HIER: la Coalition Climat NL

The coalition includes Oxfam, Red Cross Netherlands, Unicef, PLAN, WWF and many other national and international NGOs. The total budget of the programme and the campaign is • 16.3 million for the period 2006-2007.

The objectives are:

(1) to reduce the risks of climate change by integrating responses to climate change and climate variability into disaster risk reduction, poverty reduction and sustainable development efforts

(2) to raise the sense of urgency by using the climate risk reduction projects within the programme as climate « witnesses »

(3) to reduce emissions by convincing at least one million consumers to
take action.

Although the public campaign has no policy objectives in itself, we consider the public campaign as essential to strengthen the ongoing activities to influence government policies and the climate policy of major Dutch companies.

The communications concept ‘HIER’ can be found on our website
www.klimaatbureau.nl. Hier‚ means here. This concept can help to show that climate change is not an abstract, long term environmental problem, but that it is happening here and here and here. It also helps to show that each person and organisation can be part of the solution, here, here and here. To cite Bill Clinton from his speech during the last CoP: « Here’s what I am going to do! »

The concept can be used by the participating NGOs, other NGOs and participating organisations, like local authorities. It can also be
used by the business sector, in offering a well-defined package of
products like efficient light bulbs, the most efficient (Top Ten)
appliances, green electricity and climate-neutral products. The name
of our campaign website is www.hier.nu (hier.nu means here.now)

The Program is intended to be internationally relevant as well:

 The chosen approach to include humanitarian an development NGOs to raise the sense of urgency is innovative and will hopefully contribute
to their involvement in other countries.

 More than half of the projects will take place in developing countries, especially the projects of development and humanitarian NGOs. They offer new opportunities for climate impact stories and climate « witnesses »;

 The communications approach is meant to be easily be copied in other
countries;

 The Dutch Top Ten project for the most efficient products is part of an innovative international project to introduce Top Ten websites in ten European countries (see www.topten.info) and to
create buyer’s groups like local authorities and banks. This international
approach can create enough volume to transform markets;

 At least half of the compensation of climate neutral products will come from « gold standard » CDM projects.