Anti-Oppression Circle, community organising, grassroots connector, poet/spoken word artist, Bipoc climate justice activist

At HERO, we are empowering those that are driving change, mobilizers around the world, so that they can accelerate their work.


We work with the best frameworks in order to evaluate each Circle on heroccircle.app


First, we use the Systems Change Lab framework to validate that each Circle is operating within the 14 global systems changes needed to limit warming to below 1.5 degrees C, halt biodiversity loss and secure a more just, equitable society.
Power / Energy 
Industry
Transport
Cities and the Built Environment
Technological Carbon Removal
Food and Agriculture
Forests and Land Management
Ocean Management
Freshwater Management
Circular Economy
Finance
New Economics for Climate and Nature
Social Inclusion and Equity
Governance


Within these Global Systems Changes, the Systems Change Lab framework has identified the 70 shifts needed to keep global temperature below the 1.5 degree threshold. For example the HERO UK Climate Justice Circle works towards 3 Shifts within the Power / Energy Global System
Phase out unabated coal and fossil gas electricity generation.
Rapidly scale up zero-carbon electricity generation.
Ensure energy access and a just transition for all.



Furthermore, HERO uses the Powers of 10 (P10) framework for climate action, which is also used by "Count us in" and which assigns optimal population cohorts for implementing climate solutions between individual (P0, ie 1 person impacted) and global (P10, ie 10 Billion people impacted, corresponding to the Global Population in 2050) scales. Applying a robust dataset of climate solutions from Project Drawdown’s Plausible scenario, research finds that prioritizing community to urban-focused climate action can maximize top-down and bottom-up efforts and support policies and practices for rapid sustainability transformation. The study also identifies the sweet spots for optimizing agency and impacts for each climate action intervention. 
The P10 framework's application allows to evaluate, using the research, at which scale (individual (P0), or City (P5)  for example),  social agency can be maximized to make the most impact


For example, the HERO UK Climate Justice Circle focuses on engaging with policymakers at the local level, the optimal population cohort would be a community (P4), i.e. a group of 10,000 people. This scale would allow the group to engage with local policymakers and stakeholders directly, advocating for green energy production alternatives to fossil fuels in the UK and ensuring that their concerns and ideas are heard.




How we look at Impact at HERO 

Climate psychology researcher and communicator. #StopRosebank campaigner. Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Champion. EGIN peer mentor. Unite Cambria media and comms volunteer. Aberystwyth Climate Cafe co-host

During the interview, Anuna De Wever and Christiana Figueres discussed the importance of supporting climate mobilizers, who often work tirelessly without financial compensation and face burnout. They highlighted HERO's mission to provide critical financial support to mobilizers and empower them to accelerate climate action. 

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Both Anuna and Mauricio Porras talked about the importance of HERO circles, which are working groups of mobilizers focused on specific climate policy objectives. These circles receive financial support and mentorship, which accelerates their policy changes in their respective regions. 
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Anuna emphasized the importance of storytelling and the power of sharing the stories of climate mobilizers and their work. She believes that HERO's platform allows mobilizers to tell their own stories, opening up space to create their own visions and set their own targets. 

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Mauricio discussed the uniqueness of HERO and its focus on youth mobilizers who often face financial and burnout issues. He also discussed the retelling of the word "hero," bringing it back to its human roots and emphasizing that anyone can become a hero through collective action.

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Overall, the interview highlighted the importance of financial support for climate mobilizers and the value of mentorship and community support. It also emphasized the power of storytelling and empowering mobilizers to create their own visions for change. HERO's unique platform provides a space for mobilizers to tell their stories and receive support, enabling them to accelerate their impact and drive climate action at all levels.

With Mauricio Porras and Anuna de Wever and Christiana Figueres

As we near the end of 2022, we reflect on the tireless efforts of climate mobilizers around the world. These heroes dedicate their time and energy to fight for a sustainable future, often while holding down multiple jobs just to support themselves. Unfortunately, this can lead to burnout and hinder the success of their campaigns.

That's why HERO was founded. Our mission is to empower people to accelerate change in the world by providing critical financial support to those on the frontlines of climate action. We understand that mobilizers need financial support to sustain their work and continue pushing for change.

But HERO is more than just a financial platform. We bring together a community of climate mobilizers and provide mentorship, resources, and connections to help them succeed. HERO circles are working groups of climate mobilizers focused on a specific climate policy objective. By joining a circle, they receive support from a global community of citizens, professionals, and mentors, allowing them to accelerate policy changes in their region.

At HERO, we believe that anyone can be a hero, regardless of their background or identity. We strive to create a more inclusive movement that supports and uplifts all voices. Our name, HERO, was chosen because it represents the strength and courage of individuals who choose to take action for the common good. We want to bring the word "hero" back to its human roots, reminding us that through collective action, we can achieve incredible things.

