Every August 12, International Youth Day recognizes the contributions of young people to sustainable development. The 2026 theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” reflects the different conditions young people face and the shared goals that connect their efforts.

This year’s theme is especially relevant to global food systems, which shape both the livelihoods and well-being of young people around the world. Globally, 44% of working youth were employed in agrifood systems in 202.  At the same time, food insecurity among young people increased from 16.7% in 2014–2016 to 24.4% in 2021–2023. These figures show how closely young people’s futures are tied to the challenges and opportunities within food systems.

Young people are playing an increasingly active role in responding to these challenges and shaping the future of food systems. Across different regions and circumstances, they are developing solutions that reflect the needs of their own communities, from agriculture and school food to public policy, food waste, and the commercial environments that influence what people eat. The five examples below show how young people are turning local ideas into action and contributing to broader food-system change.

Bringing Precision Agriculture to Farmers — Benin

Food insecurity continues to affect communities across the West African nation of Benin, particularly during the lean season when access to food becomes more difficult. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects that more than 201,000 people will face acute food insecurity between June and August 2026. These pressures increase the need for practical agricultural innovations that can help farmers improve productivity, use resources more efficiently, and strengthen resilience against disturbances.

Young agricultural researcher Marietta Gonroudobou founded Agro Hikari to connect scientific knowledge with farmers. The platform translates agronomic research into practical guidance and has expanded into digital agriculture. Gonroudobou has also developed a drone-based spraying solution designed to make agricultural input use more precise.

In 2026, the World Food Prize Foundation named Gonroudobou a Top Agri-food Pioneer. Agro Hikari also won the Benin edition of the Prix Pierre Castel and received €25,000 plus a year of mentorship. The project remains an emerging model, and this support provides an opportunity to test its precision-agriculture services at a larger scale.

Rethinking the Waste That Comes With School Lunch — United States

Disposable food service items contribute to a large stream of plastic waste in the United States, including the polystyrene trays still used in many school cafeterias. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the country generated about 80,000 tons of polystyrene containers in 2018, and less than 5,000 tons were recycled. In Houston, three fourth-graders brought attention to this issue by questioning the use of disposable polystyrene trays in their school cafeterias.

In 2025, River Oaks Elementary students Celine David, Maddie Woods, and Dora Cabarcas researched alternatives to polystyrene lunch trays. They gathered more than 250 signatures on an online petition and presented their findings to Houston Independent School District leaders. Their efforts helped prompt HISD to launch a pilot program testing alternative trays at River Oaks Elementary and Hogg Middle School.

Evidence from other school systems suggests that reusable serviceware can substantially reduce cafeteria waste. A 2026 study of California elementary schools found that schools using reusable trays and other serviceware reduced packaging and serviceware waste by about 5 kilograms less packaging and serviceware waste per day than schools that continued using disposable items. The HISD pilot will help the district assess how these alternatives perform in practice and whether they can be expanded more widely. The students’ campaign shows how young people can use research and community engagement to influence decisions within their own schools and communities.

Turning Youth Innovation Into Food-System Solutions — Indonesia

Indonesia faces a generational challenge in agriculture. Almost 80 percent of the country’s farmers are age 40 or older, while young people ages 15 to 29 account for about half of its unemployed population. Together, these trends highlight an opportunity to connect youth employment and entrepreneurship with the future of agriculture.

The 2025 Youth Innovation Challenge received more than 230 proposals and selected 18 finalists for mentorship and training. Winning projects included vertical farming that reuses kitchen waste, artificial intelligence for fruit-fly control, and circular systems that convert food scraps into farm inputs. Ten innovators shared Rp84 million in awards and presented their ideas to government representatives.

The program gave young people an opportunity to develop and refine their ideas while connecting with institutions that could support implementation. Initiatives like this can provide early support for locally  developed solutions, helping young innovators test what works and identify approaches with the potential to grow.

Challenging the Food Advertising Environment — United Kingdom

The food system extends beyond how food is grown and produced to the environments that influence what people see, choose, and buy. A 2025 University of Liverpool study found that 44 percent of surveyed outdoor advertisements promoted food or drinks, with one in four promoting unhealthy products. These advertisements appeared six times more often per kilometer in the most deprived areas studied.

Youth activists with Bite Back responded through the 2025 Commercial Break campaign. They placed youth-designed messages across 365 advertising spaces in London and called for stronger limits on unhealthy food marketing. Organizers estimated that the intervention prevented about 14.8 million people from being exposed to the advertisements that would otherwise have occupied those spaces.

UK-wide restrictions on less healthy food advertising on television before 9 p.m. and in paid online advertising took effect on January 5, 2026. However, the national rules do not cover billboards or other outdoor advertising, which remains a focus of Bite Back’s advocacy. The campaign demonstrates how young people can use evidence and advocacy to engage companies and policymakers around the food environments that shape consumption.

