By UN Environment
Climate change was top of the agenda at the Social Good Summit. Young thought leaders from all regions of the globe, including those honoured by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), spoke out on issues central to the climate crisis at the Social Good Summit.
Fourteen-year-old Alexandria Villaseñor, leader of the New York City climate march and founder of Earth Uprising, was among the first to speak. Responding to sceptics, as to whether they make a difference, she said: “It really has in the past year.” If oil companies see the strikes as the biggest threat to the oil industry, “then we are making a difference”, she said. On an emotional level, strikes help to fight climate anxiety, she added.
The day before, she and other young climate activists affiliated with the Fridays for Future movement were named UN Champion of the Earth award.
Discussions throughout the day touched on the far-reaching implications of climate change, which some say are too often little understood. Indigenous communities spoke out about the implications that diminishing natural resources and extreme weather events have on the shifting roles of women, who may need to go further for water, for example. Read more>>
