An integrated campaign to encourage a whole world of support has been launched to drive action on climate change.

The ‘Hopenhagen’ initiative aims to create mass awareness using online and social media tools to empower citizens to make their voices heard at the UN Climate Change Conference – being held in Copenhagen in December. An email petition is being circulated virally, calling on world leaders to make ‘a just and responsible agreement’ to protect the climate.

The website, hopenhagen.org, is the campaign hub and calls on visitors to become ‘citizens of Hopenhagen’ – they are encouraged to join the Hopenhagen Facebook fan page and follow Twitter to share their thoughts about the campaign and the climate change debate. Interactive web buttons and banners are available for people, organisations or companies to download and add to their own websites to demonstrate support for steps that curb climate change.

Hopenhagen has already generated huge support from multi-national corporations, government and global citizens, hoping to ‘lead the leaders’ with their thoughts during the forthcoming climate change conference.

Michael Lee, executive director of the International Advertising Association – the nonprofit organisation spearheading the Hopenhagen movement – said: “Our message of hope has been welcomed by citizens around the world as a simple but inspirational call to action.

“Hopenhagen is a way to counteract the belief that climate change is too big to solve and proves that when the world unites behind one cause, positive change will occur.”

Volunteers have given time, resources and support: the creative concept for the campaign was developed by global advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather and is being activated around the world by the agency and its multiple partners, such as Take Part and Zazengo. Omnicom Group, represented by Ketchum, has also lent its global network to serve as the lead public relations agency for the campaign. MDC Partners, represented by Colle+McVoy, provided digital support.

Other communications companies involved in the campaign include Dentsu; Havas, represented by Euro RSCG and MPG; Interpublic Group, represented by McCann Worldgroup, R/GA and Draftfcb; Interbrand; Tribal DDB; and Publicis Groupe, represented by Saatchi & Saatchi S.

UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said climate change is one of the ‘epic challenges’ facing this and future generations: “World leaders will come together for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December and every citizen of the world has a stake in the outcome. It is time to seal a deal. We need a global movement that mobilises real change.”

He said Hopenhagen is about more than hope: “It is about global action for a global climate treaty and a better future for humankind.”