One way to look at the climate crisis is that we have a 60% problem. We don't have a solid coalition of 60% of voters who will vote for bold policies to tackle it. Right now that is small enough that any bold – or even mild progress like the Paris Agreement – can be reversed at the next election. So how do we get there?
I've been a part of this movement for nearly two decades. I went to G20 protests decades ago, to Climate in 2007 and numerous other events. In those days it was barely on the political radar. The focus was on the War on Terror and Iraq, even on the Left. President Obama made some progress but it wasn’t his key priority.
That has changed. Over the last five years it has become a rallying cry across the Left like never before. As an environmentalist I'm thankful more people are taking it seriously. But a huge challenge remains: winning over ‘non-political’ people, who sit roughly in the centre, with a bold agenda. Without them we don't get to 60%.
