Every August 12, the United Nations marks International Youth Day, an occasion both to celebrate the achievements of young people worldwide and to amplify their innovative ideas for building a sustainable future. This year’s Youth Day theme, Youth Engagement for Global Action, is all about giving the young leaders of the world the tools and resources they need to bring their brilliance to bear on pressing issues like the climate crisis.

 

As tech-savvy digital natives, young people have not let the COVID-19 crisis stop them from connecting with their peers, and this Youth Day will be no exception. Are you a young person looking to make your voice heard? Here are five simple but effective ways to get involved virtually for this year’s event:

 

 

1. Participate in the UN Youth Envoy #31DaysofYOUth Campaign

 

Throughout August, UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake is leading a #31DaysOfYOUth campaign that anyone—including you!—can participate in directly. Share the issues you’re passionate about and the steps you’re taking to address them, using the #31DaysofYOUth hashtag. There’s lots of time left! The UN will also be using this hashtag to describe the steps it’s taking to include young people in its vital work around the world.

 

2. Join Us for Episode 3 of the #Youth4ClimateLive Series

 

The focus of International Youth Day this year meshes perfectly with the theme of this month’s #Youth4ClimateLive episode: Driving Youth Action! The series is all about building momentum towards Pre-COP26 in Milan, where youth will play a vital role in the Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition event. You can catch up on past sessions here.   Episode 3 will explore how young people and governments can foster meaningful youth-led climate action and further enhance youth participation in decision-making processes domestically and at the international level. Register today for the August 28 event!

 

3. Keep Up the #FridaysForFuture Momentum Online

 

#COVID19 might be keeping us housebound for now, but the #FridaysForFuture movement continues apace on social media. Make a poster and join your climate-conscious peers in solidarity using the hashtags #FridaysForFuture and #ClimateStrikeOnline. It’s a great way to get to know other young people pushing for climate reform and find inspiration for your own future advocacy! Not sure which youth accounts to follow first? Check out this handy starter list prepared by the Earth Day Network.

 

4. Join Online Youth Groups & Brainstorm Solutions

 

No one can solve the climate crisis alone. This Youth Day, consider reaching out to the climate champions you admire on social media and starting discussion pages where you can work together on the projects you’re most passionate about. Discord, WhatsApp, Slack, FaceTime, Zoom… There are more ways to communicate and collaborate now than ever before! If you’re looking to join an existing community, check out Youthtopia and the UNDP’s SparkBlue hub. And if you’d like to be a part of our very own #Youth4Climate WhatsApp group, just shoot us a DM on our Instagram or Twitter.

 

5. Do Some Letter-Writing

 

A humble letter can go a long way. Our partners at Reserva: The Youth Land Trust are holding a 1 Million Letters Campaign to support their efforts to safeguard Ecuador’s biodiverse rainforest. For every letter composed, Reserva will dedicate $3 to its Ecuadorian nature reserve project, and all letters submitted will be presented to UN leaders at the upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference. Also consider writing letters directly to the officials in your government overseeing climate strategy, and remember to make your voice heard on climate issues come election day!

The second installment of the new monthly #YouthForClimateLive series, which aired on July 24, 2020, provided an uplifting buffet of concrete actions and commitments to a green recovery presented by several high-level leaders. Beginning with an informational video outlining the concept of a Green New Deal, the webinar quickly delved into the nitty-gritty, attempting to answer the question: How can our response to COVID-19 prevent another global crisis?

 

Moderated once again by Ahmed Badr and Salina Abraham, the event allowed hundreds of young people watching from around the world to hear up-to-date plans for green recoveries across Europe and beyond. We also heard from three youth panelists taking action to move their own countries toward clean energy, green transportation, and a renewed balance with nature: Axell Sutton, Co-Chairman, Latin American Student Energy Summit 2021; Seble Samuel, Co-Founder, Menged Le Sew; and Jhannel Tomlinson, Caribbean climate activist and Ph.D. candidate.

 

As we approach the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement without a 2020 COP, this event provided important insight into how the wheels have kept turning even during the pandemic. The episode delved into such topics as the €750 billion committed to a recovery based on the European Green Deal, Chile’s enhanced NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), and the launch of a new UNDP website to promote direct youth engagement, concluding with a plea to youth around the world to keep pushing for climate ambition.

