What makes a winning environmental campaign? We studied six decades of activism to find out
The most successful campaigns combine conviction with clear, specific goals.
Environmental campaigns often yield partial successes rather than outright victories. A study examining six decades of activism found that 62.5% of the 2,139 named campaigns achieved at least some progress towards their goals. The victory in the Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion case demonstrates that even a split court decision can be a win, as it prevents the project and sets a precedent against similar proposals.
However, the case also highlights ongoing challenges, with critics arguing the NSW government is attempting to circumvent the court ruling by altering regulations to allow continued coal production. Clear and specific goals improve campaign outcomes, with 78% of conservation campaigns achieving partial success compared to 66% of climate campaigns.
Systemic goals, such as reducing emissions by a set percentage, are often more difficult to achieve, with only a small fraction of climate campaigns fully realizing their objectives. Targeting banks and superannuation funds proved successful in certain cases, with 28 of 30 campaigns achieving some success. However, campaigns targeting politicians were less effective, with only 39% achieving their goals.
Despite these mixed results, the importance of celebrating all wins, even small ones, cannot be overstated. The determination and persistence of environmental campaigners prove that change is possible, one victory at a time.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
