Global Action Plan International

(2011-03-03) Marilyn Mehlmann is awarded the Rachel Carson Prize 2011 for her longterm efforts to involve individuals, companies and NGOs in acting sustainably. The prize will be presented in Stavanger on World Environment Day, June 5th 2011.

A new article about climate change in Grist succinctly makes the point on which GAP programs are based:

"This is a robust finding consistent over 40 years of social science: information alone does not motivate behavior. ...Belief doesn't come first; action comes first. Changing people's behavior -- in small, incremental, but additive ways -- is the best way to open their minds to the science."

– David Roberts

GAP is represented with two lectures and a comics display at an event in Damascus hosted by the Syrian Ministry of Environment, the Swedish embassy, and the Swedish Institute. 24-30 November 2010.

An emerging Community of Practice in Indicators, Sustainability and Values
16 - 18 December at the University of Brighton
Registration is free (if you book before 1st December)

Details on the conference website.

The Garrison Institute in the USA hosted a symposium in March to explore the potential of behaviour change as a tool to reach climate goals. Global Action Plan founder David Gershon - whose latest book can be ordered from our site - was one of the keynote speakers. From the symposium report:

Global Action Plan is partnering with the Institut für partizipatives Gestalten, Germany, to offer trainings on global leadership tools that present state of the art processes for innovation and collaboration:

• Design thinking
• Leadership landscapes
• Participatory design
• Process work
• Theory U and presencing
• Change facilitation
• Envisioning desired futures
• Pattern languages
• Large group facilitation
• Collective intelligence

Read more >>

More than half of new power capacity in the U.S. and Europe in 2009 came from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels, according to two new reports by the United Nations. CNN article here.

Following the so-called Marrakech Process, a number of task forces were set up to look in depth at specific questions. The task force on Sustainable Lifestyle has just published its final reports - many of them. An overview report is attached here.

Take a look at Gapminder's chart!

Conference on climate literacy
Kiev, 17 November 2009 and
Chernigiv, 18 November 2009
 
Climate change is not a problem
Climate change is often framed as an overshadowing problem. But in fact, it is not a problem but a symptom. It is one of many symptoms of global un-sustainable development. In other words, symptoms of unhealth created by human behaviour – by the millions of decisions taken every day by millions of people.