The UN invited us to help them engage more people with their Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). In principle, people agreed with the goals, but in reality they were confusing and difficult to navigate.

The complexity and lack of engagement with the SDG’s was symptomatic of the UN’s deeper problem. In a meeting with the Director General, we dug deeper and talked about the increasing disconnect between people and the UN. He led us to the founding UN Charter.

“We the Peoples of the United Nations”. These are the opening words of the UN charter, putting people at the centre.

The real problem was that despite best intentions, the UN was failing to engage people. The UN felt impenetrable to ordinary people.

Our objective was clear: re-engage people with the UN by putting them back at the centre, to ensure a more collaborative and effective effort to meet the SDG’s.

The UN reported that we have 12 years before climate damage is irreversible. At this crucial time, we needed to create a movement that would give the world’s people a voice on this all important decision.

To do this we created The People’s Seat.

A new physical seat at the UN, representing the world’s people rather than a nation or a specific interest. This seat would give people the opportunity to share their views and opinions with World Leaders at moments in which important decisions that impact legislation are being made.

The People’s Address is a speech written by the people, crafted from their voice and raw testimonials, crowdsourced through our hashtag #TakeYourSeat – delivered at UN conferences where The People’s Seat is present.

Citizen engagement has changed due to digital activism. We’ve seen a cultural shift to direct action and communication between people and politicians through social media. Our audience weren’t defined by demographics or geography, but united by their desire to impact social change. They need to feel that they’re having their voices heard and shaping political decisions.

By launching The People’ Seat, the UN demonstrates that it’s an important platform for change and gives people a voice on climate change.

We created a launch video in which Sir David Attenborough invited people to use #TakeYourSeat to have their voices heard, distributed across UN social channels and by global influencers.

We issued launch assets to media titles and offered an exclusive interview with Sir David to BBC News.

The speech was crafted from UGC collected across social media.

After the Address, live-streamed via Facebook, Sir David spoke to key global media titles.

To launch the People’s Seat and deliver the People’s Address, we needed a spokesperson who could resonate across generations, capture global media attention and speak credibly at the UN.

The best person for the job was Sir David Attenborough.

Two weeks before COP24, Sir David invited people to have their voices heard at the UN by using #TakeYourSeat through our launch video. This video was shared alongside a series of social polls, across UN social channels and via our global network of influencers.

People’s personal testimonials were gathered and crafted into an address and impactful film, delivered directly to the world leaders at the grand opening of COP24.

To ensure people could see the proof and impact of their voices being heard, the Address was streamed live from the UN’s Facebook page, allowing the world to comment and join the debate.

1.3 billion people around the world saw proof of their voices being heard by world leaders at the UN.

And during COP, every negotiation session opened with a reading of #TakeYourSeat comments.

The Address was live-streamed on December 3. By December 15, the UN delivered the impact the people needed to see: a 156-page rulebook putting the Paris Agreement promises to work, agreed by nearly 200 countries.

Over 1,600 articles and 500 pieces of broadcast news

Made headline news in over 200 countries

The campaign was referenced by UK PM and in the Australian Parliament

Launch video received 9.3 million impressions on the UNFCCC‘s Facebook page in week one

Seen by over 7 million people on Facebook for 10 seconds or more

Over 500,000 people watched the speech live.

14% of people who watched the Live video took action.

The campaign was honoured at the UN SDG Action Awards.