Against All Odds

Climate change is real. Team doom is dancing in civilization’s end zone and most of humanity is just playing out the clock. This is an emergency. We need to pull team Earth together to mount a final offense or we’re going down. We need the best players, and they need the best possible zero carbon coaches to guide them to victory. To be a zero carbon coach, take the coaches pledge. And so it begins!

Instructions:

First step, read the pledge (including the Player’s Rights and the Coaching Code of Conduct) and submit the form below.

You will be enrolled in the Coaches Corner and will start receiving the latest Zero Carbon Coaching guidelines and links to sign up for a zero carbon coaching clinic. Feedback welcome. Contact us if you have thoughts about coaching coaches or specific plays or want to help organize a clinic. We need all hands on deck! This is not a drill!

The Zero Carbon Coaches Pledge

I understand that my responsibilities as a zero carbon coach are of great importance and that my actions have the potential to significantly influence the players I coach. Therefore, I promise to uphold the following Player’s Rights to the best of my ability.

Zero Carbon Player’s Rights

In the Race to Zero Carbon, my TEAM is my STATE as a whole. As an individual (Voter, Consumer, free spirit) I am a PLAYER.

The PLAYER is the basic unit of the team. PLAYERS coordinate to form SPECIALIZED TEAMS within the STATE TEAM. These can be anything from households, clubs and interest groups to corporations, governments and regional consortiums. 

Behind every PLAY is one or more PLAYER, a human being who makes a decision and takes action. As such, the power comes from the PLAYER.

The effectiveness of a team comes from the power of each PLAYER, combined with the quality of our teamwork.

Zero Carbon Coaches work with us to bring out the best in us and our SPECIALIZED TEAMS, always keeping in mind our Rights as PLAYERS:

1. Right to participate in the Race to Zero Carbon - and the right to refuse to participate. (The race is voluntary)
2. Right to play at a level determined to match my commitment, political-economic orientation and ability. (The race is trans-partisan)
3. Right to explore all the options, presented in a clear and comparable manner free of double standards, with full disclosure of conflicts of interest.
4. Right to express my opinions and preferences to my coaches and fellow players, and to propose, question and brainstorm plays. 
5. Right to be heard and treated with respect, to the same extent as I listen and treat others with respect.
6. Right to be properly prepared to play, receiving full disclosure on the costs and benefits of each play, supporting plays required and alternatives.
7. Right to process my feelings (Climate Therapists are standing by) to find the source of my unique motivation in this race.

Players take the Player’s Pledge to be in the race to zero carbon. Coaches, too! You are also Players in the game.

Coaching Code of Conduct

As a Zero Carbon Coach, in addition to upholding Player’s Rights, I further promise to conduct myself in accordance to the following Code of Conduct at all times:

1. I will dedicate myself to unlocking the potential of the Players to win the Race to Zero Carbon and make the contributions only they can make in the world.
2. I will create a safe environment in which Players see themselves and the challenge more clearly; I will do this by listening, asking focused questions, reflecting back, challenging, and acknowledging the Player.
3. I will ask for more intentional thought, action, and behavior changes than the Player would have asked of him or herself. I will create space for the Player to stretch.
4. I will protect the health, happiness and safety of my Players by holding their welfare above the profit motives or ideological interests of others. I will coach to win-win sustainability.
5. I will become thoroughly familiar with all the available plays and strategies in the Race to Zero Carbon and communicate them to my Players, giving them the space to explore and discover their preferences. (Strive to see the whole game as well as focus on specifics).
6. I will help identify gaps between where the Players and Teams are and where they need or want to be.
7. I will help Players and Teams develop a strong strategy and action plan to close the gap.
8. I will help them identify conflicting preferences and choose the best portfolio of solutions through a rigorous, open process that clarifies the options and helps creatively resolve some questions.
9. I will help Players understand and anticipate potential obstacles, especially as the plays scale up.
10. I will work together with other coaches, officials and the Competition Committee to raise the standard of the Race to Zero Carbon in every way possible: seeking wisdom, sharing my experience, clarifying the rules and metrics and securing broad cooperation, accountability and support in the race. 
11. I will uphold the authority of officials who are assigned to score the Race to Zero Carbon and I will assist them in every way to conduct a fair and impartial contest.
12. I will treat each Player, other coaches and officials with respect, compassion and dignity.

Make it Official

Take the pledge by filling out the form below.