Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in shaping climate policies by advocating for ambitious environmental standards, providing research and expertise, and raising public awareness about climate issues. The main goal of NGOs in addressing climate change is to hold governments accountable for their actions and provide them with the capacity necessary to make adjunct decisions. They also push the general public to speak on behalf of their interests through petitions, voting, and even lobbying. The research of advocacy groups influences climate negotiations by mobilizing public pressure to promote political action. Government actors value the expertise of NGOs due to their neutrality, in which their strategy is determined by the capabilities of public financial resources and public opinion. NGOs express public pressure on elected officials to make decisions based on the information provided and the political direction of the people to address issues in climate policy.
Environmental organizations such as Greenpeace serve as a formidable force in advocating for new social movements that challenge ethical business practices while influencing public opinion. Greenpeace is an independent organization that campaigns for non-violent yet confrontational solutions to expose global environmental issues. They push for a green and peaceful future that ensures that the Earth serves as the main interest in political decision-making. Greenpeace develops climate-orientated campaigns that highlight how natural disasters are a result of climate change, and without corrective action, these catastrophes will become increasingly more prevalent. NGOs such as Greenpeace call upon governments, large corporations and policy-makers to suggest changes that are predominantly not economic-based and focus on preservation. For example, the Give the Orangutan a Break: Nestle KitKat Spoof Video raises awareness about Nestle’s unsustainable use of palm oil in their KitKat bars, which contributed to mass deforestation and threatened orangutan habitats in Southeast Asia. The video incorporated a humorous take on the KitKat brand by dramatizing the influence KitKat has on its sustainability measures. In the video, a standard labourer in an office decided to have a KatKat bar and instead of chocolate, they consumed an orangutan finger that spewed blood around the desk. The campaign targeted Nestlé, urging the company to adopt more sustainable sourcing practices and to remove palm oil from suppliers responsible for damaging rainforests and endangering species like orangutans. The video gained a significant amount of attention and led to Nestle committing to a more sustainable standard in how they source palm oil. The emergence of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil aims to improve supply chain practices in sourcing palm oil, Nestle ended up working with this initiative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaJjPRwExO8&ab_channel=GreenpeaceUK
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Give the Orangutan a Break: Nestle KitKat Spoof Video
The Pembina Institute is a renewable energy focused Think Tank that advocates for effective policies that support clean energy and sustainability. They promote wind and solar energy and advocate for shutting down coal-fired electricity plants that have a significant impact on C02 emissions. For example, the institute helped establish a non-profit initiative called the Business Renewables Centre with a mandate that outlines an education platform for organizations to learn how to buy sustainable electricity from renewable sources. Modelled after a successful U.S. program, it provides resources, exclusive events, and educational tools, enabling companies to enter the renewable energy market with ease. Since launching in 2019, BRC-Canada has helped its community secure $3.75 billion in renewable energy deals, creating nearly 4,500 jobs, primarily in Alberta’s deregulated energy market (Pembina). Exceeding its original targets, BRC-Canada aims for corporations to procure 10 GW of renewable energy by 2030, contributing to Canada’s goal of a zero-emission grid by 2035.
The Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) released a statement in 2019 that highlights their influence on the government to implement climate policies on fossil fuel lobbying (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). The CPPA is an independent organization that is concerned with addressing issues on social, economic, and environmental justice. The CPPA addresses fossil fuel lobbying on federal government policy and underscores the significance of encouraging decisive climate action to reduce the influence of economic interests that prioritize short-term economic gains over long-term environmental sustainability. Between 2011 and 2018, the oil and gas industries participated in over 11,000 lobbying interactions with federal actors that outweighed the impact of environmental organizations encouraging sustainable practices. Lobbying efforts intensified during political campaigns and pivotal policy debates that mentioned the carbon tax or the Environment Assessment Act. The CPPA provided urgency in addressing Canada’s Federal Lobbying Act to increase transparency and voice the concerns of the people in the context of sustainability.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Canada’s fossil fuel lobby influences policy and decisions for major federal government projects