2.3.5 Civil society and corporate strategies

Content

Geographic inquiry and concept(s)
- Possibilities for responding to climate change and power over the decision-making process
Geographic knowledge and understanding
- Civil society and corporate strategies to address global climate change
Case study or detailed examples
- Case study of the response to climate change in one country focusing on the actions of non-governmental stakeholders
Aims of this lesson
- To have knowledge and understanding of how civil society groups can mitigate global climate change.
- To have knowledge and understanding of how corporations can mitigate global climate change.

AGM briefly adjourned after protesters wearing T-shirts labelled ‘No more big oil’ burst into song

The Guardian · 28 April 2026

Civil society
- Citizens organising outside government and business to pursue shared interests. It includes non-governmental organisations, charities, campaign groups, community groups, faith groups and trade unions.

Corporate social responsibility
- A self-regulatory business model practised by large and small companies. The concept allows businesses to be socially accountable to their stakeholders and the public. By adopting clear CSR strategies, companies accept responsibility for their impact on society (including all economic, social, and environmental aspects).

Net zero
- A balance where greenhouse gases emitted equal those removed from the atmosphere. It means cutting emissions as far as possible first, then removing the rest. The UK's legal target is to reach net zero by 2050.

Non-governmental stakeholders
- Any group outside government with a stake in an issue, such as NGOs and businesses. In responses to climate change they include companies, NGOs, campaign groups, community groups, investors and individual citizens.

Scope 3 emissions
- Indirect emissions from a company's value chain, from raw materials to product use. Scope 1 covers a company's own direct emissions and scope 2 the electricity it buys. For a retailer such as M&S, scope 3 is by far the largest share; for an oil field, it includes the emissions released when the oil is burned.

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Explain one way in which a corporation can reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. [2]
Explain two ways in which non-governmental organisations can contribute to addressing climate change. [4]
For one named country, explain two actions taken by non-governmental stakeholders in response to climate change. [4]
Civil society organisations are more effective than governments at addressing climate change. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]