With time to address climate change running out, 82.8% of climate campaigners are at risk of running out of money to accelerate their climate policy work.
The new platform will allow the overwhelming majority who care about the planet to directly fund the next generation of 10, 000 campaigners from communities to the global stage.
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A new climate tech startup, HERO, launched the first subscription platform that allows people to directly fund a stable monthly income to climate campaigners around the world, so that they can go faster and stronger.
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Rather than supporting only individuals, HERO supports groups of campaigners working together, termed Circles. Circles specialize in a policy topic and geographical region to ensure that efficient climate policies are passed into law to reach the targets established in the Paris Agreement, from a just energy transition, ocean conservation to land protection.
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Considering the UN has given the world seven years to keep our planet under the 1.5 degree threshold, research conducted by HERO found that 82.8% of climate campaigners don’t have enough funds to continue working on the policies and initiatives the world needs to address climate change.
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Climate campaigner Elizabeth Wathuti, recently included in TIME’s list of the next 100 most influential people in the world states “Young people are already leading climate action through the initiatives they are running on the ground in their home countries. Financing their work recognizes their impact and contribution, and empowers them to scale up and strengthen their continued leadership in holding leaders accountable.”
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In a year when oil and gas companies reported a 127% increase in Q1 profits*, an ongoing research of over 500 climate campaigners to date found that only 17.2% can afford to focus on climate action full time.
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Last year at COP 27, in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, it was reported that more than 600 lobbyists assisted the climate conference to represent the interests of the fossil fuel industry, outnumbering representatives from civil society, including climate campaigners. Campaigners have proven to have an outsized impact when it comes to climate policy change, with their most recent success being the EU Nature Restoration Law, to restore 20% of EU's nature by 2030.
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82.8% of campaigners said working on climate action alone wouldn’t allow them to pay for their basic living expenses, creating uncertainty and burn out. Providing more financial resources to campaigners will allow them to be more resilient to face the challenges ahead.
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HERO connects climate campaigners with the overwhelming majority who want to support climate action. A survey conducted by PEW Research of more than 17,000 people in 17 countries showed that 70% of people think they will be personally impacted by the effects of climate change and that they want to do more for the climate but they just don’t know how.
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Greta Thunberg mentioned in a recent panel hosted by HERO in London: “We need everyone to join the climate movement above all. But we also need more resources into the climate movement, because as it is now, it’s not sustainable. Too many activists are burned out because they simple have too much work to do. We need help”.
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Supporters can not only fund but also engage with campaigners on herocircle.app in just three clicks. In return, they become part of their journey to build the next decisive moments in climate policy, receiving live behind the scenes feedback on the progress and campaigns of the Circle of campaigners they support.
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All circles of campaigners go through an onboarding and selection process, making sure they have a track record of non-violent climate advocacy. Applications are assessed by the HERO Selection Board, an independent committee of 5+ experts in climate policy and advocacy. On top of creating a new mechanism for campaigners to receive funding from citizens and start a shift in the way their work is valued, HERO has built a global network of mentors that provide their support and expertise on climate policy, influence and communications, making sure they have the right tools to navigate politics.
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Most of the services that exist for the common good - education, security and healthcare - are funded by society. Yet climate action, which is addressing the single biggest challenge facing humanity, was not.
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Mauricio Porras, co-founder of HERO, comments, “Climate campaigners have one of the most important jobs of our time. Not supporting the people that are working day and night to enact more ambitious climate policies is the one thing that humanity can’t afford.”
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