Why Civil Society Networks Matter for Climate Action – World NGO Day 2026

Why Civil Society Networks Matter for Climate Action

Climate action does not begin with global declarations or negotiation texts. It begins in communities, where civil society organisations respond to climate impacts, protect livelihoods and ecosystems, and advocate for just and inclusive solutions.

Across regions, these efforts are shaped by diverse political, social and environmental realities. Yet many of the challenges civil society actors face are shared: limited access to decision-making spaces, fragmented knowledge exchange, shrinking civic space and the difficulty of scaling locally grounded solutions. In this context, structured cooperation among civil society organisations is not optional. It is essential.

Within the framework of the Global Project for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (GMACC), the Think Global Sustainability Network connects civil society actors across regions to address these challenges collectively. The network functions as a shared platform for exchange, peer learning and collaboration, linking partners engaged in GMACC-supported regional activities. By connecting organisations across regions, it strengthens solidarity, enhances visibility and enables more coordinated engagement in climate and sustainability debates.

On World NGO Day 2026, civil society partners connected through GMACC from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Central Asia share their perspectives on why being part of a network makes a difference for climate action in their regions.

Their reflections underline an important insight: effective climate governance depends not only on state action and international agreements, but also on strong relationships, trust and cooperation among civil society actors.

Voices from GMACC-Connected Civil Society Partners

The perspectives below reflect the experiences of organisations engaged through GMACC’s regional activities.

Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

“Civil society networks contribute to building a strong bottom-up approach to effective climate action, playing a critical role in supporting underserved and marginalised communities by serving as intermediaries between marginalised community groups and their governments. They work together to enhance the collective impact on human wellbeing and society by 1) translating global and/or regional climate strategies into local actions led and implemented by local stakeholders, 2) building resilient ecosystems and communities, and 3) exchanging information and best practices to improve local knowledge and expertise.”

Karma Bou Azza, Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, Lebanon

Sub-Saharan Africa

"Civil society networks amplify public trust, strengthen the legitimacy of locally led member organisations, serve as leverage for resource mobilisation and increase community acceptance of climate mitigation and adaptation solutions. In addition to supporting learning, networks such as the Think Global Sustainability Network provide unique opportunities for member organisations to cross fertilise locally led solutions, enabling African innovations to be adapted, strengthened and scaled across continents to address the complex, global climate crisis."

Dr Tine Agernor, Sustainability Eternal Ltd, Nigeria

Latin America

“In Colombia and Latin America, civil society networks strengthen climate action by fostering shared learning, solidarity and mutual support among organisations working on the frontlines of climate change. They also connect local action with regional and global processes, ensuring that local knowledge and experiences from the roots inform broader agendas, while global commitments are translated into meaningful, locally rooted solutions.”

Jhoanna Cifuentes, Climalab, Colombia

Southeast Asia

"In Vietnam, civil society networks are vital because they bridge the gap between grassroots climate initiatives and national policy goals, achieving a scale that individual organisations cannot reach alone. By fostering solidarity and shared learning, these networks empower local actors to contribute effectively to the national Net Zero roadmap and energy transition processes. Ultimately, they transform isolated efforts into a unified, resilient movement that ensures local perspectives are integrated into national and global climate policy frameworks."

Nguyen Hong Long, Centre for Creativity and Sustainability, Vietnam

Central Asia

"Networks offer a level of institutional 'weight' and global visibility that individual organisations rarely achieve on their own, especially when engaging with international conventions like the CMS or CBD and others. They enable us to participate in high-level policy dialogues as a unified voice, ensuring that grassroots insights from regions like Central Asia actually influence global agendas. This shared platform builds a bridge between local reality and international policy, providing the legitimacy needed to drive systemic change."

Marina Koshkina, Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Kazakhstan

Networks as Enablers of Climate Governance

Taken together, these perspectives illustrate that civil society networks are more than platforms for exchange. They function as enablers of coordinated action and as connectors between local experience and broader policy processes.

By consolidating knowledge, aligning approaches and articulating shared priorities, networks enhance the capacity of civil society actors to engage constructively with national, regional and international institutions. In contexts where civic space is constrained, and access to formal decision-making remains limited, this collective dimension becomes particularly important.

Through GMACC and the Think Global Sustainability Network, partners are supported in building these connections across regions. The framework provides structured opportunities for dialogue, learning and joint engagement, reinforcing the role of organised civil society within climate and sustainability governance.

On World NGO Day 2026, these reflections reaffirm a central message: meaningful climate action is built on cooperation. Strengthening networks among civil society actors is not an additional component of climate policy. It is a core condition for ensuring that local realities and community-based solutions inform regional and global responses to the climate crisis.

Disclaimer

The Think Global Sustainability Network connects civil society actors through the GMACC project. The views expressed reflect the perspectives of individual organisations and do not constitute a formal position of a legally established network.