked to air pollution. She was joined by mothers from across the world: Amuche Nnabueze, Ph.D, from Parents For Future Nigeria, Bhavreen Kandhari from Warrior Moms, Mariana Menezes from Familias Pelo Clima in Brazil, Xoli Fuyani from Our Kids’ Climate in South Africa, Kamila Kadzidlowska, a Polish mother from Rodzice Dla Klimatu – Parents for Future, and Jemima Hartshorn from Mums for Lungs in the UK.
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6. Insure Our Future – campaigning to make fossil fuels uninsurable
Greenhouse launched the 2021 Insure our Future Scorecard with Insure Our Future, a global coalition campaigning for insurers to come out of coal, oil and gas, on Finance Day at COP26, delivering almost 100 pieces of global media coverage in 15 countries across five continents – including POLITICO, the i, Daily Express, and South China Morning Post.
Insurers including Lloyd’s of London, Nationale Nederlanden, Allianz, Munich Re and Zurich were all forced to respond to the findings – and the campaign continues to have an impact to put an end to the insurance of fossil fuels.
“The insurance industry has a crucial role to play in driving the energy transition and killing off fossil fuels once and for all. The message is clear – stop insuring coal. And the impact of the campaign runs across the insurance industry.”
Will Vowell
Greenhouse Communications
7. Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) – accelerating innovation through new policy frameworks
The Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) project has the potential to transform how governments make policy decisions on climate change for years to come, bringing together leading academic experts in the UK, EU, Brazil, China, and India to inform decarbonisation policy.
At COP26, Greenhouse launched EEIST’s flagship report highlighting how policy support and government-led investment in clean technologies can shape the growth of markets, unlock private sector investment and rapidly drive down costs.
In just two weeks, we crafted the narrative, produced a series of social films, created a communications toolkit, engaged a network of global influencers, and ensured key messages were included in the World Leaders Summit at COP26. The outcome was 172 pieces of media coverage including in key markets the UK, Brazil and China and an impactful social campaign to communicate directly to international policy makers.
“Working with influential economists in collaboration with the UK government was such a rewarding experience. The EEIST report’s new conceptual model for policy and investment decision making is a huge step in the realm of environmental innovation and policy.”
Pariddhi Bajoria
Greenhouse Communications
8. SOMN! – saving mangroves in the Western Indian Ocean region
On Ocean Action Day at COP26, Greenhouse launched the Roots of Hope white paper outlining the socioeconomic value of mangroves in Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Kenya, for Save Our Mangroves Now!, a global initiative mobilising to protect and restore mangrove ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean region.
The Save Our Mangroves Now! campaign to protect these versatile superheroes is going from strength to strength, collaborating with initiatives such as the IUCN’s Great Blue Wall and harnessing the power of networks to achieve a nature positive world.
9. Mission Innovation – putting innovation at the heart of decarbonisation
Mission Innovation is a vital platform bringing 22 governments, the EU and the private sector together to achieve the Breakthrough Agenda announced by world leaders on 2 November. Its goal at COP26 was to make investment and action on innovation central to the debate, showcasing the vital role of global collaboration in accelerating technologies to decarbonise the hardest-to-reach sectors worldwide.
Our integrated communications and engagement campaign helped ensure Mission Innovation and its critical message on innovation was showcased at the highest levels. We coordinated with world leaders, policy makers and philanthropists, including John Kerry and Bill Gates, and worked with multiple governments including the UK, US, EU, Canada and Chile to ensure Mission Innovation was showcased at the highest levels. The result was 380+ pieces of global coverage, a global digital audience, with 140,000 views of our hero film, and Mission Innovation messaging included in the World Leaders Summit and other high-profile events and ministerial interviews throughout COP.
“Our aim was to ensure that innovation was at the heart of the debate at COP26. Working directly with multiple governments and individuals such as John Kerry and Bill Gates, we helped Mission Innovation drive this message home, with high-impact content, on-the-ground coordination and a media and digital campaign that reached the widest possible audience. It has been amazing to be a part of and an experience I won’t forget.”
Caroline Dobbin
Greenhouse Communications
10. Sustainable Energy for All with Google – making carbon-free energy a reality
The aim of our campaign for Sustainable Energy for All with Google was to transform global energy consumption to 100% carbon-free sources – galvanising global businesses, governments, cities and other organisations to act together to make 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy a reality for everyone.
After developing a creative campaign proposition, campaign identity, hero films, ad campaigns, toolkits and influencer lists, our #GoCarbonFree hashtag has reached more than 2 million people globally, delivering over 60k engagements and over 50k views of the campaign video. The landing page has received more than 2.2k sessions with a high 32% conversion rate to sign up to Go Carbon Free. So far 42 high-profile signatories have signed up.
“The Greenhouse team turned around a highly impactful and creative campaign 10 days before COP26 began. Working closely with the SEforALL team we delivered and activated a brand-new fully integrated campaign that has not just reached more than 2m people globally but has helped to secure 42 high-profile signatories to the Go Carbon Free movement.”
Nina Whitby
Greenhouse Communications
11. Carbon Tracker – launching the world’s first fossil fuel registry
On the day that the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance set the benchmark for governments to turn their backs on oil and gas, independent non-profit financial think tank Carbon Tracker launched its revolutionary fossil fuel registry. If we are to keep 1.5°C alive, we need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. A fossil fuel registry will act as a transparent, open-source worldwide database, tracking fossil fuel reserves and assessing their emissions. It will help illustrate to governments, investors and the broader public what’s left in our carbon budget, and how we keep within it. Greenhouse supported Carbon Tracker in inviting media to this landmark event, coordinating interviews with BBC News and others.
“If you’re wondering how to bring an end to fossil fuels, Carbon Tracker’s visionary new Global Registry of Fossil Fuels shows you what's being dug up and where – and how we can stop it. It’s time for some transparency!”
Will Vowell
Greenhouse Communications
12. Just Rural Transition – calling for greater consideration of food and agriculture in negotiations
The Just Rural Transition (JRT) initiative called for food and agriculture to be central to negotiations to create a just ransition. Food systems create one third of total greenhouse gas emissions and threaten 86% of at-risk species – while farmers and their communities comprise two-thirds of those in extreme poverty. We must transform our food systems for the climate, nature and livelihoods.
JRT worked with the COP26 Presidency and the World Bank to develop the Policy Action Agenda (PAA), which sets out pathways and actions that countries can take to repurpose public policies and support to make food and agriculture more sustainable. On Nature Day at COP, 16 countries across six continents pledged their support for the PAA. Greenhouse produced a range of assets for the Presidency event, including an animated explainer video, a compendium and showcase of country case studies, and a motion infographic detailing the potential impact of country pledges.
“The countries supporting JRT’s Policy Action Agenda represent 11% of total global agricultural emissions. Their endorsement means there is potential to mitigate over 700m tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, and positively impact the lives of 82m agricultural workers.”
Fiona Stainer
Greenhouse Communications
The scale of the climate emergency requires immediate action and collaboration at all levels of society. We work with organisations that are challenging global inaction on climate change with pioneering solutions. If you’ve got a strong environmental story and need our help to tell it in 2022, email info@greenhouse.agency.
You may also be interested in 'Communications to scale global clean energy initiative Mission Innovation 2.0.' and 'Amplifying frontline voices at COP26 - Elenita Sales on climate justice and representation'.