We are incredibly proud of the mobilizers we support and the impact they are making in their communities. From working to stop new fossil fuel expansion in the UK to fighting for climate justice in Africa, our mobilizers are driving change at local, national, and international levels.

As we approach the end of the year, we encourage you to consider supporting the activist community by subscribing to a policy circle of your choice. Your support can help fuel their ongoing efforts for a better future. Together, we can create a more sustainable, equitable world for all.


Podcast on Outrage and Optimism  “And a HERO Comes Along”

In a recent episode of the HERO Podcast, HERO co-founders Mauricio Porras and Sylvain Franc de Ferrière interview climate tech entrepreneur Anna Alex. She shares her journey of founding her climate tech startup, Planetly, and how the #climatetech space has evolved over the years.|
Anna's journey started with working for Rocket Internet, where the focus was on scaling fast. However, she wanted to make a bigger impact and founded Planetly, a #climatetechstartup. When they first started, people told them they needed to found a nonprofit organization to do something good for the climate. But Anna and her team were determined to prove that a for-profit business model with a strong #purpose could also make a big impact. They made it their mantra that #impact is the equation of purpose and scale, and believed that they needed a strong business model in order to scale and make a real difference in the #climatespace.|
Over the years, the climate tech space has evolved, and climate tech startups are now seen as a hot topic for investment funds. And while nonprofits still play an important role in the climate space, startups are now pushing bigger corporates towards climate action and offering tools to help companies become more sustainable. Anna believes that everyone is playing their role in addressing the climate crisis, from nonprofits to startups, to corporates and citizens.|
During the podcast, Anna also discussed the role of #climatemobilizers, policy experts and #campaigners who bridge the gap between citizens and decision makers to enact #climatepolicy change. While mobilizers have an outsized impact on policy change, the majority of them are not paid for their work. Anna believes that this is an area where there needs to be a shift, and that mobilizers should be paid for their work to put pressure on governments and decision makers to take action on climate change.|
For Anna, a #HERO is someone who has made themselves independent from what others think and is acting on what they believe is right. It's not always what's popular, but what they know is needed to make a real impact.|
Anna's story is a great example of how one person's determination and belief in a strong purpose can make a big impact in the climate tech space. With the rise of climate tech startups and mobilizers, we can all do our part in addressing the urgent issue of climate change and making a #positiveimpact on our planet.|

Anna Alex, Climate Tech Entrepreneur and Angel Investor.

Let’s support the leaders of the future, who are helping all of us secure our present.

For just €6 a month you can become a #HEROMember at herocircle.app and support the world’s most effective climate campaigners and policy changers.

Your subscription goes directly towards providing a #basicincome to climate mobilizers so that they have the financial freedom to accelerate climate policy change.

The Rise of Climate Tech Startups: A Conversation with Anna Alex.

We live in a world where social problems, poverty, and climate change are interlinked, and addressing these challenges requires a collaborative effort between policymakers, businesses, and mobilizers. Saskia Bruysten, the co-founder of Yunus Social Business, knows this better than anyone else. In a recent episode of the #HEROPodcast with HERO Co-Founder Mauricio Porras, Saskia shared her journey, key insights, and the transformations she has witnessed over the years.
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At the start of her career, Saskia realized that the combination of social and environmental issues with business was not common. However, she believed that entrepreneurs were the key to driving change, and social problems and poverty were highly interconnected with climate change. She founded Yunus Social Business to invest in social businesses around the world and help large corporations create socially and environmentally conscious business models.
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Over the years, Saskia has witnessed a significant shift in the way businesses view social and environmental topics. Large investors have started including social and environmental goals in their portfolios, and CEOs are now seeking ways to incorporate these goals into their business models. She believes that businesses can drive change and play a critical role in creating a purpose economy.
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One climate tech startup that she is particularly passionate about is HERO. HERO supports climate mobilizers who are doing the most important job of our time, turning action into policy. Saskia believes that climate mobilization cannot be a hobby and should be financially supported so that these future leaders can focus on doing more of this crucial work.
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As she highlights, we are in a critical moment in time where startups like HERO, alongside other partners and great organizations, can disrupt and create a new kind of purpose economy. We need more HEROES - individuals who are passionate about solving social and environmental problems and taking action.
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In conclusion, her insights remind us that #citizens, #businesses, #policymakers, and #mobilizers must work together to create a better world.

Saskia Bruysten, Co-Founder & Executive Co-Chair at Yunus Social Business

For Saskia, a HERO is someone that decides to solve a social problem or an environmental problem and just goes for it.

For just €6 a month you can become a HERO Member at herocircle.app and support the world’s most effective climate campaigners and policy changers.

