Climateactionplan

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Introduction

The "Climate Action Plan" (CAP) project was initiated by Climatestrike Switzerland (CSCH). The project aims to develop the concrete political and social climate protection measures necessary to reach the 1.5°C goal together with experts and the population. By doing so, those affected by the measures and by the effects of the climate crisis are included. Therefore, The elaboration process should be as public as possible and trigger a major discourse on the necessary response to the climate crisis.

The resulting measures should not automatically become demands of the climate strike. Rather, they should point the way out of the crisis, show that appropriate solutions exist and launch a discourse on concrete ambitious political and social measures. The CAP will be used to put pressure on politics by showing that solving the climate crisis is not a question of feasibility but of political courage.

Purpose and Ambition (Project)

The project should show that solutions are possible and already here, stimulate discourse on them, and put direct pressure on the Federal Council, which is currently examining scenarios for a net zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2050, as well as onto the parliament, to react more appropriately.

The plan does not have the compelling requirement of finding political majorities or a constituency. However, it has the claim to come from civil society and to be supported by the population.

Our plan should be as ambitious and courageous as we consider necessary! It should explain what is necessary, what is technically feasible. And not what is politically "feasible" or “short-term economically optimal”, as the long-term societal, political and economical consequences are far worse than any short-term perceived inconveniences.

The CAP should also be able to show society a vision and answer to the question of what a sustainable world can look like. It should be an opportunity to show people what we want,  what we and they should fight for. We want to live through the search for solutions together with as large a part of the population as possible, and thus show a wish that comes as authentic as possible from the population. At the end of the process, a plan should be drawn up that is as coherent as possible, in a detailed and a short version that is as easy to understand as possible. Public and political discourse should finally shift from goal-setting towards concrete measures and solutions.

Even if not all of us stand behind the end result, or can recognize our vision in it, it is still an attempt to find the greatest possible common denominator, whose strength lies in its concreteness. In the debate about what exactly the climate movement wants, a "flight to the front" leads directly to concrete visions how it should work.

Task (Content)

The CAP contains concrete measures and shows how Switzerland can make its appropriate contribution in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and reach net zero domestic emissions by 2030. The aim is to cover all the relevant sectors in order to tackle all emissions that Switzerland has a lever on (i.e. including financial sector, imports, exports, etc).

Emissions should be reduced as quickly as possible, with the greatest possible global impact. The CAP is based on the options currently available for reducing and avoiding emissions.

A first set of obvious urgent measures (low hanging fruits) to start to drastically reduce emissions  from the beginning of 2020 should be released early with high priority.

We are adhering to the greenhouse gas emissions budget according to IPCC SR15 C.1.3 for a 66% probability of limiting warming to 1.5°C, and taking into account the provision mentioned in it for permafrost and wetlands (which means a global greenhouse gas budget of 560% of year 2018 emissions left as of 1.1.2020).

Ideas and feedback from civil society which are coherent with science, as well as best united science currently available should be used as basis for this Climate Action Plan.

Authorship

Climatestrike Switzerland is lead author of the CAP. Everyone who worked on the project within the WGs and mWGs will be listed by name if they agree. A precise formulation for the position of contributing experts towards the CAP is yet to be found. The proceedings and results are public domain, licensed under the Creative Commons licence CC BY 4.0.

Guidelines

What does it mean to react as quickly as possible? What does the “as possible” part exclude? And what does it mean to react appropriately? This requires an explanation of what the tragedy of the climate crisis is, what exactly we want the Climate Action Plan to contain and what exactly we want to preserve.

The following guidelines outline the principles according to which the measures should be elaborated, criticised and prioritised.

  1. Climate policy should follow the “polluter pays principle".
  2. Existing inequalities should not be exacerbated by climate policy and should where possible be reduced.
  3. Thinking outside of the box (e.g. at the level of the needs and of associated services, instead of energy and products) is encouraged. If a WG hits a point at which they realize their goals are unreachable because of systemic or political barriers, the WG should develop systemic approaches to reach their goals.
  4. Climate protection measures should not reduce the quality of life (whereas quality of life should be defined as happiness of living and not e.g. ability to consume more) of the population and should, if possible, even increase it.
  5. The measures taken should not trigger any other severe environmental problems. If this is the case, they should be as small as possible and be listed within the plan.
  6. The solutions must be as resilient and as sustainable as possible.

