Green Cross United Kingdom (G+UK) serves as the British chapter of Green Cross International, a global non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993. It is a strategic geopolitical organisation that was established in 1993, building upon the groundwork laid during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Green Cross is an NGO that provides answers to the combined challenges of security, poverty and environmental degradation. Addressing sustainability holistically, providing sustainable solutions through various programs and initiatives. Working on a case-by-case basis and implementing projects designed to generate a concrete and measurable positive impact where it operates. G+UK shares the overarching mission of Green Cross International, which is to address interconnected challenges of security, poverty, and environmental degradation. The goal is to foster a sustainable and secure future for communities worldwide. As a national chapter, G+UK creates its own Programmes and Initiatives to address specific socio-environmental issues prevalent in the UK, while also supporting international efforts where needed, particularly in Commonwealth countries without a local Green Cross presence. G+UK has established as her DNA, the Climate Positive Principle.The Climate Positive Principle takes the validity of the Earth Charter, as a basis and inspiration to formulate, solve, develop and execute a perspective through which addressing holistically the pillars of Sustainable Development following these axioms: i) Make the natural world the role model, ii) Make the common good a generous virtue, and iii) Make an equitable distribution of the value. G+UK`s approach to Climate Action Green Cross UK responds to Global Change primarily through solutions aimed at achieving sustainability in critical sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture and mining. Climate Change is one of the challenges presented by Global Change, as well as Pollution, Habitat reduction, and Overuse. Green Cross UK conceptualizes sustainability as a complex system and addresses it through a comprehensive multidimensional model (hypercube of sustainability). This model allows for a holistic understanding of the diverse needs and actors involved in sustainability, considering the specificities of each case. It also requires a personalized approach, as there is no single correct path to sustainability. Local Impact Achievements: o G+UK`s Programmes and Initiatives Green Cross UK has developed its own Programmes, where it considers Climate Action as a milestone to achieve Sustainability. Each of the programmes has an assessment to determine its impact on sustainability, to then develop a tailor-made Roadmap to achieve sustainability and positive impact. Climate Action has specific Category in the Framework called Risk and Resilience and Subcategories: Emissions and Resilience, with 5 levels of achievement beyond Best Practices to achieve Restorative effects. The programmes are: • CPSI Climate Positive Sustainable Infrastructure: Promotion, Implementation, Support, and Verification of Sustainable Infrastructure (end-to-end). Green Finance. • CPRA Climate Positive Regenerative Agriculture: Promotion, Implementation, Support, and Verification Regenerative Agriculture Practices (end-to-end). Green Finance. • CPCM Climate Positive Climate Mining: Promotion, Implementation, Support, and Verification Positive Climate Mining; Natural Mining, Urban Mining and Mining under Social and Environmental license. • CPOO Climate Positive Oceanic Odyssey: Oceanic Odyssey’s mission to Peace Building and Sustainability Spread. These programmes are a long-term, coordinated set of related actions executed within one or more Projects, that are managed and implemented jointly to achieve common goals, accomplishing benefits, outcomes, and value for the Parties, the Communities, and the Environment. They can optionally include one or more Initiatives. An Initiative is a sum of integral and multidisciplinary actions to enhance, improve, or solve a specific issue, such as Circular Economy, Decarbonisation, Sustainable Behaviour, which is addressed through the execution of a Project with the objective of achieving benefits, outcomes, and value for the Parties, the Communities, and the Environment. P&I are developed by teams of experts from each field of Green Cross's wide network, including scientific and academic institutions, research and development centres, and public agencies. These teams work together to establish objective criteria and set measurable, achievable, relevant, specific, and time-bound requirements for sustainability, resilience, and the desired positive impact. • Ertha Initiative: Assist, promote, and support all sectors in addressing the impact of overuse and material pollution in an affordable, efficient, resilient, and responsible manner to achieve the circular economy in a high human development through customized solutions. • JU Initiative: Through customised solutions, assist, promote, and support all sectors in addressing their contribution to decarbonisation in an affordable, efficient, resilient, and responsible manner, aligned with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. • G3S/Aneya: It promotes the development of a virtuous agricultural cycle based on a circular economy model and regenerative agriculture projects. It aims to avoid loss grain, ensure food security and the production of bioproducts, with sustainable grain storage through the G3S system as a pivotal turning point. • eOASIS Initiative: It is a solution complementary to sustainable transport, that includes charging stations for electric vehicles, offering devices such as air purification and air-to-water solutions, a sustainable ecosystem, integrated digital financial solutions, service hub. • Hathor Initiative: It promotes isolated agricultural areas to cultivate fodder at affordable costs, through the efficient use of water and energy (with renewable sources) so that these communities can continue to live on their main economic entrance, livestock. • Tláloc Initiative and Libis Initiative: Both seek to develop and implement a sustainable, mixed, proactive and safe global model of environmental remediation through air purification, to generate additional sinks in urban areas with microalgae. • Green Tech Women: To boost the active participation of women in the technology sector by empowering them to overcome the social and environmental challenges they face and become agents of change for a more sustainable and inclusive future. • Work from Anywhere: WFA combines turning organisations into exceptional hybrid employers and facilitate a more environmentally conscious approach to hybrid work, aligning with the growing global imperative to promote sustainable practices and combat climate change. WFA emerges not only as a natural bedfellow for workplace innovation and productivity but also as a key enabler of corporate sustainability goals. • Climate Positive Awards: The Climate Positive Awards recognise and honour extraordinary efforts made by people and/or organisations worldwide to avoid, prepare for, or address concerns related to Global Change, as well as their coordinated efforts to benefit communities and the environment. o Case Studies: In addition to the implementation of the Programs and Initiatives, customised solutions are developed that we consider Case Studies, each of them can be replicated and has an impact on Local Climate Action. Some case studies: o Climatech Ecosystem: This project advocates for the development of a tech model for Local Climate Action, involving green businesses that implement sustainable practices and promote sustainable behavior among customers. Climatech Ecosystem aims to create a business environment that fosters innovation, environmental performance, and differentiation of services promoting transparency and traceability. o Youth Dialogues: It focuses on addressing climate change, strengthening institutional frameworks, and fostering didactical arbitration. This project is a youth branch of Green Cross Youth, aimed at disseminating information about the environment, sustainable development, and peace among young individuals interested in contributing to current important issues. o Earth Dialogues for Climate & Finance: It focuses on addressing issues of insecurity, institutional strengthening, and didactical arbitration while emphasizing stakeholder value. The Earth Dialogues series comprises public forums that bring together civil society, the public, and private sectors to seek solutions for interconnected challenges of insecurity, poverty, and environmental degradation. o Climate Positive Events: This project focuses on creating events where all stakeholders are aware of and actively address the environmental impact, fostering responsible actions through Climate Action Contribution. By doing so, C+E not only generates a positive impact on the environment but also enriches the surrounding communities. For our organisation, we consider the next project to be critical, as it allows us to continue to effectively address socio-economic challenges.