 

In case you missed the event or your note-taking couldn’t keep pace with the action, here are some of the key takeaways and quotes from Episode 2: Driving Sustainable Recovery!

 

 

Keeping Our Climate Commitments

Our climate commitments must stay on track despite COVID-19.

 

Carolina Schmidt, COP25 President and Chile’s Minister of the Environment, stressed the need for countries to submit more ambitious NDCs this year. “The pandemic may have postponed COP26, but in no way has [it] postponed the need for parties to deliver the commitments they have made under the Paris Agreement.” She described the vision Chile announced in April targeting carbon neutrality by 2050, noting that its enhanced NDCs include mitigation and adaptation strategies covering a wide range of topics: oceans, forests, a circular economy, green finance, nature-based solutions, and an absolute carbon budget over the next decade. Schmidt believes these plans will lead Chile toward a sustainable and inclusive recovery.

 

In a similar vein, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner described how the UNDP is working with 112 countries to help devise enhanced NDCs. “We see it as critical that we do not just look at climate change as something that is in its own cocoon; it is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” he said. “The other 16 are fundamental to enabling climate change action to succeed, just as climate change action is about also helping to reduce poverty, give people access to clean electricity, and give them jobs.”

 

 

A Turning Point for Climate Ambition

We have the opportunity to accelerate our climate ambition.

 

“The effects of the COVID-19 crisis have been so pervasive and so prolonged that there is no room to imagine that we can go back to business as usual.” Fabrizia Lapecorella, Director-General of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, laid out specific steps Italy would be taking to start an ecological transition, including a long-term, systematic approach to the country’s sustainable recovery.

 

At the European level, Frans Timmermans, EVP of the European Commission, shared a similar sentiment. With €750 billion and the European Green Deal as the basis for a recovery, he walked through steps he envisions to 1. prevent the disappearance of one million species currently at risk of extinction 2. create green economy jobs specifically for young people, and 3. ensure youth have concrete ways to engage in the recovery process. “This is going to be hellishly complicated. We’re going to see a lot of unemployment in the months to come. We’re going to see people becoming desperate, people becoming angry. But this can be done,” he said, punctuating every word. “We can fix this.”

 

“I think COVID-19, difficult as it might be right now to imagine this, may become the greatest accelerator to a journey that has begun and has gained pace, but that is far behind where it should be,” said Steiner, addressing the youth viewers. “The year 2020 is a turning point. Let’s hope it’s a turning point for the better. I certainly put my money on you as being key drivers in this and helping me to do my job better.”

 

 

Youth Driving Action

Pressure from engaged youth is helping achieve climate action. Stay engaged!

 

The pervasive sentiment shared by every speaker was a sense of gratitude for the help that youth have given to global momentum on climate action. “We wouldn’t have a Green New Deal without you asking for it,” said Timmermans, who committed to ensuring youth are well-represented in climate discussions. He implored any youth listening to reach out to members of their generation who are not politically engaged and try to bring them into discussions. “You might not like the political system as it is now. But if you want to change it you have to go into it first.”

 

Steiner expressed admiration for the way youth have claimed their place in climate discussions. “I think many young people are pushing in through the front doors; they’re climbing in through the windows of the corridors of power.”

 

UNDP recently launched sparkblue.org, a platform youth can use to immediately influence their path forward, as well as Mission 1.5, an educational game that anyone with a device can play to help influence their country’s NDCs. Steiner also announced that UNDP would be issuing a call for global youth experts on climate change to help both the UNDP and partner countries tap into the expertise of younger generations.

 

Above all, Steiner  highlighted the positive impact the youth climate movement has had on his own job. “Please, don’t let the current difficult times take away your energy or your hope,” he said. “You can have frustration, you can be angry, but don’t lose hope, and keep doing what you’re doing. Because otherwise, we can’t do what we’re supposed to do.”

 

Don’t forget to register for Episode 3: Driving Youth Action, scheduled for August 28th at 10 am EDT / 4 pm CEST. And join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #Youth4ClimateLive!

 

In June we launched the #Youth4ClimateLive Series, a youth-focused virtual discussion program building climate ambition in the run-up to next year’s Pre-COP26 in Milan and COP26 in Glasgow. Now, we’re delighted to reveal that Episode 2, entitled “Driving Sustainable Recovery,” will be taking place on July 24 at 10 a.m. EDT / 4 p.m. CEST. You can expect an intergenerational and interactive session featuring an exciting blend of youth leaders and climate advocacy veterans.

