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The new IPCC report on climate change marks the last word from the scientific community ahead of the very important COP21 meeting in Paris next year. Internationally things may be moving in the right direction, but the political will to fully embrace a divestment from fossil fuels to renewables isn’t quite there yet. Nonetheless, activists are working on it…

In the protest movements that have emerged since the financial crisis, from Occupy in the US to the Arab Spring, social media has gained new significance as a method of communication, both between activists and as a means of bringing the message to the rest of the world. The protests which took hold in Turkey last year were no exception – but how has the situation developed since then, and how have the authorities responded?

Has the rise of new media helped to strengthen democracy in Turkey, where press freedom has long been in a fragile state? Or have the new trends, technologies and channels been co-opted by authorities to use for their own ends, as an updated instrument of the party? Despite the potential of new media, the events following last year’s protests in Turkey do not give us cause for optimism in this regard.

The ecological challenge should no longer be addressed solely as an environmental issue. Rather, it should be considered a social one. A riveting French report makes the relationship between the environment and 21st century lifestyles amazingly concrete.

In order for green ideas on energy to resonate in the mainstream, questions need to be answered about how the transition will be financed, and how it will benefit those are already marginalised and struggling economically. A positive initiative targeting the Roma minority in Hungary shows one way in which this can be achieved.

A big risk for Europe stems from its dependency on Russian natural gas and oil.

Poverty and the ecological crisis are different symptoms of the same crisis Europe and the world are experiencing. Only a responsible commitment based on social justice, eco-development and sustainability can assure a safe common future. The case of Portugal illustrates the challenges faced worldwide.

In the Polish context, where environmental awareness and resistance to an energy transition is strong, a broad alliance among diverse actors in society is needed to tackle climate change, such as trade unions and other potential partners.

The two things that will shape Africa’s progress in the coming years and decades are its population demographics and climate change.

The UN and EU, taken over by ‘corporate capture’, aren’t doing enough to tackle climate change. Non-governmental organisations are concentrating their efforts on fostering a broad movement that will go beyond Paris 2015, because if governments do fail to deliver, action to tackle climate change will remain essential.