Insights from a Social Business Pioneer: Saskia Bruysten on Climate Action

First, we use the Systems Change Lab framework to validate that each Circle is operating within the 14 global systems changes needed to limit warming to below 1.5 degrees C, halt biodiversity loss and secure a more just, equitable society.
     1. Power / Energy 
     2. Industry
     3. Transport
     4. Cities and the Built Environment
     5. Technological Carbon Removal
     6. Food and Agriculture
     7. Forests and Land Management
     8. Ocean Management
     9. Freshwater Management
     10. Circular Economy
     11. Finance
     12. New Economics for Climate and Nature
     13. Social Inclusion and Equity
     14. Governance


Within these Global Systems Changes, the Systems Change Lab framework has identified the 70 shifts needed to keep global temperature below the 1.5 degree threshold.

For example the HERO UK Climate Justice Circle works towards 3 Shifts within the Power / Energy Global System
 -Phase out unabated coal and fossil gas electricity generation.
 -Rapidly scale up zero-carbon electricity generation.
 -Ensure energy access and a just transition for all.


Furthermore, HERO uses the Powers of 10 (P10) framework for climate action, which is also used by "Count us in" and which assigns optimal population cohorts for implementing climate solutions between individual (P0, ie 1 person impacted) and global (P10, ie 10 Billion people impacted, corresponding to the Global Population in 2050) scales. Applying a robust dataset of climate solutions from Project Drawdown’s Plausible scenario, research finds that prioritizing community to urban-focused climate action can maximize top-down and bottom-up efforts and support policies and practices for rapid sustainability transformation. The study also identifies the sweet spots for optimizing agency and impacts for each climate action intervention. 
The P10 framework's application allows to evaluate, using the research, at which scale (individual (P0), or City (P5)  for example),  social agency can be maximized to make the most impact


For example, the HERO UK Climate Justice Circle focuses on engaging with policymakers at the local level, the optimal population cohort would be a community (P4), i.e. a group of 10,000 people. This scale would allow the group to engage with local policymakers and stakeholders directly, advocating for green energy production alternatives to fossil fuels in the UK and ensuring that their concerns and ideas are heard.


SANTIAGO, Chile - For years, environmentalists have been calling for greater transparency and participation in decision-making related to natural resources in Latin America. The Escazú Agreement, the first legally binding regional treaty on environmental rights and protection in Latin America and the Caribbean, seeks to address these demands and promote access to information, public participation, and justice in environmental matters.

Catalina Santelices and Karin Watson, climate mobilizers from Chile, have been at the forefront of the push for Chile's ratification of the Escazú Agreement. Combining environmental and social justice issues in campaigning for the Escazú Agreement, they have become leading figures in the fight against environmental degradation and resource exploitation in the country.

The Agreement, adopted in 2018 and opened for signature in 2019, has been signed by 23 countries in the region, including Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. The treaty aims to guarantee the rights of citizens to access information, participate in public decision-making, and seek justice in cases of environmental harm. It also calls for the protection of environmental defenders, who are often targeted and threatened for their work.

Santelices and Watson have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the treaty and its importance for Chile's environmental future. They have organized workshops, meetings, and public campaigns to promote the agreement and gather support from civil society, lawmakers, and government officials. With over 23,000 followers on social media, over 20,000 signatures on a petition to ratify the agreement, and over 450 NGOs supporting their work, they have become key players in the national debate around human rights and environmental issues.


Santelices emphasizes the critical role that explaining the treaty in regular language can play in galvanizing support for the agreement. “It was really powerful to be talking every day with different people from different parts of Chile who are really interested in climate action and justice,” she said, “but didn’t know how to do it.”

As spokespeople for youth in the UN Conference of the Parties Conference in Santiago, Santelices and Watson described reaching out to every political party and negotiating for the inclusion of intergenerational human rights in the Escazú Agreement. “We were able to do it in the financial part, which is the most important,” says Santelices. 

Their advocacy did not end in Chile: in connecting with other advocates from Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Argentina, “we realized we were all working for the same cause,” says Santelices. These connections led to the formation of the HERO Latin American Feminist Circle, organizing together for the Escazú Agreement in Central and Latin America. “We were all trying to humanize the climate crisis,” says Santelices. “We were trying to put a face to the Escazú Agreement, which was mainly frontline defenders from Indigenous communities.” 
Santelices’ and Watson’s advocacy demonstrates the incredible impact of organized and intersectional climate action, especially in a region with high rates of risk associated with environmental defenders. Alongside other youth advocates, their work has highlighted the key role of young people and women in environmental governance, and paved the way for legal protections around environmental justice in the entire region in the future.