 

Register here to participate!

 

Once again hosted by the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITE) in collaboration with our team at Connect4Climate and the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Episode 2 will analyze sustainable recovery through three key lenses: renewable energy, sustainable mobility, and protecting local ecosystems and biodiversity.

 

 

The goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agreement on Sustainable Development provide a clear blueprint for a resilient future; now is the time to highlight youth experiences and concerns while integrating young people’s creativity and ideas into our plans to build back better. We have the chance to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a renewed commitment to our planet, and this session is all about figuring out the smartest, most effective ways to ensure that happens!

 

Driving Sustainable Recovery will build on a similarly-themed World Environment Day event hosted by the Office of the Secretary-General’s Youth Envoy and other partners on June 5th. During this discussion, youth from around the world shared their priorities for a green recovery with UN Member States. The UN Secretary-General had previously identified 6 priority actions that UN Member States could take to build back better, including delivering green jobs, ending subsidies for fossil fuels, pricing carbon, and accounting for climate-related risks and opportunities in the global financial system.

 

 

Kicking off July 24th’s intergenerational discussion will be UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner and Executive Vice-President, European Commission Frans Timmermans. They will be joined by three young leaders who are implementing solutions on the ground in their countries: Axell Sutton, Co-Chairman of the Latin American Student Energy Summit 2021; Seble Samuel, Co-Founder of Ethiopian urban mobility movement Menged Le Sew (“Streets for the People”); and Jhannel C. Tomlinson, a climate activist from the Caribbean working toward her PhD. Our moderators, youth champions Salina Abraham and Ahmed Badr, will continue to bring their energy and insight to the discussion, ensuring an exciting episode full of audience engagement.

 

Don’t be shy! We can’t wait for you to join us on July 24 for this invaluable youth-led brainstorm on ushering sustainability into our urban spaces while ramping up protection of our natural ones. The future of climate ambition is now, and youth are leading the way to a sustainable recovery!

Last week, D&AD, a longstanding arbiter of international talent in the advertising sector, announced the winners of this year’s New Blood Awards, which celebrate exceptional young voices with the power to shape the world for the better, during a special Instagram Story Awards Ceremony. These included the winning respondents to Connect4Climate’s “Power Sustainable Lives” brief, which asked students for their most creative ad campaign concepts that could inspire meaningful behavior change towards a sustainable lifestyle.

 

For each brief, a distinguished jury determined which submissions would be awarded a prestigious New Blood Pencil. Wood Pencils were given to a shortlist of the best responses to each brief; submissions that went further to nail the judging criteria—relevance, execution, and creativity—won Graphite Pencils; and the coveted Yellow Pencils were awarded to concepts of outstanding merit that excelled across all judging criteria and demonstrated potential for widespread impact. All New Blood Pencil winners get a guaranteed place in the D&AD Annual, an invite to the New Blood Awards Ceremony, access to exclusive scholarship and funding opportunities, and the chance to apply for New Blood Academy, a creative bootcamp that catapults young creatives into the industry.

 

At the New Blood Awards, pencils are prestigious! (Image from last year's ceremony)

 

Connect4Climate’s challenge was downloaded almost 18,000 times, and from those 18,000 downloads, roughly 200 complete submissions resulted amid these trying times. We are excited to congratulate the students who aced our “Power Sustainable Lives” brief.  The 11 winners came from all over the world, offering an impressive breadth of approaches to sustainability as well as varied strategies for implementing them. Let’s take a moment to appreciate these #Youth4Climate leaders and their innovative ideas:

 

BlackOut - Yellow Pencil

 

BlackOut is a mobile phone app pitched by Australian creatives Madison Chan and Rachel Holt as a means of empowering those who feel powerless amid the bushfires this year to reduce their own contributions to global warming in a simple but effective way.

 

The BlackOut app runs in the background once downloaded, managing the phone’s data usage so as to minimize its carbon footprint and encouraging the user to proactively cut back on data consumption themselves. One gigabyte of data corresponds to 27 kg of CO2 emissions, so smart data management benefits both us and our planet.

