ABSTRACT
The climate emergency requires bold and wise leadership. The necessary response to climate change by humans is both simple and complex. It is simple insofar as the primary task is greenhouse gas emission reductions and equitably distributed preparations for the planetary heating that is already “baked in” to Earth systems. It is complex in that meaningful response to climate change requires comprehensive action across sectors to achieve the energy and social transition urgently required today. Government leaders and policy are lagging behind the urgency of the crisis. Citizens understand they must push for the required change. Many feel the time-honored tactic of nonviolent direct action is needed now to change policy. This chapter examines leadership needs and attributes during the climate emergency using three case studies: 1) the Wet'suwet’en Indigenous led efforts to stop fossil fuel pipelines on their territory; 2) the Canadian national Blue Dot campaign of municipalities and higher-level governments adopting a right to a healthy planet; and 3) British Columbian citizens efforts to block construction of a new diluted bitumen pipeline from the Alberta oil sands. Leadership in these efforts is found in people from all ages and walks of life. Iterative achievement of goals during a long campaign enables leadership to emerge from active groups.
