Why We March

A statement by World Resources Institute (WRI) President and CEO Andrew Steer explaining the motivations behind the People's Climate March, contrasting the despair caused by climate damage and political inertia with the hope provided by sustainable urban, agricultural, and economic transitions.

• The motivation for the People's Climate March is driven by despair over existing climate damage, including rising sea levels threatening a billion people, increasing global temperatures, declining agricultural yields in Africa, and species loss occurring at a rate a thousand times higher than pre-industrial levels.
• There is evidence that cities can become more livable and competitive at a lower cost by reducing the 10 percent of income lost to congestion and another 10 percent lost to pollution, with over 7,000 cities joining the Covenant of Mayors.
• Hope for the future is supported by efforts to reduce food waste and restore degraded landscapes, with 34 countries committing to restore 365 million acres (148 million hectares) of degraded land to support livelihoods and absorb carbon.
• Sustainable infrastructure investment is presented as a way to improve competitiveness and limit climate impacts, noting that $90 trillion in infrastructure investment is needed globally 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 help vulnerable communities and advance strategic interests. While the U.S. administration is described as stifling necessary climate action, constructive engagement could create modern U.S. jobs and support international 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} }