 

 

Less Than Three - Wood Pencil

 

The guiding principle of the Less Than Three team—made up of Miami Ad School Mumbai students Shikhar Bafna, Vaishnavi Rai, and Adila Fataliyeva—is reducing waste wherever possible in our day-to-day lives. Specifically, they homed in on ice cubes: Many of us fill our glasses with them, yet only 3 are needed to fully chill a beverage. Seeing as how the production of ice in the US generates thousands of tons of carbon emissions, this is definitely an area where we can stand to improve.

 

Their answer? Custom-made ice machines that dole out exactly three cubes for every drink, targeting college towns where consumption of soft drinks is most widespread.

 

 

Odds&Friends - Yellow Pencil

 

Also tackling kitchen waste was the Odds&Friends team from Germany, composed of Franziska Engel, Viviana Reckert, Johannes Englmann and Robert Heiser. They developed their concept in response to the alarming statistic that one third of all food produced on Earth is thrown away without being eaten, with much of that waste attributable to young people.

 

Odds&Friends offers a win-win solution: an app where young people can share what leftovers they’ve got in their fridge and arrange social meetups to cook together. Not only does this offer young people an opportunity to help their planet, it also opens up the possibility of making new friends!

 

 

Fart for Future - Yellow Pencil

 

Bringing a bit of comedy to the table was another German team, Fart for Future, composed of Laura Wieder, Denise Goldmann, and Benjamin Lion. Their guiding thesis? That humans should be the ones farting, not cows, who are notorious generators of atmospheric methane. A single cow emits 115 liters of gas every day, so why not shift to plant-based diets, eat more beans, and do more of the farting ourselves?

 

To spread this playful but valuable message, Fart for Future relies on eye-catching green whoopie cushions, awareness-raising pranks, and celebrity endorsements.

 

 

Green Definition - Wood Pencil

 

Green Definition, helmed by Oliver Feinel and Dean Shein in the UK, aims to lessen the massive carbon footprint of worldwide video streaming, which on its own accounts for fully 1% of CO2 emissions. Their idea? Partner with streaming services all over the globe to make young internet users realize that not everything has to be HD for them to enjoy it.

 

Viewing videos in 480p—standard definition—takes 80% less energy, and for the most part they’ll still look perfectly good on your mobile phone screen. A dedicated “Green Definition” button on the leading video platforms promises to save bigtime on wasteful data usage.

 

 

#ReOOTD - Wood Pencil

 

Conceived by Nithika Romy, a student at India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology, #ReOOTD aims to overhaul the fast fashion ethos of Instagram influencers and replace it with messages of sustainability and reuse. Riffing on the popular “Outfit of the Day” hashtag #OOTD, #ReOOTD is all about rewearing and resharing.

 

To change mindsets on Instagram and make sustainable fashion choices cool, #ReOOTD is creating custom Instagram sticker sets featuring green-colored, climate-positive slogans such as “Make It Last” and “On Repeat.” The movement will enlist the help of Insta fashionistas like Komal Pandey to reduce waste and promote positivity.

 

 

PL*STIC - Wood Pencil

 

PL*STIC, the brainchild of the UK’s Tom Downey, aims to call attention to the tremendous harm plastic does to the environment through provocative “censorship” of plastic materials in online video content. PL*STIC will enlist influencers on YouTube, Instagram and elsewhere to pixelate all single-use plastic products appearing on screen in their videos, making a statement and promoting discourse in comment sections everywhere.

 

As a follow-up to this initiative, PL*STIC plans to launch Expires End, a campaign calling attention to the extremely long periods for which plastic products endure in the Earth once discarded.

 

 

Plastic Expiry Date - Yellow Pencil

 

Another New Blood Award winner, Plastic Expiry Date, delved deeper with this plastic expiry concept. Made up of Gagandeep Jhuti and Joseph Foale-Groves, Plastic Expiry Date uses eye-catching, easy-to-read stickers on plastic-packaged products to call attention to how long the plastic will be around. Often, these “expiry dates” are more than 500 years into the future, and so serve as stark reminders of why single-use plastics should be avoided at all costs.

 

Plastic Expiry Date aims to broaden the reach of this “sticker activism” by sending the stickers to prominent TV personalities and online influencers, sparking online conversation on the need to reduce plastic consumption and recycle whenever possible.

