On Friday 20 September, people from all over the world will stand side by side for the biggest ever global #ClimateStrike.
The day follows on from the ‘School Strike for Climate’ held in March this year which saw more than 1.5 million students skip school to protest government inaction on climate change.
The ‘School Strike for Climate’ day was inspired by 16-year old Swedish school student Greta Thunberg, whose strikes outside the Swedish parliament sparked a global movement.
The global mass day of action will take place three days before the United Nations climate summit in New York with over 4,000 worldwide events already planned, and more being added every day in the lead up to Friday 20th September.
Why? Climate Crisis is the greatest single threat to every living being on our planet. If we don’t act now to change behaviour and transition fairly and swiftly away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy access for all, the injustice of the climate crisis will only get worse.
Australian students three demands for governments include.
- No new coal, oil and gas projects, including the Adani mine
- 100% renewable energy generation and exports by 2030
- Fund the transition of job creation for all fossil-fuel workers and communities
Travel companies are also joining the revolution with many businesses expected to get involved.
The Intrepid Group are closing down their entire operation globally to let their employees strike and have joined Australian based B-Corp business collective ‘This is not business as usual’ to unify their message.
‘This is not business as usual’ are a “group of Australian & global businesses pledging to support worker participation in the climate strike on September 20th.”
Their mantra is that “every business can do something, whether it’s closing the doors, having a meeting-free day, allowing a long lunch, or sending an email to make it clear teams will not be penalised for taking a few hours off.”
Echoing the sentiments of many Australian’s, they say that “The reality is that while it’s not up to the private sector to lead climate action, we can do our part in this first of a kind moment.”
In an open letter outlining why they too will be striking on Friday 20th, James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Group has spelt out their reasons.
“We are at a pivotal moment in time. Taking definitive action to fight the climate crisis is critical.
Children around the world have been leading the way through the Climate Strike movement, and now is the time for adults – and business leaders – to stand up and support the call for immediate action.
As a father, and a traveller, I feel compelled to stand up and support the next generation in their protest for action.
“At Intrepid, we believe that we have a particular responsibility to take climate action – because flying is a big contributor to emissions, and we want to ensure we are doing everything we can to mitigate our impact.”
James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Group
We have been climate neutral since 2010, and in 2020 we will become a Climate Positive business. We firmly believe that there are positive solutions available – but change is happening too slowly.
We need individuals, businesses and governments to work together to make change happen. This is especially true now when short-term decision making is putting future generations at risk.
On Friday 20th September – three days out from the UN’s Emergency Climate Summit – we are giving all our staff around the world the opportunity to join the Global Climate Strike.
We want to send a clear message to the government that we stand in solidarity with our children, and that we demand immediate action.
On the day of the Global Climate Strike, Intrepid will be closing its doors so that our staff can join the youth-led movement.
This is an unprecedented step for our business because this is a crisis.
Now is the time to come together to demand action from our elected leaders.”
James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Group
What will the positive impact be?
Thanks to the Global Climate Strike movement and ‘This is not Business as Usual’, there are already over 1000 Australian businesses closing their doors on Friday the 20th, putting the planet over profit and joining the Global #ClimateStrike.
Some of these companies include Intrepid Travel, Reho Travel, World Resorts of Distinction, Who Gives a Crap and Patagonia.
Aside from also joining ‘This is not Business as Usual’, we’ll also be closing our doors at ‘Travel to Change The World‘ and Karryon.com.au to attend events in Byron Bay and Sydney because we believe wholeheartedly that taking a stand is the only way to enable change.
By striking and standing together, we’ll collectively show politicians en-masse that people everywhere want climate justice and we’re not going away until we get it.
Everyone is invited, everyone is needed.
See you there.
To find out more visit:
https://www.notbusinessasusual.co/
www.globalclimatestrike.net
https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/sept20
How can you travel to change the world?
Congratulations! By reading this post and taking some of these insights on board, you’ve already made a difference.
Now you can easily create your impact by sharing your new-found knowledge with other friends who you think would also be interested.
Ultimately, responsible travel comes down to common sense – stay curious, keep yourself up-to-date with the challenges at hand and make yourself accountable for your actions on your travels.