Governments, corporations and people are urged to #ActInTime
There are only six years and 24 days left to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
To illustrate this stark warning, 150 dynamic Climate Clocks were simultaneously switched on across digital OOH screens in five cities today (June 28).
The national moment followed the activation of a five metre tall Climate Clock in the City of London’s Guildhall at a meeting of international climate change leaders with His Majesty King Charles III during the Climate Innovation Forum, part of London Climate Action Week.
Watched by The King, the Climate Change Clock was switched on using a button made of ocean plastic pollution recovered from the beaches of the Gower Peninsula in Wales.
Timed to coincide with that moment, at 3.40pm Landsec’s Piccadilly Lights in London and 26 large format Ocean screens in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Southampton switched to show the speed of action that must be taken to limit the worst of climate change and global warming.
The screens exhibited a ‘Deadline’ counting down the time remaining to prevent global warming from rising above 1.5°C and the Renewable Energy Lifeline which monitors the percentage share of global consumption generated by renewable resources.
The Climate Clock, which urges governments, corporations, and people in power to #ActInTime for the climate crisis, features daily on Ocean screens from Canary Wharf and Westfield London to the Edinburgh Media Wall until July 2.
For more than five decades, The King has championed action for a sustainable future. Before the Climate Clocks were activated, a short film was played at the Guildhall meeting featuring speeches over the last 50 years by His Majesty, as Prince of Wales, on the subject.
During a high-level roundtable joined by The King, discussions focused on “accelerating the speed and scale of the green transition”, looking at how to rapidly finance, replicate, and scale innovation and what is needed between now and COP28 to mobilise private sectors on these issues.
Speaking about the event, Nick Henry, CEO and founder of Climate Action, said: “We are honoured to be joined by His Majesty King Charles at the Climate Innovation Forum for the national Climate Clock switch on, during London Climate Action Week. This powerful illustration of the scale of the climate emergency also reminds us there is still time to avert disaster. We need to align all actors – governments, cities, investors, businesses, and civil society – to move at speed and at scale. It is vital that we embrace the pro-growth opportunity of the net zero transition and turn ambition into transformational action.”
Time To Avert Disaster
Ocean’s outdoor media partnership with the Climate Innovation Forum is the latest part of a programme to reduce the company’s carbon emissions by 42% by 2030 in alignment with the Paris Agreement, with the aim of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040.
Ocean is actively rewilding advertising locations across the UK, transforming them into habitats for native species and educational focal points for local schools. By introducing bee and butterfly hotels around large-format advertising displays, Ocean aims to provide support for pollinators through the planting of wildflowers.
In 2021, Ocean launched its Drops in the Ocean Fund, dedicating 2% of annual revenue as advertising space to support environmental causes. The fund provides a platform for charities and organisations focused on land preservation, nature conservation, those addressing global warming, pollution and tackling the climate emergency.
Last year, Ocean backed six environmental causes and in 2023 that has extended to 12, including the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, the Canal & River Trust, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. These organisations are receiving substantial exposure on Ocean’s outdoor screens in the UK, encouraging local communities to take action against the biodiversity crisis.
To mark last year’s London Climate Action Week, Ocean carried the 2030 forecast, a climate literacy initiative that used outdoor screens to show a weekly snapshot of carbon emissions footprint from energy, industry, road transportation and domestic aviation.
Another significant milestone took place in November 2021 when a quote from Her Majesty the late Queen’s powerful address to COP 26 delegates appeared on the Piccadilly Lights as a reminder to world leaders about the need for urgent action.
Ocean is an Ad Net Zero supporter.