G8 Wake Up Call - Avaaz runs a global TV ad campaign (left) and
delivers a huge petition – the G8 planning meeting agrees to put
climate at the top of their agenda.
In February 2007, most world leaders were still asleep at the switch on
the issue of climate change. Avaaz members sponsored a global
television ad campaign with a provocative "Wake-Up Call" message. The
ad aired on TV in India, the US and Europe and was covered in major
media around the world, marking the launch of our global warming
petition.
Within weeks we passed 100,000 signatures, and handed them over at a
planning meeting for the G8 summit. Sigmar Gabriel, German environment
minister, waved the petition at his fellow ministers as he pledged to meet our demand to put climate at the top of the summit agenda. The other ministers agreed, and the stage was set for the G8 summit in June.