By It’s been a year for the record books: record-breaking temperatures and pollution, but also record-breaking climate protests. Millions of people hit the streets worldwide to prove that people power is our greatest hope.
Throughout the ups and downs, 2019 brought us amazing victories and started us on a path to knock down the corporate pillars that are holding up the biggest crisis of our lifetime. At the heart of all of this, was you.
5 BIG Wins in 2019
Climate
The news was clear this year, we’re running out of time. RAN hasn’t slowed down, we took on new targets, named and shamed the worst actors in the climate crisis and deforestation.
We kicked off 2019 with an important ask of YOU: to make this our Climate Year of Action. And you really delivered! Every month, your actions helped us achieve some amazing wins on climate:
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- Insuring Our Future: This year, we launched a new campaign to move US Insurance companies away from underwriting fossil fuel projects. Because every fossil fuel project requires insurance, our new campaign is a solid strategy to keep fossil fuels in the ground. In just the first 6 months of our campaign, we’ve moved three companies to make commitments!
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- Liberty Mutual
- Axis Capital
- Chubb
- The Hartford
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- Banking on Solutions: This year, we unveiled the world’s worst funder of climate chaos: Chase Bank. Our Bank Report Card put a spotlight on the money trail behind fossil fuel projects. We sent over 100,000 signatures to companies around the globe to take action on climate.
And now, thanks to you, Goldman Sachs has adopted one of the most restrictive fossil fuel policies to date in the US. This policy is already pushing banks to catch up and go further, promising important action in 2020! - Record-Breaking Climate Strikes: MILLIONS of people from all walks of life hit the streets around the world in September demanding action on climate. It was the single largest climate demonstration is history. And we were right there with you! RAN hosted multiple trainings during the mass mobilizations to get our supporters and activists trained on how to take direct action and build campaigns in their area. And we hit the streets with you! Our staff attended the strikes from San Francisco to New York to Melbourne and Jakarta. And we’re gearing up for more action in 2020!
- Insuring Our Future: This year, we launched a new campaign to move US Insurance companies away from underwriting fossil fuel projects. Because every fossil fuel project requires insurance, our new campaign is a solid strategy to keep fossil fuels in the ground. In just the first 6 months of our campaign, we’ve moved three companies to make commitments!
Forests
We saw our fair share of devastation this year too. Fires were intentionally set from the Amazon to Indonesia — all because of corporate greed by Big Agribusinesses and their financiers. RAN and our partners were on the frontlines, but we couldn’t have done it without YOU.
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- Frontline Support: During the fires this year, we saw an outpouring of support from people like you that will sustain our Protect an Acre program and Community Action Grants to give financial support directly to those fighting against deforestation and the climate crisis.
Because of your support, we were able to TRIPLE our grants directly to frontline and Indigenous communities in the Amazon where support was needed most. Communities like the Waorani people, who were able to secure protection of half a million acres of their territory. This is going to keep their land protected from oil drilling and other threats.
Our Climate Action Grants supported the Indigenous led gathering Bringing Our Voices Together: Indigenous Tar Sands Strategy Summit. The summit focused on building strategy and communities together to stop tar sands at the source, along pipeline routes, and at tar sands refineries. - Undercover Investigations and Public Commitments: This year, we were able to expose illegal palm oil sourcing in one of the most pristine forests in the world. Not only is the Leuser Ecosystem home to some critically endangered animals, it also acts as an important counter to the climate crisis with thick peatlands and forest canopy capturing and storing the world’s carbon output.
Thanks to pressure from you, Nestle. Hershey’s, PepsiCO and Unilever have delivered much-needed commitments to protect the Leuser Ecosystem from further destruction fueled by their sourcing of Conflict Palm Oil from the region.
And we have some BIG news to share with you in 2020, so stay tuned…
- Frontline Support: During the fires this year, we saw an outpouring of support from people like you that will sustain our Protect an Acre program and Community Action Grants to give financial support directly to those fighting against deforestation and the climate crisis.
Over the last year, we sent over ONE MILLION petitions to companies around the globe to take action on deforestation for communities, endangered animals, and our climate. And it made a difference!
One Enduring Lesson to Bring Into 2020:
RAN is a small organization, but people like you make a BIG impact. Our network gives us the strength to tackle the biggest problems and take on the biggest corporations in the world. We can’t do this work without YOU.
We’re making great strides to protect our planet. People power will never fail us and as we gear up for 2020, get ready to hit the ground running.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all in the streets with us next year!
