December 14, 2023
At the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, our RewriteCOP campaign provided world leaders with stories that speak to the urgency of the climate crisis and showcase the diversity of pathways to creating resilient futures.
Sprouted from the When Is Now campaign launched by the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) in 2021, RewriteCOP is rooted in the conviction that creative inquiry and storytelling are vital to tackling the climate crisis. The campaign is mobilized by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), and Climate Reality Project branches in the Philippines, Africa, and Canada.
In the lead-up to COP28, RewriteCOP invited common folks to explore their relationship to the climate crisis, reflect on the developments arising from critical climate change conferences, and use their creativity to communicate their stories to policymakers and decision-makers. We brought these stories to the decision-making table through RewriteCOP exhibits hosted by the Governments of Ghana, Sri Lanka, and Canada at COP28 in Dubai.
Furthermore, two (2) RewriteCOP panel discussions were conducted on the sidelines of COP28 negotiations. Entitled “Rewriting Our Future with Arts and Science in Climate Policy Spaces,” the events were supported by the CVF and V20 Finance Ministers.
Here are takeaways from our fruitful panel discussions, where we explored how artistic and poetic approaches can support climate activists and negotiators in their pursuit of meaningful action and systemic change, not only at COP28 but beyond:
In the ongoing fight against climate change, the term “climate justice” has become increasingly prominent. It embodies a call for fairness and equity in the face of a crisis that disproportionately impacts marginalized communities and future generations.
The RewriteCOP panel discussions highlighted the diverse perspectives that paint a powerful picture of what climate justice truly means.
For Alfredo Coro II, Municipal Mayor of Del Carmen, Siargao Islands in the Philippines, climate justice is recognizing and supporting local actions that contribute to a safer planet. He emphasized that everyone has a role to play, no matter how small, in ensuring a sustainable future.
Angelo Kairos Dela Cruz, Executive Director of the ICSC, highlighted the inequity of climate change impacts, stressing the need for inclusive communication that reaches the most vulnerable communities. He believes that failing to communicate effectively with those on the frontlines is a major obstacle to achieving climate justice.
Stephanie Lamma Ewi, an environmental and climate justice advocate from Cameroon, emphasized the importance of equity and balance in resource distribution as an important element of climate justice. She also spoke of the need for a platform that empowers marginalized communities and gives them a voice in shaping their future.
Inclusion as an integral part of climate justice is something that Nana Mariam Yussif, Coordinator of Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) in Ghana, agreed on. She said everyone needs to be involved in national dialogues and decision-making processes for climate action.
When we look at the climate crisis for what it is, beyond the lens of an environmental problem, we will see that it is a crisis of development and a crisis of democracy. And solving it will require more ways to bring in more people to shape their own and our collective futures.
Renato Redentor Constantino, Advisor to the CVF-V20 Secretariat, emphasized that while science and policy are essential, it is insufficient in aligning human behaviors with sustainability and climate action.
“Science and policy alone cannot bring people in, cannot make them act. Communities that are on the frontlines will not be moved by spreadsheets, and they will not be moved by manifestos. So we need the power of poetry, we need the power of language and visual arts, to bring this message in a different way to make people stop and pause, to use what is every day and transform that into something else."
– Renato Redentor Constantino, Advisor, CVF-V20 Secretariat
Constantino shared how the CVF, a collective voice for 68 nations on the frontlines of climate change, knew they needed a new approach—one that could pierce the barriers of bureaucracy and speak to the hearts and minds of the world. Thus, in 2021, a simple yet powerful question was born: When Is Now?
The call for a global poetry rebellion transcended language and borders. It resonated with the urgency of the climate crisis, demanding immediate and meaningful change. The campaign surprised even its creators. Imagine the finance ministers of then 58 vulnerable nations, usually seen as figures of conservatism, choosing When Is Now as the theme for their annual meeting. This wasn’t just a call for action; it was a rebellion demanding an answer to a question everyone knew they had to face.