Working groups

The elaboration of the plan is split into the following working groups:

Mitigation

  • Industry
    • Description: Includes the reduction of energy consumption for industrial processes as well as emissions from the processes themselves (e.g. from escaping fluorinated gases).
  • Agriculture
    • Description: Includes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming, manure management, agricultural soils, but also energy use for agricultural motor vehicles, heat production and fuels for drying (grass,grain) and emissions by Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU).
  • Mobility
    • Description: Includes emission for the transport of persons and goods in: Domestic and international air transport, road transport (with cars, vans, trucks, buses, motorcycles), rail, shipping and pipeline transport.
  • Buildings & Area planning
    • Description: Includes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the construction and use of energy in general, as well as for heating and hot water in private households and service and commercial buildings. In addition, this WG includes the reduction of emissions in the area of spatial planning as well as negative emissions and power supply by buildings and their surroundings.
  • Power supply and power security
    • Description: Production, management, reuse and storage of power.
    • Includes energy production for public electricity and heat production (including waste incineration in waste incineration plants), by fossil fuel power plants, by refineries and production of fuels, other energy industries (e.g. charcoal production) and biogenic CO2 emissions. The WG also takes care of the possibilities of energy storage, low temperature heat distribution and the wise use of wood calorific energy.
  • Financial sector
    • Description: Investments in and financing of projects and companies which have a high carbon footprint and/or are directly or indirectly involved in the extraction of fossil fuels, through swiss money or swiss actors. This WG also develops possible mechanisms for financing other measures (possibly in coordination with WG Economic and political structure).
  • Education
    • Description: Provide the knowledge that the broad population needs to be able to fully understand the crisis we are in, it’s effects and the countermeasures to be taken, as well as their co-benefits. The WG also especially needs to develop methods, projects and strategies to bring this knowledge to the broad population and think about how to include or work together. This WG is important to help create more support for the CAP and a better understanding of the climate crisis.
  • Negative Emissions and compensation
    • Description: Collect the possibilities available today to create negative emissions and show their real potentials at scale as well as costs and side effects. The WG should assist other mitigation WG’s and provide them with compensation methods if nothing else works. The WG should also think about the potential of and need for negative emissions before and after reaching net zero by 2030.
  • International collaboration and climate finance:
    • Description: This WG will discuss measures and strategies to help reduce emissions internationally by using Switzerland’s influence, position and access on an international level in diplomacy, politics and economy. Additionally it covers the subject of international climate finance in cooperation with the Financial sector WG as needed.
  • Economic and political structure:
    • Description: This WG will connect experts who are concerned with broader and deeper systemic changes and measures in politics, economy and more, in order to fix the root causes of climate and sustainability crisis. The WG also develops possible mechanisms for financing the measures in the CAP (together with WG Financial Sector). Finally it should also think about how the current political process could be sped up (as easy and fast as possible) to make possible the needed changes in time. For this WG it is of special importance that they inform other WG’s about possible overlaps.

Adaptation

  • Description: find immediate measurements to prevent the effects that are already happening because of the climate change. E.g. In the Swiss mountains, the risk of a landslide is higher than before 10 years. What infrastructure has to be build and what prevention can be made for this situation?
  • One responsible person for every WG from this WG + further experts

WG members and contributors

There are both active and passive (= people who give input, answer questions or counter check) contributors. There are the different groups of members:

  1. Climate strikers (active or passive)
  2. Experts (active or passive)
  3. Affected people working in the field (active or passive)

An active member of a working group is a person who was part of a WG from the beginning or has since then already joined at least one meeting of the WG.