 

 

EDEN - Wood Pencil

 

Noting that the flowers we give our loved ones on Valentine’s Day come at a great cost to the environment, the Danish team behind EDEN, Oskar Klingenberg and Jonathan Fjord, came up with a novel idea: Why not avoid all the refrigeration and transport costs the flower industry is known for and instead give the special people in your life real live flowers in digital form?

 

EDEN gives users the chance to select real flowers from a digital library and send livestreams of the blooms to their loved ones with custom text overlays and other personal touches. The giftee will enjoy exclusive access to the chosen flower for 5 days, after which time it will become available for additional shares and downloads by others. This will keep Valentine’s Day special while also making it sustainable.

 

 

Doers Campaign - Graphite Pencil

 

Envisioned by Karen Shek of the UK’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, the Doers Campaign revolves around a virtual “Doers card,” a payment method linked directly with your debit card that keeps track of your carbon footprint with each product you buy and each transportation expense you cover. The Doers card keeps you updated on how sustainable your spending is and offers helpful suggestions on how to improve.

 

The Doers Campaign also actively incentivizes you to spend in an eco-smart way, as you earn rewards points for every climate-conscious choice you make and can parlay those points into discounts on goods at participating sustainable retailers.

 

 

Drop the Joss - Wood Pencil

 

Last but not least is Drop the Joss, a concept submitted by Quynh Tran and Seine Kongruangkit of Miami Ad School Berlin. Drop the Joss was conceived as a sustainable alternative to the time-honored Asian tradition of burning joss paper to ward off hungry spirits during the Hungry Ghost Festival, which occurs each year in the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The smoke from all this burning pollutes the air and contributes to climate change, so Drop the Joss cleverly moves the tradition to the realm of the digital.

 

The crux of Drop the Joss is an augmented reality Instagram overlay which will allow observers of the Hungry Ghost festival to approximate the ritual of burning joss on their phones without doing any real damage to the planet. Users will be able to cast different virtual items into the virtual flames while grounding themselves in a real-world setting. The project is the perfect blend of respect for tradition and respect for the environment.

 

 

Although the ceremony and accompanying festival—which offers contestants tutorials and interaction with renowned professionals—had to move online this year, the occasion was still brimming with creativity and talent, giving C4C many ideas as to how young people entering the advertising industry can serve as crucial allies in the quest to persuade people to stand up for a sustainable future.

2020 may have put a halt to many events and conferences, but the momentum to pursue climate action never stops. We were thrilled to see more than 500 participants worldwide tune in live for our first episode of the monthly #Youth4ClimateLive Series on 26 June 2020. This inaugural session featured panelists Marie-Claire Graf of YOUNGO; Elizabeth Wathuti, Founder of the Green Generation Initiative in Kenya; and Selina Leem, climate warrior of the Marshall Islands. It was invigorating to hear them share their experience working in youth-government collaboration, promoting nature and advocating for vulnerable communities. In case you missed it, here is a recap of what went down!

 

Giving Youth a Space at the Negotiation Table

 

Our panelists agreed unanimously that there is a pressing need for young and grassroots voices to be represented in international conferences, and our leaders hear that. The session opened with addresses from Sergio Costa, Italy’s Minister for Environment, Land and Sea; Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change; and Alok Sharma, President of COP26. They encouraged young people to keep advocating for climate action and imagine a new normal that is more focused on sustainability. Sharma noted that COP26 would work with global partners to raise global action in five areas: clean energy, clean transport, climate finance, nature-based solutions and adaptation & resilience.

 

 

Marie-Claire Graf stressed that young climate champions want to be seen and treated as equals with political leaders and be involved in negotiations. Even though youth may not understand the technicalities of negotiation, they are able to bring insights from the ground and are full of energy and ideas. Furthermore, they are informed about the news and are absolutely willing to pick up the nuances of negotiation. Graf called for leaders to place more trust in young people. If they were allowed a spot at the negotiating table, youth would be able to better channel their energy into contributing, rather than wasting it fighting to be taken seriously. She added that there is something everyone – be they negotiators or observers – can learn from one another, and called for participants in international conferences to step out of their titles and approach one another as human beings.

