Not only is it important to engage people to change behaviour towards more sustainable consumption patterns but it is also important to engage people into political debates to show policymakers that their constituents care for and demand enhanced support for climate action both in the Global North and the Global South.
Consumer choices shape the market. By reducing overconsumption, such as buying second-hand or cutting food waste, people can significantly lower their environmental impact while sending a strong signal to businesses and policymakers about the demand for more sustainable lifestyles.
Public engagement drives political action. When people engage in a debate or issue, politicians and decision makers are more likely to listen. It is therefore an important aim for DanChurchAid to support engagement of people in our agendas and projects on climate change.
Besides communicating about our projects through reports or social media, we facilitate travels for young people with our “GoGlobal” program so that they can see firsthand what is the impact of our projects. We also manage over 100 secondhand stores with an annual profit of DKK 30 million that is allocated to support our projects in the Global South. We have a high level of engagement and support in Denmark, with more than 20.000 volunteers and supporters, including our Parish collection volunteers.
