Joining Up the Dots Post-Cop26- A Word to the Wise

One of my favorite journalists, Bill McKibben, writes in: “It’s a fairy tale that world governments will fix our climate crisis. It’s up to us”, that the COP process, like COP26, is to be seen as a scorecard of governments being forced to change as a result of citizen power, not as “contests” between rival powers. Yes, civil society speaking truth to power is important, but we must also simultaneously cultivate greater wisdom in governments and accelerate thriveable innovation and transformation in business and finance.

It's and/and, not either/or, as the improv movement repeatedly reminds us. I’ve written 8 books and 43 articles making a solid case for what I am saying while launching dozens of businesses and foundations, transforming hundreds of others, and leading many major civil society movements over 50 years as an environmental and social justice activist. I speak from hard-won experiences, successes, and failures. Critical, systemic, realistic, joined-up thinking, connecting, resonating, planning, innovation, decision-making, and action are what we desperately need more of if we are to rescue ourselves and our biosphere from the existential threats we face in this moment.

Yes, civil society provocation must not only keep up, but it must also advance, adapt and synergize with business, investors, and governments at all levels. Please don’t over or underestimate the power of crowds, activism, and protests- they are necessary but not sufficient if we do not also harness and link up the good…