In each working group, a core team of active members is to assume responsibility for the elaboration. It should consist of at least one climate striker, one expert and one person working in the field. General group constellation: Each working group should optimally consist of 3-4 climatestrikers and 2-6 experts. A list of constant and active contributors should exist, since together they have the decision-making authority over the measures.

Meta Working Groups

Additionally there are meta working groups (mWGs) to coordinate the entire process:

  • mWG Coordination

This WG is responsible for managing the different chats, E-Mail address, the Google-Drive folders and all other structures. Organising rooms, contacting experts, defining timetables and deadlines. It is also responsible for coordination and communication with the rest of the CSCH movement.

  • mWG Elaboration Plan

In this WG we will define the exact goal and approach of the plan as well as the methods of how we get there. This includes guidelines for the plan, prioritization, decision making process, etc. This WG will adapt the working process on the way according to experiences made and feedback received. In every mitigation WG there needs to be a person from this mWG to ensure coordination and consistency, especially in case of overlaps.

  • mWG Communication & Media This WG organises the communication with the public: Writing press releases, maintaining the website, staying in contact with the media and the social media team of CSCH, etc. The reason, why we make the plan as well as the content of it should be brought to the public in an understandable way.

Operation / Elaboration

The groups will meet regularly and work on their chapters online. Each working group will write one chapter of the final plan which shows how to decarbonize their specific sector. Details and references belong to appendixes. The Chapter Structure Template” offers a guideline to how the chapters can be structured.

Work on the measures and chapters should be done following these steps:

  1. Analyze the sector and separate it into sub-sectors or sub-chapters. These sub-sectors should be taken care of by a sub WG or one person. In these sub-sectors work should follow the next steps.
  2. Make a detailed analysis of the overall problem, separating it into smaller exact problems if needed.
  3. Define a “vision” of how the sector should look like after the implementation of the CAP, giving and outlook to the future we want to live in.
  4. Define goals corresponding to the problems found in step one, that show what the WG wants to achieve in its sector.
  5. Collect existing and find new measures to solve the problems detected in (1) and reach the goals set in (2) by going through already existing plans, using the experts knowledge and listening to all kinds of inputs and creative ideas.
  6. Decide on a set of measures to be developed in detail following the structure of the “Chapter-Structure-Template”. Privilege solutions to the overall problem, thinking outside the box and in terms of services really needed instead of particular products.
  7. Decide on the measures in the final chapter which will together achieve the goals set by the WG and the CAP in general.

If the WG thinks that there are several possible pathways (with different measures) to reach a certain objective in its sector and can’t decide on one, it is also possible to show multiple equally effective pathways or measures. This can help to avoid endless discussion in the WG’s.

All working groups should also take into account the levers we have in Switzerland to avoid emissions in their respective sector arising abroad, including:

  1. import/export
  2. funds
  3. diplomacy and treaties
  4. international standards
  5. know-how & technologies

The “Flight Level” of measures should be roughly the same as in parliamentary initiatives. The measures should - regarding their form - be able to be turned into laws or political action. At some points there may be overlaps in the WGs. Therefore there will be sufficient time in the process for exchange and coordination between the WGs to align these areas. Finally, the whole plan will be aligned at the climate summit presumably in April.

All decisions need to be available in english to ensure inclusiveness. The WG’s can however decide themselves in what language they want to speak. However all written documents (including protocols) should be in English, so that people can be included all along the work and Elaboration mWG members and other WG members can follow the work done in the different WGs. Delegates from the various working groups meet regularly for the exchange between them. After each meeting, all working groups publish all relevant documents and meeting minutes which can be viewed by all.

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Decision making process

In general the WG’s should work in consensus, meaning try to find solutions that work for everyone. If however the members realize they are stuck in the process there is a possibility to make decisions in the following way:

For general decisions in the process or on whether a measure is to be developed in detail or not, decisions can be made by an ordinary 50% majority (following the decision making process below).

For final decisions on if a measure should be in the final chapter, the decisions must need to be made by a 2⁄3-Majority (following the decision making process below).

