The alarms have been sounding: Worldwide, climate crises are accelerating. At the same time, access to information has never been greater, and compelling solutions can be found at every turn.
Our partners at the Solutions Insights Lab wanted to understand—and share—answers to some of the toughest questions about the most effective ways to arrest climate change and create a sustainable world.
For starters, how might climate leaders “reframe grief and apathy into action”?
Social entrepreneurs have plenty of ideas. Isabel Cavalier and Lina Herrera, of Mondo Común, host weeklong, immersive retreats in the Amazon rainforest to help participants connect with the land. Paul Redman, of If Not Us Then Who, suggests convening a forgiveness workshop where polluters meet face-to-face with the communities they have harmed, creating connection that can lead to positive action.
These ideas—and many more—are available via a new effort called “What’s Working: Insights About Climate Action,” a partnership between the Skoll Foundation and the Solutions Insights Lab, an initiative of the Solutions Journalism Network.
“What’s Working” features seven deeply reported stories that showcase the ecosystem of innovative leaders engaging in collective action to curb deforestation, restore land rights to Indigenous communities, and protect the livelihoods of local peoples. The site includes full interview transcripts with each leader.
Grounded in the solutions journalism approach, the stories are not just inspirational; they’re instructive. Each one explores in detail the factors that drive systemic change—and those that obstruct it.
Designed primarily with funders, policymakers, journalists, and other storytellers in mind, “What’s Working” is also a useful tool for social entrepreneurs and anyone interested in maximizing systems-level change around the world, either directly or indirectly.
And, as COP30 approaches— with its attendant emphasis on uplifting Indigenous voices—the learnings surfaced during this project are particularly timely. They provide compelling evidence about effective approaches that can influence global decision-makers as they consider where and how to fund climate action.
Conexsus, Tenure Facility, and Koalisi Ekonomi Membumi are a few of the Skoll Foundation partners featured. Alongside other visionary social entrepreneurs, these and other partners shared extensive lessons for others in the sector.
For example, leaders offered insights about which governance models are most effective for collective action initiatives, takeaways for designing funding mechanisms that directly reach Indigenous communities, and reflections on overcoming language barriers when sharing solutions across geographies.
As we’ve learned from our partners, Indigenous leaders possess generations’ worth of knowledge about their natural environments, coalescing into profound understanding of what works best to tackle deforestation and other climate challenges in lasting ways.
These stories capture that wisdom.
Each narrative offers a rich, nuanced account of how innovative organizations are working to create transformative impact at scale. They highlight specific solutions, including why and how to find common ground while working with politically diverse partners to build infrastructure to support forest bio-economies.
As a community of social entrepreneurs and others committed to social impact, the “What’s Working” storytelling series adds to our collective toolbox of climate solutions. Through shared learning, we can drive more enduring change, on a timeline that matches the urgency.
Explore the stories here.