 

Selina Leem echoed such sentiments and called for participants to ask conference organisers to invite members of vulnerable communities to be part of the conversation. Both she and Elizabeth Wathuti added that their hometowns are suffering disproportionately from the climate crisis and that these communities have a collective sense of urgency to save their homes that is not reflected at the global scale. Leem touched on the privilege other members of the global community have and urged them to speak up and help these communities in need.

 

 

Engaging Local Communities in Climate Action

 

Leem shared that her community has long used storytelling to cope with the trauma brought on by the climate crisis, and that the Marshall Islands Government is fully supportive of youth leaders speaking up on domestic and international platforms. Wathuti added that her work also involves engaging the community to develop a passion for nature that will encourage them to protect it for survival. Exposing people, especially children, to the wonders of nature can have amazing results. Wathuti shared that her work involves enlisting members of the community in reforestation to ensure food security. This is just an example of nature-based solutions, which Wathuti wants to become more widespread in the days to come.

 

Wathuti also urged everyone to start joining networks on biodiversity conservation. We cannot leave anyone behind with this movement, she said, as the community can only depend on themselves to protect nature. While this sounds extreme, Leem commented that there is a need to be firm about the magnitude of the climate crisis, as lifelines of entire communities are at stake.

 

Moving on: Contribute YOUR Voice to the Conversation

 

This is just the beginning. Through the #Youth4ClimateLive Series, we aim to equip youth leaders with tangible ideas and proposals to bring to the Pre-COP26 summit in Milan next year. UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake is inviting YOU to be part of this movement by submitting your plan to tackle the climate crisis as if you were your country’s Minister for the Environment. Record and post your suggestions on social media, and be sure to tag your message with #Youth4ClimateLive so we can hear you!

 

Meanwhile, follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @Connect4Climate for updates on this month’s #Youth4ClimateLive Series broadcast, coming up in the very near future!

 

To watch the first episode in full, check out our YouTube channel.

Youth have always been drivers of social change, and at this critical moment for climate ambition, it’s more urgent than ever to ensure that the voices of young people are not only listened to but acted upon. While COP26 has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis, now is the chance for youth climate leaders to build momentum and make sure that when they arrive in Milan next year for the Youth4Climate Pre-COP26 summit, they come ready with tangible ideas and proposals to present to world leaders.

 

REGISTER FOR THE #YOUTH4CLIMATELIVE LAUNCH: https://bit.ly/youth4climate-live-series

 

As longtime believers in the power of young people, we are thrilled to be involved in the production of the all-new #Youth4ClimateLive Series, hosted by the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITE) in collaboration with Connect4Climate and the Office of Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth to drive engagement in the run-up to the 2021 pre-COP26 in Milan, Italy and COP26. Launching this June 26, the series will continue through 2021, offering nearly a year’s worth of content for you to tune in to!

 

Since 1993, the world has recognized May 22 as the UN’s International Day for Biological Diversity, an occasion for raising awareness of Earth’s millions of species and the ecosystems they inhabit as well as an opportunity to foster concrete action in their defense.

 

The official theme of Biodiversity Day 2020, “Our solutions are in nature,” speaks to our deep connection with our planet as well as our need to protect it. It calls on us to preserve the rich variety of plants and animals Earth harbors, clean up our environment, and stem the tide of climate change.

 

In keeping with these goals, the Convention on Biological Diversity has issued a worldwide call for submissions of videos and written messages addressing this theme and how we see it reflected in our personal lives. Make your voice heard: send in your story!

 

 

Our own Connect4Climate social media channels will also be abuzz for Biodiversity Day. An immersive #InvestInNature World Bank story from Ethiopia just went live, as did the launch post for a new collective poem in which individual lines of poetry contributed by our global audience will be curated to form a unified reflection on nature and the environment. The final poem will be revealed for World Environment Day on June 5. Over the coming days and weeks, stay tuned also for a series of inspiring #Youth4Climate stories, fresh #ClimateQuiz content (including a biodiversity-themed crossword), and moving quotes from #Leaders4Climate.

 

Hosted by Colombia in partnership with Germany, this year’s World Environment Day will be celebrated virtually on June 5 with the official theme of biodiversity. Activities all week long will build momentum leading into the big day. To help drive ambitious action for the environment, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched the “Time for Nature” campaign, which invites global citizens to “reimagine our relationship with nature; and put it at the heart of our decision making.” 