Entitled to vote are all people who are present at the meeting (physically or by call) and are active members of the WG (for active members see “WG members and contributors”).

The following things should always be respected when making a decision:

1. The person(s) who made a proposal has time to explain why and what (3min)

2. People who are against the proposal have time to explain why (1min)

3. There is time for a short discussion with the seatmate (1min)

4. There is time for comprehension questions (3min)

Tools

For texting and calls, we use a Slack server. Every WG has its own channel, to which members of the WGs will be added after joining the server. There is a separate Google Drive set up for document storage and editing. To-Dos can be managed on Trello, every WG has its own Board, which is linked in the description of their Slack channels. Scheduled meetings and calls should be registered in this calendar.

Cooperation and Networking

The regional Climatestrike group of Vaud has already drawn their climate plan on the cantonal level. There are also plans in the Klimastadt Zurich, a project in Lausanne town, and other CAP projects like Drawdown, a project for a plan from COCLICO in Romandie. Both completed and ongoing. The WG’s also stay in touch with NGO’s and specialist departments active in their sector. As the Climatestrike CAP is an open and participative process, inputs from other plans and collaboration is welcome.

Inclusion of the Public

To include all people of society, spread the CAP and give it a widespread supportership, the content has to be open for discussion to the general public and measures have to be specifically discussed with those affected by them. In order to do this, there will be a website on which the public can view and comment on the content so far as well as suggest new solutions in all sectors. The WG’s should keep an eye on public suggestions for their sector and discuss the inputs from there. When the WG decides on a measure that strongly affects certain people it should try to reach out to them and get feedback or discuss the measure with them.

Online survey (doesn’t exist yet)

On climateactionplan.ch all persons are invited to formulate their visions, ideas and concerns for the Climate Action Plan during the entire work process. These will be forwarded to the relevant working groups for discussion.

The website will also show certain interim results or currently discussed demands.

Climate Assemblies

We will aim to organise one or more climate assemblies throughout the regions. The first climate assemblies should be organized very soon at the beginning of the work on the Climate Action Plan, during the mid-November - begin of December timeframe. At these climate assemblies all people are invited to contribute their ideas, visions and concerns specifically related to the CAP's measures, to discuss them with each other and to work together to find solutions.

It remains to be decided whether the experts of the working groups will or should be involved in these assemblies.

The inputs will be forwarded to the relevant working groups and dealt with there.

A similar event could be held for all climate strikers, e.g. as part of a national meeting.

Public Relations

The aim of public relations work during the work process is to provide interesting insights into the process, to point out problems or solutions, to discuss topics, to interview those affected, etc.

It’s content should incite people's appetite for the new, fossil-free society, inspire them to think about solutions and interact with us, show the relevance of a plan and make them eagerly wait for the result.

These insights can be disseminated in the form of videos, images and texts on the channels of the climate strike social media. However, media such as newspapers, radio and television can also be invited to report regularly on measures or topics. Regular media releases or insights for the media should also be considered.

Timetable

Climate Summits

Representatives of all working groups will meet at the Climate Summits. Any overlaps and contradictions in the chapters will be discussed in meetings. In addition, gaps in the climate action plan are identified and the work on them assigned to the working groups.

It is discussed whether the measures meet the task and the requirement of an appropriate response to the climate crisis.

In addition, the solutions from the various areas are to be brought together in a coherent plan, if possible with a clear chronological sequence.

The Climate Summit will take place at a central location and will aim to ensure that the Climate Action Plan is publicly discussed in its entirety for the first time. After the Climate Summit, the results will be transferred back to the working groups.

The final Climate Summit will take place in March 2020. The exact dates of Climate Summits will be determined in consultation with the working groups.

Presentation of the Climate Action Plan

The final version of the Climate Action Plan will be presented to the media in April 2020. The presentation may also have a mobilising effect on the strike on 15 May.

In addition, the message of the plan and central measures should reach as many people as possible in a way as understandable as possible. Thanks to the involvement of the population, the plan should be as widely accepted and received as enthusiastically as possible.