Earlier this month, per annual tradition, the D&AD New Blood Awards spotlit the best of the best in student creative marketing pitches, aw
When young people have the chance to take over and communicate the urgency of climate change with their own voices, the results are always str
Young people like you are, quite literally, the future of our planet.
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Driving action at the local level can take many different forms: climate clubs at school, community demonstrations, knowledge-sharing in social media groups. We're all authorities on our own hometowns—and when we stand up for climate at home, we all contribute to a global push toward a green future! Respecting local expertise while developing a global movement is the challenge of the international climate community, and this working group offers a unique chance to reckon with that challenge.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#008000"><strong>Goal:</strong> </span><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">This working group will generate proposals to foster youth engagement with climate issues at the local level in regions all over the world.</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)">Learn More</span></strong></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiKCuhb5Kco" target="_blank">#Youth4ClimateLive Episode 9: Driving Local Action</a></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Read <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/theres-easy-way-national-governments-help-…; target="_blank">"</a><a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/theres-easy-way-national-governments-help-…; target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(17, 85, 204)">There’s an Easy Way for National Governments to Help Cities Act on Climate Change - Give Them Data</span></a><a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/theres-easy-way-national-governments-help-…; target="_blank">,"</a> an article from the World Resources Institute</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:18px">Read<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/08/19/why-kinshasa-could…; target="_blank">"</a></span></span></font><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/08/19/why-kinshasa-could…; target="_blank">Why Kinshasa Could Be in the Vanguard of Megacities’ Climate Resilience,"</a> a World Bank Feature Story on a $500 million climate project driving sustainability and climate resiliency in one of the world's largest metropolises</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Explore <a href="https://www.c40.org/about" target="_blank">C40 Cities</a>, a network of megacities around the world committed to robust climate action</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Use the <a href="https://www.reachnotpreach.com/" target="_blank">Reach Not Preach</a><a href="https://www.reachnotpreach.com/forum" target="_blank"> Forum</a> to connect with other young people and put your heads together on driving climate action</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18px">Often, contributing to climate action at the national level means linking up with many local groups online and planning larger-scale climate demonstrations, letter-writing campaigns, etc. Taking every chance you get to learn more about the political processes in your country and form strategies to convey your concern on climate to policymakers is key—productive pressure on legislators is what leads to the kind of action we need to turn back the climate crisis. And when given the opportunity, youth should be unafraid to engage with policymakers directly on their Nationally Determined Contributions and other climate policies. But governments need to meaningfully include youth in their decision-making processes as a first step in order for these approaches to be viable: that's what this working group's all about!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)"><strong>Goal:</strong> </span></span><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:arial">This working group will produce guidelines and recommendations on how countries can enable youth to make their voices heard and shape climate policy at the national level.</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)">Learn More</span></strong></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Watch <a href="http://Watch Episode 3: Driving Youth Action" target="_blank">Episode 3</a> of #Youth4ClimateLive, "Driving Youth Action"</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Read <a href="http://environment.yale.edu/news/article/building-public-and-political-…; target="_blank">"</a><a href="http://environment.yale.edu/news/article/building-public-and-political-…; target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(17, 85, 204)">Building Public and Political Will for Climate Change Action</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><a href="http://environment.yale.edu/news/article/building-public-and-political-…; target="_blank">,"</a> a helpful reference from Yale's School of the Environment</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Peruse the UNFCCC </span></span><a href="https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/engaging-private-sector…; style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family:arial">Toolkit for Engaging the Private Sector in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)</span></a><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"> </span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Read <a href="https://ndcpartnership.org/news/roadmap-meaningful-youth-engagement-ndc…; target="_blank">"A Roadmap to Meaningful Youth Engagement in NDCs,"</a> a helpful roadmap from the NDC Partnership on how young people can influence their countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the global fight against climate change</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Just as local organizations can come together to effect national change, national youth delegations can come together to effect global change! Your interest in multilateral collaboration is clear, and this working group offers a unique opportunity to brainstorm ways of expanding youth representation at the highest-level climate events.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:#008000">Goal:</span> </strong><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">This working group will generate proposals to better include youth in international fora and harness their unique knowledge to shape international climate policy.</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)">Learn More</span></strong></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="https://youth4climate.live/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(17, 85, 204)">Watch our #Youth4ClimateLive series</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"> to see youth leaders in intergenerational conversations with decision makers</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Read up on <a href="http://www.youngo.uno/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(17, 85, 204)">YOUNGO</span></a> and the work it's doing to bring young perspectives to the highest levels of international policymaking</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">See what the </span><a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action/youth-advisory-grou…; style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(17, 85, 204)">UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change</span></a> is doing to shape the global discourse around climate action</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Discover the work of <a href="https://sdsnyouth.org/" target="_blank">SDSN Youth</a> to empower young people to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals at the highest levels</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Browse this UN reference on its work with <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action" target="_blank">Youth in Action</a></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Connect with other young people using <a href="https://www.sparkblue.org/youth" target="_blank">SparkBlue</a>, a UN Development Programme online platform for coordinating global action</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Look into the <a href="https://ukcoy16.org/" target="_blank">UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY)</a> happening in Glasgow, Scotland this November alongside COP26</span></p>
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This article is part of a series on topics to be explored at this year's #Youth4Climate: #DrivingAmbition event. Check back regularly for updated content!