 

To this end, UNEP has compiled a comprehensive World Environment Day action toolkit with suggestions on how everyone from teachers and youth activists to faith leaders and policy makers can contribute to the push for a greener future, both through committing to take action and by contributing to the discussion online with the hashtag #ForNature. And if you’re looking to go the extra mile and host an official online event, let the organizers know by completing and submitting this simple form!

 

 

Here at Connect4Climate, we’ll be broadcasting live in the run-up to World Environment Day with a series of brand-new #C4CLive conversations with bold young climate champions. We’ll also be launching a full-size #ClimateQuiz crossword puzzle on the themes of biodiversity and nature as well as a fun Climate Connections game to further test your knowledge.

 

C4C’s global partners are getting in on the festivities too. Our #Youth4Climate allies at Reserva are putting on a Biodiversity Day Concert for Conservation via Instagram Live (May 22, 2:00 PM Eastern, @RainforestTrust), while our #Film4Climate friends at Planet On are teaming up with Colombia’s Unión Festival Digital to deliver a special May 30 live-streamed screening of Slater Jewell-Kemker’s documentary Youth Unstoppable, followed by an interview with Slater herself. Check it out!

 

However you choose to get engaged this Biodiversity Week and World Environment Day this year, know that you are not alone. There are millions and millions of passionate people worldwide who share your vision of a sustainable planet and a resilient, biodiverse future. Let’s take action and make it happen!

 

 

All photos courtesy of Kaia Rose, Connect4Climate.

In these times of quarantine and social distancing, it can be tough to fill all the hours in your day. Climate champions who are used to participating in rallies and tree-planting campaigns may find the moratorium on public gatherings especially challenging as they do their best to stay sustainable at home.

To help combat cabin fever and keep you in touch with climate issues, biodiversity, and the world’s natural beauty, the C4C team has compiled a Film4Climate list of eco-friendly films and TV recommendations that you can stream at home!

Did you know Disney+ offers documentaries? We recommend: Into the Okavango, Before the Flood, Oceans, Penguins and America’s National Parks. Many of Disney’s kid-friendly feature films also include climate-positive messages. Try Brother Bear, Wall-E, Finding Nemo or Moana for your next family movie night.

If you’re looking to get your Netflix fix, they’re offering some eye-popping docs as well, including Chasing Coral, Terra, A Plastic Ocean, Cowspiracy, and Mission Blue. If you want something binge-worthy, try the stunning nature series Our Planet and Night on Earth. If you’d like a more allegorical take on the damage to our environment, check out Okja, a moving 2017 film from Korean director Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer). Down to Earth With Zac Efron is another option if you're looking for a series that will motivate you to take climate action while avoiding doom-and-gloom negativity.

Maybe you’re more into YouTube. As you might expect, options abound here. Feature film-wise, you’ve got beautiful contemporary options like Leave No Trace and Wild as well as classics like Hayao Miyakazi’s Princess Mononoke and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. YouTube is also the place to find a lot of serialized content, from TED Talks on climate change to web series like Climate Countdown, Antarctic Extremes, and Years of Living Dangerously. For assorted shorter-form climate content, consider giving our very own Connect4Climate channel a gander!

If you’re thinking about saying hello to Hulu, I Am Greta, featuring #Fridays4Future leader Greta Thunberg, is streaming there now! Hulu’s also the home of the whimsical Woman at War and the climate-colored disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow. On HBO, we recommend An Apology to Elephants and Ice on Fire.

On top of all of the above? Amazon’s got a cornucopia of climate content too. From documentaries like Al Gore’s famous An Inconvenient Truth (and its sequel), the music-driven 1.5 Stay Alive, and Luc Jaquet’s Antarctica: Ice and Sky to dramatic offerings like the legal thriller Dark Waters, the old-school sci-fi Silent Running, and the fantastical adventure Beasts of the Southern Wild, it’s safe to say this platform’s got something for everyone. This Changes Everything offers a community-focused look at the economics of climate change and climate action, Tomorrow provides a positive perspective on how we can remake our world for the better, and The Human Element takes an intimate look at climate impacts in Middle America. You can find Years of Living Dangerously, a Connect4Climate collaboration, on Amazon too!

