Over the past year we’ve often been talking about the groundswell of climate actions – concrete policies and initiatives taken by cities, regions, businesses, civil society groups, and other actors, individually and in coalitions, to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Thanks to the initiative of the Blavatnik School’s associate professor Thomas Hale, we’ve hosted a number of workshops on the topic. Such events brought together city and regional networks, private and public sector, international organisations, and researchers, finding shared objectives and plans in the run up to the UNFCCC talks in Paris, resulting in the creation of a new, ambitious project. Galvanizing the Groundswell of Climate Actions is a series of open dialogues convened by the Stanley Foundation, the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The partnership aims to bring the groundswell of climate actions to a higher level of scale and ambition, seeking opportunities for climate actions and the multilateral process to support and catalyse each other.

The opportunity to act has come promptly, as Thomas, who has been involved with the initiative since its inception, explained to us yesterday. “The next UN climate negotiating session is starting in Bonn next week. Galvanizing the Groundswell will organise three events there – the first is a workshop on climate actions in the ‘global South’. We’ve also been invited to co-host a big networking reception with the UNFCCC at which executive secretary Christiana Figueres will explain how the groundswell of climate actions builds success at Paris and beyond.”

Thomas continued: “We will follow up on those events with a special 'dialogue' to explain the groundswell of climate actions to a broader audience, including media. It will feature short presentations with graphics and audiovisuals to share the most exciting, innovative and ambitious ideas, and a ‘talk show’ format.”

More information about the events:

• Friday, June 5, 8:30-17:45 - Bonn Groundswell Workshop: Catalyzing Climate Action for Resilient Development

The workshop addresses the much heard critique that - up until now - the discussion on non-state climate action is very 'northern driven'. Participants will also explore how governments, the UNFCCC secretariat, and other organizations could ensure more effective non-state action in developing countries.

• Friday, June 5, 18:15-20:15 - Bonn Groundswell Networking Event at the Climate Action Fair

Part of a larger programme of activities at and around the Bonn Climate Change Conference, this event will bring together participants from related events organised by the UNFCCC secretariat, and by the German Development Institute /Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), the Galvanizing the Groundswell of Climate Actions project (GGCA) and The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

• Saturday, June 6, 13:30-14:45 - Bonn Groundswell Dialogue at the Climate Action Fair

A central part of the UNFCCC's official ‘Climate Action Fair’ program, this session raises the profile of the groundswell of climate actions to a broader audience, explaining how the groundswell supports countries and enhances success at the Paris Conference of the Parties and beyond.

For more information visit Galvanizing the Groundswell of Climate Actions website.