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Sharing the human stories of those most deeply affected by an issue is one of the most powerful ways to galvanize a reponse to that issue. When showcasing impacts, it’s important to give voice to people of disparate identities and lived experiences and to call special attention to those disproportionately affected</span>—<span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">often those from groups that have been historically disenfranchised and denied the means to bring about policy change.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:#006400"><span style="background-color:transparent">Goal:</span></span></strong><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"> This breakout group will brainstorm how best to achieve equity in climate action, drawing in particular on the invaluable perspectives of local communities, indigenous people, and women.</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)">Learn More</span></strong></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Read up on strategies for <a href="https://www.connect4climate.org/article/inclusive-engagement-amplifying…; target="_blank">amplifying marginalized voices</a> in this article from our Educational Toolkit.</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Watch Youth4ClimateLive Episode 5, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjrdxpyvBqE" target="_blank">"Driving Empowerment: Protecting the Most Vulnerable"</a></span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="https://www.connect4climate.org/article/meet-human-faces-climate-migrat…; target="_blank">"Meet the Human Faces of Climate Migration"</a> in this World Bank Group Groundswell Report</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Education is the mainstay of democratic societies and an excellent way to give young people the courage and knowledge they need to make a tremendous impact on climate and other global issues. What this working group will ask is: How is the climate crisis currently being taught in schools around the world? Where are we lacking? And what are creative avenues for improvement?</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 100, 0)">Goal:</span></strong><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"> This breakout group will brainstorm the most essential topics and standards that need to come across in climate education and help think up innovative strategies for bringing this content to students around the world.</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)">Learn More</span></strong></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Get the scoop on <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/education-youth/the-big-picture/what-is-actio…; target="_blank">Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE)</a> from UN Climate Change</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Explore UNESCO's <a href="https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable-development/cce" target="_blank">"Education for climate action"</a> hub</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Engage with Earth Day’s <a href="http://www.earthday.org/campaign/climate-environmental-literacy/" target="_blank">Climate & Environmental Literacy Campaign</a></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Peruse the UN's many <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/education-and-outreach/resources/materials-on…; target="_blank">Education and Training Resources</a></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Driving climate literacy in communities and empowering the public to mobilize for climate action means communicating the latest climate research effectively and making climate policy more transparent. Sustained mutual engagement between individuals and governments is essential.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 100, 0)">Goal:</span></strong><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"> This breakout group</span></span><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:arial"> will help develop innovative public and private outreach efforts to make the science of climate change accessible to all and promote climate advocacy and action at the community and individual levels.</span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)">Learn More</span></strong></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Play the UN's interactive <a href="https://mission1point5.org/us" target="_blank">Mission 1.5</a> game</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Join the UN's <a href="https://www.un.org/en/actnow" target="_blank">Act Now</a> campaign</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Read up on the creative climate outreach fostered by <a href="https://www.connect4climate.org/article/congrats-our-youth4climate-new-…; target="_blank">Connect4Climate's partnership with the D&AD New Blood Awards</a></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18px">On TV and in newspapers, climate change is almost always framed as a clinical, environmental phenomenon. Yet the human impacts of climate change—and the larger climate crisis radiating out from it—are very real. In order to get more people invested in climate action, we have to think about evocative ways in which to reframe the issues in media.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#006400"><strong><span style="background-color:transparent">Goal:</span></strong></span><span style="background-color:transparent; color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"> This breakout group will generate proposals to improve climate narratives in media by recontextualizing them in terms of concrete human impact.</span></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0, 128, 0)">Learn More</span></strong></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Browse <a href="https://www.sayitwithscience.org/" target="_blank">Say It With Science</a> for ideas on smart science communication</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Review publications from the <a href="https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/" target="_blank">Yale Program on Climate Change Communication</a></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Look through the <a href="https://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/icecaps/research/media_coverage/summ…; target="_blank">Media and Climate Change Observatory</a>'s monthly summaries of international climate coverage</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Explore the resources available at <a href="https://coveringclimatenow.org/" target="_blank">Covering Climate Now</a></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:18px">Read UNESCO's article <a href="https://en.unesco.org/news/media-and-information-literacy-prerequisite-…; target="_blank">"Media and information literacy: A prerequisite for stimulating climate change engagement"</a></span></p>
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The #Youth4ClimateLive Series aired its ninth and final episode on February 26, 2021.
Since June 2020, #Youth4ClimateLive has brought the perspectives of young leaders from around the world to bear on some of the most pressing i
