Unleash the power of women
Filed under: business, corporate, innovation, lifestyle, news
Women make 70% of purchasing decisions that determine household carbon footprint. Women answering opinion polls consistently out-score men in supporting serious action on the environment by governments, business and individuals. Women bring incredible energy and social networking skills to addressing society’s great challenges. And women are significantly more likely than men – 56% to 46% more – to expect the highest environmental and climate performance from businesses, according to a recent national poll by AMR Interactive.
So how do we unleash female consumer and community power on the issue of increasing greenhouse gas emissions?
The One Million Women (1MW) campaign, an Australian initiative encouraging the sign-up of one million women to change activities in their lives and households, that affect climate change, is doing just that.
The campaign itself involves a website on which women register and then commit to activities to change environmental issues. They have developed an attractive and easy to use system where women select from a range of activities, and then track progress against them at intervals. Already 100 prominent Australian women have signed up to make their commitment and influence others to reduce one tonne of carbon. These include Labour MP Verity Firth, Greens Senator Christine Milne, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and senior female executives from large Australian businesses including Telstra, BP, and Wolf Blass.
If you have ever met Natalie Isaacs, the Founder of 1MW, you’ll have felt her passion for engaging women in her 1 Million Women campaign. Quoting Natalie from a recent 1MW event, you get a sense of that:
“I believe the moment you, honestly, internalize climate change – that your traditional framework really can change.
That’s what happened to me. I took ownership of the issue the moment I internalised climate change. And since then I have gone along and changed behaviour in absolutely every aspect of my life right through to the demands I put on governments, the business’s and brands I support, and what I will spend my money on.
And that’s the essence of the 1 million women campaign. It is to help people internalise climate change. Give bite size tangible actions that show results and move them along their journey to empowerment.”
The power of the sisterhood is real and I think the campaign is a great example of how segmenting the marketplace is helping to reach the target audience with the message of the need for all of us to reduce our reliance on carbon.
I’ll finish on a curious observation and a challenge: How many female climate change deniers have you heard of or know?
That’s a good question Turlough – I can’t think of a single female climate change denier!
Which is why I believe the I million women campaign is taking off around Australia – women are making the connection and rather than debating the matter, they are just getting on with the task of managing their household water use, waste, electicity and even the way they shop. Just imagine the power of a million women taking action together on climate change!
Join up on: http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/
Learn more about how to make a difference:http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/attachment/news/Our%208%20page%20lift%20out%20AWW1.pdf
This is a great program I went to the Sydney launch last year and was a bit intimidating being one of the few males in the room.
Great question Turlough, I can’t name one female climate change denier.
Good one Diana – well done for waving the flag – a lot of people are exciting about the initiative.
Thanks Lee.
Perhaps I could have a prize for the first female climate change denier that is put forward??? How could they be certified a denier??
I went to the launch last year in Melbourne – fabulous. A great initiative that shows that every small action counts. When our leaders fail us its the actions of individuals that count and actions of 1 million women will make a difference and will send a message to our politicians – take meaningful action on climate change now.
Great campaign indeed Turlough, good on you for promoting it. btw, the only prominent woman climate change denier I can think of is Sarah Palin!
While never wishing to be negative I believe that realism is also a good target. While saving the world is every body’s preference delusional rose coloured dreaming will, while giving a warm fuzzy feeling, may not necessarily give the expected results.
I don’t know how many of the referred to people have ever been to China or India and have seen the gigantic pollution problem there but to reference it to the efforts, commendable as they are, of a few Australians, is not realistic.
If you really wish to cut Australia’s pollution I would suggest you rally for the rapid transferal of Australia’s power generation to a clean nuclear delivered supply. While you are to be admired for your efforts I fear you labour in vain.
Good spotting Paul – I owe you a few carbon credits!
Well done Diana, we at Climate Alliance are convinced that women are more pro active and accept that climate change is real. To support and motivate the other women with small goals which will add up to a big change is a great step. I am sure this moment will spread beyond the geo-political boundaries. Arjun
Turlough I love the 1 Million Women Campaign initiative, well done! We will pass the message on. Spending numerous years past and present educating the general public, governments, fleets on reducing their carbon footprint by improving their driving techniques our email Inbox suggests a balance of females & males wanting to make a difference. Recently working in China and now in Africa drivers immediately see the benefits of the FUELAcademy program, in fact we receive up to 4,000 emails monthly saying just that. Reducing CO2, giving them more money in their pockets and driving safer. We will continue our mission! See you on our return to Oz.
Thanks for your support Arjun. Diana has been driving the program in Telstra and thanks to her commitment, we have several hundred women on board currently.
Thanks Helen. Any promotion through your network at Fuel Academy would be much appreciated.
So readers know what you and John do…..check out the fuel savings tips at: http://www.fuelacademy.com/taylors_tips.html
Turlough
Telstra’s support of the 1 million women campaign is a great intiative. Inspiring Telstra women and their families to reduce their carbon footprint – small steps will add up to millions.
Thanks for your support of the campaign Helen. There is more than 1,300 Telstra women signed up and its still increasing. I went to one event in the past fortnight where at least 50 women hooked up via video and audio conference to hear stories of how other Telstra women got involved. The level of engagement internally has been high.
I hope our new Prime Minister joins the 1MW campaign…….
G’Day Turlough,
Well done with this; I agree. Have forwarded it to women I know and for whom it will appeal. You will be getting an email from me shortly which I invite you to read carefully.
Cheers Deane
I’m genuinely offended. Why are females being given an opportunity to be involved over men? because they align with your predetermined belief or because women do more shopping?
I wouldn’t dare:
start a club of men against misinformation on carbon dioxide. based on the premise that men on are paid better than women and take more senior roles than women.
How about the fact that I have never met a female climate sceptic? as a basis for a male only sceptics party?
THAT IS SEXIST, just like this campaign, what a discrace! you should all take a look at your sexist beliefs.
@Dan – 28 Jul 2010 at 2:31 pm
Jeez, mate. You are joking, aren’t you?!…
Alas I suspect not, so why don’t you quell the twisted outrage at others trying to do something beneficial and do something beneficial yourself?
Your extreme views on this programme are more disturbing than those of any sexist.
Dan,
Everyone is important in the fight against climate change. This camapign doesn’t exclude men – in fact, men are urged to have an active role by telling the women in their lives about this campaign. It really is more about engaging women from everywhere across Australia (much like the Country Women’s Association) and to enable them to take positive action. My question is, if the end result is that 1 million women sign up to take action (because they heard about it through the 1 million women campaign), then how can that be bad thing for Australia and the rest of the world?
I agree Diana.
Dan. The point is there are different campaigns for different niches and groups of people and this one has been a real winner with women.
Shame you are offended – sorry to hear that. Out of all the people we have interacted with in our company, and externally – this is the only negative comment I have heard about the campaign………