2015 was the hottest year ever recorded, and future years are predicted to be even warmer.
It’s undeniable—extracting and burning fossil fuels is contributing to climate change and having a catastrophic impact on people and the planet. At the 2015 United Nations climate change negotiations in Paris, leaders from 196 countries acknowledged that previous efforts to control carbon emissions had failed, and committed to decarbonize the global economy by limiting the planet’s global warming to just 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2020. Experts agree that this can only be achieved by ending our reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning instead to clean, renewable energy. Because we can’t afford to lose time, world leaders need to be held accountable to this promise.
In May of 2016, Break Free, a global coalition of climate justice organizations, planned peaceful actions that united thousands of people across six continents with a single message: keep fossil fuels in the ground. Lush North America joined Break Free and launched a 14-day campaign to raise awareness about the urgent need for global leaders to take action against climate change. Using retail storefronts, videos, online articles and social media posts, we encouraged our customers and staff to join the seven North American protests organized by Break Free, and to sign an online petition demanding world leaders act on their commitment to transition to renewable energy.
Through our campaign, we mobilized hundreds of customers and staff members to join local protests and participate in direct actions. We welcomed several new Charity Pot partners including The Climate Disobedience Center and local 350.org chapters, which received funding to support the Break Free actions and other climate justice projects. The campaign was adapted by our international Lush partners in the UK, Japan, Brazil, Australia and The Netherlands, and each supported the movement to Break Free.