Strengthening environmental democracy; Protecting environmental defenders; Promoting regional cooperation

Hola! I'm Karin a 26-year-old activist and designer from Chile [but based in Barcelona], and I'm deeply committed to advancing human rights, climate justice, and gender equality. With a strong background in these areas, I've been fortunate to be involved in various initiatives. I've been a part of Amnesty International's Global Youth Collective, engaged with Women Deliver's Young Leaders Program, contributed to the Escazú Ahora Chile campaign, and lent my efforts to the Re-earth Initiative, among other meaningful projects.  I take great pride in being a co-founder of Latinas for Climate, which is an international network of female and gender non-conforming youth leaders. Together, we're dedicated to advocating for climate justice and human rights through an intersectional feminist lens. Our work spans research, education, and empowerment projects, and we actively participate in decision-making spaces, striving to amplify the voices of women and girls in these critical domains. Currently, my focus is on the #effpo campaign, an initiative advocating for a fair and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels, where I'm collaborating with numerous youth-led alliances for climate justice.

If you want to learn more:

The Escazú Agreement, also known as the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, is a legally binding treaty that aims to strengthen environmental democracy in Latin America. Its main objective is to ensure that people in the region have access to information, public participation, and environmental justice, and that environmental decision-making is inclusive, transparent, and participatory.
The Escazú Agreement is the first treaty in the world to include specific provisions for the protection of environmental defenders, who often face persecution for environmental advocacy in the region. It requires governments to guarantee a safe and enabling environment for individuals, groups and organizations that promote and defend human rights in environmental issues. The Escazú Agreement also recognizes the importance of cooperation and regional integration in addressing environmental challenges, and establishes mechanisms for the exchange of information, best practices, and technical assistance among signatory countries. The treaty is considered a milestone for environmental governance in Latin America and the Caribbean, and has been hailed as a model for environmental democracy worldwide.
Following the first stage of its drafting, negotiating and signing, the treaty required ratification by different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to become legally enforceable.


Shift Dimension: Governance; Social Inclusion and Equity

Catalina Santelices and Karin Watson: Citizen Voices Behind the Escazú Agreement

Adelaide Charlier, a 20-year-old Belgian climate mobilizer, has become an outspoken advocate for the EU Fit for 55 Package, a comprehensive plan that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The ambitious proposal, which was unveiled by the European Commission in July 2021, includes a range of measures designed to promote climate-friendly policies and stimulate the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
Charlier, who gained global recognition for her role in the Friday for Future movement and her participation in the 2019 climate strikes, has been a longstanding proponent of the Fit for 55 Package. She argues that the plan represents a critical step forward in the fight against climate change and could have far-reaching benefits for Europe and the world.
She stressed the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for swift and decisive action. "We are running out of time to prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis," she says. "We need to act boldly and decisively to reduce emissions, transition to clean energy, and protect our planet."
Charlier has been particularly vocal about the importance of the Fit for 55 Package's carbon pricing policy, which imposes a fee on carbon dioxide emissions and incentivizes companies to invest in cleaner technologies. She argues that this approach can stimulate innovation and spur economic growth while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Charlier has also highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in environmental policy-making. She has called for increased public participation and scrutiny in the decision-making process, and has urged governments to prioritize the needs of communities and workers affected by the transition to a green economy.
Despite facing criticism and backlash from some sectors, Charlier has remained steadfast in her commitment to climate action. She believes that young people have an important role to play in the fight against climate change and should be empowered to shape the policies and decisions that will affect their future.
"We need to listen to the voices of young people and take their concerns seriously," she says. "They are the ones who will have to live with the consequences of our actions or inaction. We owe it to them to act now and act decisively."

Passing and strengthening of the EU Fit for 55 Package, avoiding an estimated 3 billion tons of carbon emissions

Climate and Human Right mobilizer from Belgium. Special advisor to Frans Timmermans (Vice-President of the European Commission) on the Green Deal. Today, she continues to use all the democratic tools to stop destruction of the environment.

The Fit for 55 Package is a set of climate and energy policy proposals aimed at helping the European Union achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The original policy proposed a 41% emissions reduction, which was increased to 55% through citizen negotiations with Adelaide and others. The difference between 41% and 55% is equivalent to a difference of 3 billion tons of carbon emissions. The Fit for 55 package includes a range of measures aimed at reducing emissions from various sectors, such as transport, buildings, and industry, as well as policies to support the deployment of renewable energy and increase energy efficiency.
Some of the key proposals in the package include:
Strengthening the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) by expanding it to include new sectors and increasing the price of carbon allowances
Introducing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to ensure that imports into the EU are subject to the same carbon pricing as domestic production
Setting new emissions standards for cars and vans, as well as incentives to encourage the uptake of zero-emissions vehicles
Introducing new energy efficiency standards for buildings and stricter rules for the renovation of existing buildings
Expanding the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and setting new targets for their deployment
Supporting the development of low-carbon technologies, such as hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels
The Fit for 55 Package is one of the most ambitious climate policy initiatives ever proposed by the European Union, and is seen as a key step towards achieving the EU's long-term goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.


Shift Dimension: Power; Industry; Transport; Cities and the Built Environment; Technological Carbon Removal

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