COP 20 – Iain Keith of Avaaz – Snr Campaign Director

Iain Keith, a Senior Campaign Director of Avaaz, a civic organisation that promotes global activism, speaks at COP 20, Lima, Peru on Energy -People Power pushing Positive Change.

In a quoted statement: ‘2014 was a turning point year’, Iain Keith elaborates on some of the facts that support this statement, viz; People Power, Renewable Energy revolution and Climate Change issues gathering momentum.
* People Power – In Sept. 2014, the largest ever political mobilization by citizens on a climate issue, where over 670,000 citizens from around the world were taking to the streets calling on leaders to do more in terms of renewable energy.  Citizens in countries around the world started local campaigns calling for the move to 100% renewable energy in their districts and a 2.2 million signer petition calling for ‘phase-out’ of carbon emissions and ‘phase-in’ of 100% renewables.
*  Renewable Energy Revolution – the energy revolution seems to be gaining exponential momentum and becoming unstoppable in a sense of speaking, and some recent examples of this revolution, viz; E.ON largest utility company in Europe recently announced it will be turning its back on coal and gas sectors, and will itself focus more on the renewable energy sector, also, IPCC have clearly stated that fossil fuels have to be phased out and financial institutions like Bank of England, HSBC, City Bank, etc. are all doing investigations into the risk of the ‘carbon bubble’.
*  Outside of the COP talks, there is a lot of momentum both in Public, Economic and Scientific sectors and a real sense that ‘things are achievable’, that yet still have to translate into concrete political will in these talks and continue this trajectory towards and unstoppable, clean and renewable energy future.

We are entering into a turning point in climate change and it is becoming very clear that 100% renewables and 100% clear energy actually does not just save the   planet, but also saves money, as economists forecast that ‘action now’ translates into a 3 billion a year saving by 2030!

“Lower energy use = lower energy bills and lower emissions ~ People are going to be there every step of the way!

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E.ON itself will focus on the renewable energy sector