Case study · Partnerships, Digital & Operations
A demand for
climate action made impossible to ignore.
In December 2015, 195 nations gathered in Paris for COP21 — the negotiations that produced the Paris Agreement. #EarthToParis was the public-engagement campaign that made the global demand for action impossible for leaders to overlook.
The client
UNFCCC. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — the body responsible for the international climate treaties that culminated in the Paris Agreement.
The challenge
The diplomatic outcome was uncertain. The public’s voice had to be loud enough to move 195 nations.
- 01
In December 2015, 195 nations gathered in Paris for COP21 to negotiate what would become the Paris Agreement — the most consequential global climate accord of the modern era.
- 02
The diplomatic outcome was uncertain. Negotiations could fall apart, be diluted, or get pushed to the next round.
- 03
To compel world leaders to commit, the public’s demand for action had to be impossible to ignore — across borders, languages, sectors, and time zones, in real time.
The approach
A coalition speaking in one voice.
I was a core member of the team behind #EarthToParis. Our team was small and nimble; I held multiple roles spanning partnerships, digital strategy, and operations — and was the only French-speaking team member on the ground in Paris.
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Coalition
Assemble 150+ NGOs, corporations, and ambassadors around one message.
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Strategy
Design coordinated comms and social activations tied to the COP’s rhythm.
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Production
Source talent and produce activations at the UNFCCC Paris summit.
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On the ground
Hold the team’s French-speaking presence — bridging language, culture, and on-site logistics.
Inside #EarthToParis
- 01
Coalition assembly
Bringing together 150+ NGOs, corporations, and ambassadors around a shared #EarthToParis message ahead of the negotiations.
- 02
Hashtag strategy
Tying #EarthToParis activations to the moments of the COP — sequencing tweets, media drops, and ambassador statements with negotiation milestones.
- 03
UNFCCC summit production
Sourcing and managing talent and producing activations at the UNFCCC’s two-day Paris summit.
- 04
On-the-ground operations
Coordinating venues, partners, and logistics in Paris in real time — the team’s only French-speaking presence.
- 05
Cross-border choreography
Coordinating 67 countries to activate for #EarthToParis events and conversations in their own languages and time zones.
The outcome
Nearly a billion impressions — and the Paris Agreement signed.
- 68K+ tweets from 16K+ unique contributors
- 300+ media outlets in 15 countries
- 67 countries activated for #EarthToParis
- 150+ coalition partners
A two-week public-engagement campaign delivering:
- A 150+ partner coalition — NGOs, corporations, ambassadors — speaking in one voice
- 67-country activation network for #EarthToParis events and conversations
- Coalition-wide communications and social media activations sequenced with the COP
- Two-day UNFCCC summit production in Paris (talent + activations)
- French-language media, partner, and venue coordination on the ground
Coalition members included
Why it mattered:
- The Paris Agreement was signed on December 12, 2015.
- World leaders saw, clearly and undeniably, that the public was watching, organizing, and demanding action across borders.
- #EarthToParis became a case study in coalition-building at global scale.
- NGOs, corporations, ambassadors, and citizens spoke in one voice when the stakes were high enough.
- Public engagement was reframed — for climate, it’s strategy, not marketing.
Building a coalition for a high-stakes moment?
Coalition strategy, public-engagement design, and on-the-ground coordination — for campaigns that need to move governments, markets, or audiences at scale.
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