But Constantino shares that more than anything, When Is Now was a space for young people to flood in with their voices, their art, and their stories. Like jazz, the campaign was improvisational, evolving organically as poets, artists, and musicians from all corners of the globe responded to each other’s work.
Initiatives like When Is Now and RewriteCOP are commendable, according to Constantino as he recognized the efforts of Climate Reality, ICSC, and the CVF in bridging the gap between science, policy, and action.
“Poetry exists because we cannot afford the luxury of despair. Art exists because the act of surrender is simply far too expensive to carry. And those two things will remind us that art is not only meant to inspire, it is meant to disturb as well. Personally, the art, the poetry, the writing that I really love is not art or poetry that concludes but art or poetry that gets under the skin and leaves the sense of mystery. Because once a point comes out of the pen in the hands of the poet, it is no longer hers.”
– Renato Redentor Constantino, Advisor, CVF-V20 Secretariat
In the face of a global climate crisis, the question arises: how can art be used effectively to drive real change, beyond simply serving as “feel-good” or “shock value” additions to activism?
Our panel conversation explored the power of art as a tool for communication, understanding, and action.
Dela Cruz, Executive Director of ICSC, believes that art’s accessibility and universality are its greatest strengths. He recounts how a photo exhibit depicting ordinary people living with climate impacts, presented in the Philippine Congress and Senate, was instrumental in shifting legislators’ perspectives and leading to the creation of the People’s Survival Fund, the national adaptation fund of the Philippines.
“I think everyone in this room is refusing to just become victims, like the photos become photo subjects of how climate change is victimizing the whole world. I think everyone is surviving. And hopefully, if you can have enough artistic expression of how resilience, how thriving looks like, I think the world will follow suit eventually.”
– Angelo Kairos Dela Cruz, Executive Director, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities
Mayor Coro shared his experience of using art to change community behavior toward mangrove conservation. He explains how art-based communication of the need for climate change adaptation solutions following the devastating impacts of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2011 motivated his constituents in Siargao Islands in the Philippines to abandon illegal activities and rehabilitate the local mangrove forest, which ultimately saved thousands of lives during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Rai in 2021.
“Although impacts will not be felt immediately, the power of communication is that it sustained the interest of the people so when it actually mattered, our nature-based solution was there for all of us.”
– Mayor Alfredo Coro II, Municipality of Del Carmen, Siargao Islands, Philippines
Art can truly capture the human cost of climate change and climate inaction, unveil untold stories, and offer glimpses of a more just and sustainable future. Art is emerging as a powerful tool for climate action. Grassroots movements and community leaders are harnessing the power of storytelling, visual arts, and performing arts to amplify the voices of those most impacted by climate change and inspire global action.
Prince Orekha, organizer of the Niger Delta Climate Change Exhibition, shared how they use art to showcase the lived experiences of communities facing the devastating consequences of oil exploration. Through paintings, photographs, and firsthand accounts, the exhibition brings the issue of soot pollution and its impact on health and livelihoods to life. This powerful visual testimony has garnered government attention and led to concrete actions, including crackdowns on illegal refineries and improved drainage systems.
The Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) in Ghana also recognizes the importance of tailoring artistic expression to different audiences. For older generations, they use traditional Ghanaian music, dance, and storytelling to communicate the impacts of climate change and promote sustainable practices. For children, they employ vibrant visuals, animations, and interactive games to engage their imagination and inspire action.
Through the lens of climate justice, art can speak to and amplify the collective experiences of those bearing the brunt of our planet unraveling. But as Mayor Coro pointed out, the role of art in COP and other policy-making spaces is a two-way process.
While art allows us to bring the voices of our communities to the decision-making tables at events like COP, it also allows us to translate the outcomes and discussions back to our communities in a way that resonates with them, sparking understanding, engagement, and action.
So the only path forward is to tell more stories and gather more perspectives. To do that, we need to create more, write more, and engage more people beyond science and policies.
RewriteCOP’s journey continues. And as Constantino puts it, we are just beginning.
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