PowerSwitch! - A WWF campaign for a cleaner power sector

For a switch from coal to clean

The power sector is the world’s biggest climate polluter, responsible for 37 per cent of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
On 30 November 2004, WWF launched the international PowerSwitch! campaign to clean up the dirty power sector and pave the way for a low-carbon future.

Actions taken by WWF teams in 20 countries around the world over the following 18 months had one goal: to get governments to cut CO2 pollution produced by coal power stations and thereby force a switch to cleaner, more efficient power. Huge public support helped WWF to make a difference by putting massive pressure on these governments.

In a range of key countries the campaign has effectively managed to stop the construction of new coal power plants and to push legislation that puts tough caps on CO2 emissions and boosts clean and efficient renewable energies. So called PowerSwitch! scenarios outlined ways towards a clean energy future for various countries.

More than 600,000 actions were taken by individual PowerSwitch! supporters – against dirty coal and for cleaner solutions. These people made a difference by taking personal action to save the climate, whether that be protesting in the streets, signing petitions or joining email actions, spreading the word about PowerSwitch! or changing their personal lifestyles.

Partly, the great public support was the result of an awareness raising drive during the first half of the PowerSwitch! campaign, revealing the power sector’s role as the biggest climate polluter and explaining the link between power sector emissions and dangerous climate impacts like droughts, heatwaves, floods and rainstorms.

The more WWF informed activists about CO2 emissions from the power sector and the dangerous consequences, the higher their number and the stronger their will to take action. This mix of public pressure and WWF lobbying forced politicians to change their minds. Political support for reducing CO2 and boosting renewables has probably never been bigger.

However, we still have a long way to go. Rhetoric does not help us stabilize the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and to curb global warming. Real cuts in emissions and real investments in clean alternatives like solar, wind and water power are necessary to protect people and nature from dangerous climate change.

The global PowerSwitch! campaign enforced many steps in the right direction, but more and bigger steps have to follow. WWF and activists around the world can be proud of what they have achieved together, but they cannot rest on their recent successes. Instead, they have to keep up the momentum and the pressure on decision-makers.

In June 2006, the international campaign ended. However, PowerSwitch! has established networks and initiatives on different continents, which are going to last and grow even further. Moreover, a group of 30,000 core activists has been established and will keep supporting WWF’s lobbying efforts for a clean energy future.

Together we can make the switch from coal to clean. Join the growing movement today and stay tuned for new WWF actions to save the climate.