The Hot 100
One hundred is a critical number for Blue Planet Alliance.
The Mission of Blue Planet Alliance is to end the use of carbon-based fuel. We are doing this by helping countries and territories transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045.
That also happens to be the year that the UN will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
And as part of our mission — driving ambition for climate awareness and action — we are also working with governments, businesses, and individuals to help grow a global movement aimed at reducing the negative impact on the planet, thus aligning human behavior more in harmony with nature. We therefore are growing an actual Alliance of organizations, each of which is aligned with that harmonious goal.
We are thus thrilled to announce that we now have our 100th organization in our Alliance:
That is 100 organizations — and growing — that have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with us, that are standing shoulder to shoulder with us, letting the world know that we cannot be passive in our fight to protect the planet. We must be action oriented, and ready to take bold steps to fight the negative consequences of rising global temperatures.
One of the keys to our success so far is collaboration. We have used our convening power to bring diverse stakeholders to the table and talk. And whatever skepticism one might have about “talking,” we know from experience that it really does work.
Hawaii Leads the Way
Case in point, Hawaii. When our founder, Henk Rogers, was first inspired by the idea of trying to get Hawaii to pass a law mandating a transition to 100% renewable energy, he was met with skepticism and disbelief. The utilities in Hawaii had a comfortable (for them) arrangement, and didn’t want to disrupt the gravy train.
But as our team gathered voices at the table, we were able to show the utilities, politicians, other businesses, and local citizens that not only would transitioning to 100% renewable energy be 1) possible, 2) better for the environment, and 3) better for the local economy (saving billions on imported dirty energy, like gas and coal), but 4) the utilities could actually make more money with renewables.
That opened their eyes — and the utilities went from being our worst enemies to our best friends. And now Hawaii is well on its way to reaching the goal of 100% by 2045.
Blue Planet Alliance founder Henk Rogers signing Memorandums of Understanding with Dr. Sylvia Earle and Fabien Cousteau.
Our list of Alliance members now stretches all over the globe, 27 countries, from Palau to Portugal, from Denmark to the Dominican Republic. Our Alliance includes Mission Blue, world-renowned marine biologist Sylvia Earle’s nonprofit that inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. And the Proteus Ocean Group, led by famed oceanographer Fabien Cousteau, which is a nonprofit ocean observatory and underwater research station. And the Anthem Awards, developed by the Webby Awards to honor the organizations, brands, and people creating long-lasting impact.
The Vision of Blue Planet Alliance is to create a world in which humanity and nature live in harmony. This is the vision that unites all of the organizations that have signed an MOU with BPA. And by joining the Alliance, BPA and all of its members greet new members by supporting their missions, regardless of whether or not they are focused on the environment or energy.
That’s because, while we as individual organizations all have our own missions, we are all working also toward a common goal.
Some (such as the Alliance for Democracy in Laos) are focused on justice, while others (such as Peace Boat) are trying to build a culture of peace around the world, from sustainability to the abolition of war. But as the SDGs have taught us, all social-good endeavors are in some way connected, and moving the lever on one can positively impact another. So an organization like Girls Education Collaborative, devoted to girls’ education and also launching a permaculture farm in Tanzania, is perfectly aligned with BPA’s goals, even though it isn’t explicitly involved in our 100% initiative.
While each of the organizations within the Alliance may have a voice, even the voice of the strongest among us is not loud enough to equal the voice of a big government, or a well-funded organization like OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). We must band together to have a voice, the voice of humanity and the voice of nature.
Once we have enough members in all of our combined organizations, we will be loud enough to cause the change we need to see in the world. The best way to create change is to take action, and sometimes that action is as simple as joining focus with others who have similar goals to yours. With that in mind, stay tuned as we enlist the next 100 organizations in Blue Planet Alliance.
And we will be celebrating our partners this week (Friday, September 22) during Climate Week NYC. During our flagship event, “Climate Impact Talks” at the Hard Rock Hotel New York (also a partner!), we will have a panel specifically focused on our partnerships program, featuring partners like PYXERA Global, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, the Global Warming Mitigation Project, and RecycleGO, and moderated by Lance Gould, CEO of another partner, Brooklyn Story Lab.
