Project Drawdown

The Centre for Local Prosperity is pleased to announce that it has initiated a close collaboration as one of the lead Canadian partners with Project Drawdown.   The Centre will be working closely with Paul Hawken, Project Drawdown Founder, and other key Drawdown staff in order to focus on the interface between resilient economies and environmental stewardship – the two go hand in hand.

Project Drawdown will be launched internationally with the publication of a book “Drawdown, The Most Comprehensive Plan to Reverse Global Warming”.

What is Drawdown?

(adapted from www.drawdown.org)

Drawdown is that point in time when greenhouse gases peak and begin to decline on a year-to-year basis. It is the most important goal for humanity to undertake. It is not a daydream because Drawdown is based on research that maps, measures, and models solutions that are already in place.

“At its core, Drawdown is a clear and detailed case of what is possible. We are counting what counts. By collectively drawing down carbon, we lift up all of life. We have the technologies, but we really have no sense of what it would take to deploy them at scale. Together, let’s figure it out.”

Drawdown starts to tell a new story of possibility, grounded in data and analysis. By cataloging what we already know how to do — and are already doing — we paint a picture of human brilliance, capability, and compassion. The skill and determination being expressed by humanity is a fact-based counter argument to the narrative that climate change is too vast, too hard, or too complex to tackle. In actuality, there are many reasons to believe Drawdown is possible. Indeed, Drawdown analyzes 100 solutions that can be applied at both the local and regional levels.

There are three paths to drawdown:

1. reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere through efficiency and resource productivity;
2. replace existing energy sources with low carbon renewable energy;
3. and bio-sequester carbon dioxide through innovative farming, grazing and reforestation practices.

The Centre for Local Prosperity will be working closely with communities across Canada – paying particular attention to Atlantic Canada.  Our aim is to assist in developing local, municipal and provincial strategies, along with identifying and promoting local and regional economic opportunities based on solutions identified in Project Drawdown.

Several Thinkers from the 60th Anniversary Thinkers Lodger Retreat on Climate Change have filtered the 100 Drawdown Solutions to 25 solutions that are the most relevant for Atlantic Canada. These can be found here.