Last but not least, we encourage you to survey the online cinematic offerings of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival, as well as those of Films for the Earth and PBS. And if you happen to live in Mexico City, our partners at Ecocinema are bringing complimentary watch-from-your-window screenings to different parts of town!

Have fun, stay safe, stay sustainable, and stay climate-conscious! Let’s weather this storm together and come out the other side ready to stand up for our planet.

This Earth Week, we invited the members of our online community to contribute lines to a growing collective poem on the concept of #EarthRise. Celebrated writer and youth advocate Nadira Hira expertly arranged the responses into the poem below, a fitting conclusion to an invigorating Earth Week and a beautiful tribute to collective action for the planet.

Enjoy!

#EarthRise

Like the moon every night,

as the tides of the oceans move, 

youth arise, the Earth awakens—

shall we let go of our blindness, and see?

Waste killing the world,

as forests fall and glaciers melt

on mountains grand.

We cannot continue to incinerate our home.

All we need is the beauty of this place,

freedom to love our planet.

If we listen, we can understand—

we can hear it in water, in wood, and even in stone.

From Earth we grow;

its marvelous design

can heal all wounds.

My mother, my heart,

who sacrifices everything,

I would work for a sustainable planet—

trans-generational sustainability,

renewable energy that will change the whole system of our lives,

a new and clean Earth

healing from its ecological disguise.

Listen to the Earth’s plea,

together as one—

what a world we live in!

A living being,

a home for all—

take care of her.

Earth is calling,

we must respond—

I can, you can, they can,

our generation and more to come.

It’s time to build.

Slow is fast and fast is smooth:

Sit still. Observe. Rest. Admire and revere.

Help each other,

because unity gives us power and diversity gives us strength.

We can write our story on a new page,

the dawn of a new era, looking into the future

with new appreciation.

Someday we’ll touch Mars,

saying that was the moment, that was the start.

We share today for tomorrow’s children—

may every sunset bring us closer to a better sunrise.

#EarthRise.

 

[video:https://youtu.be/UMrYNssGjBk]

It’s the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this week, and all over the world the climate community is coming together virtually around the importance of creating a safe and sustainable future for everyone. There are lots of ways to get involved while #StayingHome—so many, in fact, that we’ve made an Earth Week Bingo card to help you keep track!

 

The centerpiece of the week will be Earth Day Live, an all-day stream put on by the Earth Day Network on April 22 featuring messages, performances and calls to action from #Youth4Climate activists like Licypriya Kangujam, political figures like John Kerry and Al Gore, musicians like Nahko, and celebrity climate advocates like Zac Efron. Sign up now to get email updates as Earth Day draws closer!

 

 

On Wednesday, we’ll also be rolling out a special #C4CLive interview on Instagram with a representative from the Mama Initiative, a group of young musicians who promote solidarity and #ClimateAction through beautiful original music and covers. Stay tuned throughout the week for our series of “Earth Day 2020 in :20” videos, in which climate advocates have 20 seconds to describe what their Earth Day action is. We invite you to share  your own Earth Day actions—just remember that you only have 20 seconds to tell us about them! When you post your video, be sure to tag @Connect4Climate and #EarthRise.

 

Even beyond the video content, we’ll have plenty to keep you engaged and entertained this Earth Week! Our #SustainabilityHacks #AtHome series offers tips on staying sustainable amid COVID quarantine measures, while the Earth Rise Collective Poem challenge asks our global community to contribute their vision for our planet’s recovery by telling us what #EarthRise means to each of them. In our #ClimateQuiz series, we just launched our first C4C crossword puzzle and we’ll be ending this week with a set of Earth Week-inspired emoji puzzles.

 

 

Many of our partners have big plans of their own, including Fashion Revolution Week (all week), Fashinnovation (Apr. 20-21), We Don’t Have Time (Apr. 20-25), Stand Up for Climate Comedy Night (Apr. 22), Greta Thunberg’s Talks for Future (Apr. 24), the UNDP’s Mission 1.5 (all week), and our aforementioned friends at the Mama Initiative (all week).  You can also become a citizen scientist by downloading the Earth Challenge 2020 app and inputting data about the air quality and plastic pollution in your community.

 

All of these activities represent a tiny fraction of the climate engagement you can expect to see across every corner of the internet this week. We encourage you to add your perspectives and ideas to the conversation, and above all to have a safe, sustainable, and inspirational Earth Week.