What is Integrity?

As more non-state actors take action to fight climate change, it’s important that these efforts are honest, fair, and truly effective. That’s what we mean by integrity in climate action. Integrity means two main things: doing the right thing and looking at the whole picture. It’s not just about planting trees or cutting emissions in one place while causing harm somewhere else. It means making sure our actions really help the planet and don’t just look good on paper.
 
Even though most people agree that integrity is important, it’s not always clear what it actually involves. That’s because climate action is complex. What counts as “the right thing” can vary depending on who is acting, whether it’s a city, a business, or a local community, and what kind of resources or goals they have. One helpful way to start thinking about integrity is to break it down into core principles. From there, we can explore the different parts that make up those principles and see how they apply in real situations.