WWF-Canada invites you to participate in Pin It for the Planet, a new public mobilization campaign that will encourage Canadians to shake up their routines and use creative, sustainable car-free ways to go about their everyday lives. To work, shop, school, and play. The campaign will be a unique, highly visible experience and positive in tone.
The Idea
The Idea
Pin up your car key for a week in support of our planet. Show the world you care. Show that this week you are walking, riding or taking public transit and taking action on climate change.
The idea is simple and straight to the point. Although there is intrigue created by the subtle but odd sight of someone wearing their car key on their lapel, it is unmistakable once understood. It makes a private act public, and is symbolic of a commitment to the environment. It is simple to participate, will spark conversation and education, can spread virally, and will help build a community of advocates.
The idea will be brought to life through significant media attention, advertising, social media vehicles, PR, and an engaging online experience. In addition, outreach to community, educational and youth groups will encourage locally-created, relevant campaign presence. Downloadable action kits will support activation at the community level.
Why transportation?
Leaving the car at home is better for everyone and better for the planet. Transportation is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, which contributes to climate change. Sustainable transportation reduces stress, saves money (it’s about $10,000/year to own a car in Canada), contributes to physical health, and is a simple but meaningful action to take in the fight against climate change. If every Canadian left their car at home just one day a week, we would save about 4.86 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking about 800,000 cars off the road for one year.
How to Get Involved
Help spread the word by:
- Participate by pinning your key to your shirt and show your support for leaving the car at home
- Post web tools (badges, banner ads, logo) on your community/group website, put up posters around your office/centre/community
- Enjoy an evening under the stars and attend one of WWF-Canada’s bike-in movies. These will be taking place in the following cities: Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver
- Start your own event in your hometown. Get a group of friends or team mates together and go for a walk/bike ride while sporting your key. Organize a picnic, Sunday morning brunch, evening BBQ in a park or at a friend’s and encourage attendees to walk, bike, or take public transit there.
- Share your events and ideas with the WWF-Canada team. We may post this on our website to help spread the word and raise awareness about your group.
- Download our helpful toolkits. These will provide helpful ideas, tools, and resources at your fingertips to make Pinning It for the Planet easy and fun to do!
WWF-Canada and Climate Change
WWF is the largest multinational conservation organization in the world with almost 5 million supporters. We have a sound, global voice in conservation and environmental issues, and the insight and knowledge to make the scientific rigor behind Pin It for the Planet meaningful and relevant to Canadians. We’re working to conserve biological diversity, to make sure that renewable natural resources are used sustainably, and to reduce the pollution and wasteful consumption that are taking their toll on species and landscapes. In Canada, we’re tackling daunting conservation challenges including how to save species at risk, fight climate change, and manage our resources sustainably – and we’re making headway.
Addressing climate change will take a collective effort. Individuals, business and government must be a part of the solution. Every person who makes positive environmental changes in their daily lives sends an important, collective message to business leaders, civic influencers, and government. With your support of Pin It for the Planet, WWF plans to build a community of engaged members of the public. They in turn will advocate on our behalf and help spread word about how everyone can lower their individual footprint. For more info on WWF-Canada visit wwf.ca.
Contact
Lindsay Page, Manager, Public Mobilization
lpage@wwfcanada.org
416 489 4567 ext.7288
Erinn Piller, Coordinator, Marketing
epiller@wwfcanada.org
416 489 4567 ext. 7244
