Why We March

The document outlines the dual motivations of despair and hope behind the People's Climate March. Despair is driven by climate damage and government inaction, while hope is based on the potential for sustainable cities, reduced food waste, landscape restoration, and sustainable infrastructure investment.

• Motivations for the People's Climate March include despair over existing climate damage—such as rising sea levels threatening one billion people and declining agricultural yields in Africa—and frustration with governments, specifically the U.S. administration, for failing to adopt effective climate and economic policies.
• There is evidence that cities can improve competitiveness and livability while reducing costs, noting that over 7,000 cities have joined the Covenant of Mayors to implement these changes.
• Environmental restoration and food waste reduction offer paths to sustainability, with 34 countries committing to restore 365 million acres (148 million hectares) of degraded land.
• Sustainable infrastructure investment is presented as a cost-effective alternative to traditional investment, with a global need for $90 trillion in infrastructure by 2030. Additionally, over 240 major global companies have committed to decarbonize their operations based on scientific requirements.
• The Paris Agreement is identified as a tool to assist vulnerable communities and advance national strategic interests, though the U.S. administration is described as stifling the necessary climate action.

APA

Steer, A. (2017). Why We March. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/why-we-march

Chicago

Steer, Andrew. Why We March. World Resources Institute, 2017. https://www.wri.org/insights/why-we-march.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Steer |first1=Andrew |title=Why We March |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=28 April 2017 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/why-we-march |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{steer2017why, author = {Steer, Andrew}, title = {{Why We March}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2017}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/why-we-march}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }