One Change [1] empowers people to believe that simple actions matter and to make smart choices that protect the environment. The Ottawa-based NGO was founded by a group of friends in 2005 on the belief that by making even one simple action accessible to everyone, broader engagement and participation in climate change would result. We were right—in the past four years our message has spread to millions of people across North America, inspiring them to take action for the environment. As a testament to this, One Change was recently named the first North American not-for-profit grassroots partner of the United Nations Environment Programme [2] (UNEP).
Established in 1972, UNEP is the voice for the environment in the United Nations system. Amy Fraenkel (pictured here with One Change Founder and Executive Director Stuart Hickox), Director of the UNEP Regional Office for North America, officially announced UNEP’s North American partnership with One Change at the Catalyst Awards on April 15, 2009.
“One Change’s ‘simple actions’ message is a perfect fit with our mission to inspire, inform and enable people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations,” says Ms. Fraenkel.
It was with great pride that Stuart Hickox introduced Ms. Fraenkel at the One Change Catalyst Awards. She is a specialist in the field, with more than 20 years of experience in environmental and maritime law and policy.
“Being chosen as a UNEP partner is a tremendous honour,” says Stuart. “Not only is it a huge vote of confidence for the One Change model, but it makes it possible for us to speed up the process of reaching millions of people with the ‘simple actions matter’ message.”
The timing couldn’t be better. One Change is preparing to launch a pilot project for its new fuel efficiency campaign this summer. Staff and volunteers will go door-to-door to 12,000 homes across Ottawa, training people to use tire gauges so they can make their vehicles more fuel-efficient. Ottawa is where One Change launched its award-winning Project Porchlight campaign in 2005, which has resulted in the delivery of more than 2 million free compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs to residents in Canada and the United States.
As One Change launches future campaigns, UNEP will be a valuable partner in reaching international audiences. “We’re excited to join with One Change in engaging people in UNEP's North American region by empowering them to believe that simple actions matter,” says Ms. Fraenkel. “People from all backgrounds, in every community, want to make a difference. One Change has tapped into the universal desire to take action on climate change. By combining UNEP’s resources, networks, and international credibility with One Change’s proven approach to mobilizing individual action, we’ll be able to engage more people and inspire more lasting change.”