Bringing Youth Ideas Into Food Policy — Ecuador

Food loss and waste pose both environmental and food-security pressures in Ecuador. A 2025 report by the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic and the Global FoodBanking Network estimates that more than 900,000 tons of food are lost or wasted each year. The report  also found that 37 percent of the population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity between 2020 and 2022.

The World Food Forum Ecuador Youth Chapter has brought young people into national discussions about this issue. In October 2025, the chapter convened youth with government institutions, food banks, and civil-society organizations. The meeting helped gather evidence and advanced a coordinated proposal to reform Ecuador’s food loss and waste law.

In 2026, the chapter continued developing youth skills through training in project management, resource mobilization, and public policy. More than 30 young leaders from eight provinces participated in a May workshop that also strengthened connections among youth networks. Its work shows how youth groups can bring local concerns into formal policy discussions.

Cultivating Change

Global food challenges are complex, and they often result from deep, underlying, and interrelated factors that no single solution can address. Effective responses need to reflect the social, environmental, and economic conditions of each place. Meaningful progress therefore depends on understanding how a problem operates locally and developing solutions that respond to its underlying drivers.

The youth-led efforts featured here show how place-based action can create spaces for innovation. Young people are testing technologies, mobilizing communities, and engaging institutions around problems they experience locally. These experiments can reveal practices that work under specific conditions. Governments, companies, and nonprofits can then evaluate those lessons and adapt promising approaches elsewhere.

Youth-led ideas can have greater impact when young people have sustained support to develop and expand them. Mentorship builds technical and organizational capacity, financing provides the time and resources needed to strengthen promising initiatives, and partnerships with governments, civil society, businesses, and other institutions can create pathways for wider adoption. FAO research similarly highlights investment, meaningful participation in decision-making, access to skills and resources, and improved financing as key conditions for youth engagement in agrifood-system transformation.

International Youth Day is an opportunity to celebrate young people’s contributions while recognizing what they need to turn ideas to lasting change. It’s also an opportunity to turn that creativity into action. Young people can support EARTHDAY.ORG’s Canopy Tree Project, explore our Climate Education campaign, or join The Great Global Cleanup. Each offers a way to take action and mobilize others. This International Youth Day, find a challenge in your community and help cultivate a solution.

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BRACE and CSESI– Why Do They Matter?

The Building the Climate Resilience of Children and Communities through the Education Sector (BRACE) project is a breakthrough initiative, placing education as a focus of Green Climate Fund (GCF) funding for the first time. Established at COP28 in Dubai, BRACE is primarily co-funded by a US$32 million grant from the GCF and a US$8 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Save the Children Australia supports the implementation of the project in South Sudan, Tonga, and Cambodia 

The Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI) is a technical assistance initiative launched in March 2023, with GPE funding of US$21 million including a US$5mln contribution from Japan. It provides advice, supports collaboration between ministries, and builds capacity, including through safety drills for students before floods. Both initiatives connect climate finance with education and focus on strengthening the resilience of school infrastructure and education systems.

Share of funding between BRACE and CSESI based on UNFCCC summary of Building Climate Smart Education Systems (Global Partnership for Education (2026). Climate-smart education systems initiative, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Available here)

How Is Education Connected to Climate Finance?

The connection between natural hazards, school infrastructure, and education performance is critical to both initiatives.

BRACE combines financing from the climate change and education sectors to strengthen education systems against climate change and protect learning for millions of children. It is the first GCF-funded initiative focused on the education sector. Outcome 1 aims to ensure that “the education sector at national and sub-national levels in targeted countries is more resilient to the impacts of climate change.”

In Malawi, the impact of floods on school infrastructure provided the basis for GPE to support the country through technical assistance. Malawi is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, ranked 26th by the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Index (2023). Since 2010, Malawi has experienced 16 major floods, affecting around 100,000 people annually, including students.

The experiences of Cambodia and Malawi demonstrate how countries affected by climate change can access finance and technical assistance to strengthen school infrastructure, education systems, and climate awareness among students.

Scaling Up Funding for Education

Both projects introduce innovative approaches to helping countries access international funding for education. The GCF, GPE, Save the Children, and OECD are developing mechanisms that can help address the current gap between climate finance and education.

Mapping Climate Finance

A key BRACE activity is mapping and tracking global climate finance opportunities for education. This includes the GCF, Adaptation Fund (AF), and Global Environment Facility (GEF), as well as bilateral donors, the private sector, and philanthropies. Results will be presented through the BRACE coordination platform knowledge management site for policymakers in Tonga, Cambodia, and South Sudan.

According to GCF, the roadmap guides ministries in identifying and prioritising climate-smart education investments, aligning them with national education priorities, and matching them with appropriate financing mechanisms and actors. It also identifies gaps in climate finance for education and provides recommendations for financial instruments to support investment needs.

Education in the OECD Climate Finance Tracking System

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) climate finance tracking system will better reflect the role of education in addressing climate change. BRACE will support adjustments to international climate finance reporting to capture dual-benefit investments in climate and education, particularly for adaptation.

This is an important step towards increasing international investment in both education and climate action. According to the World Bank, only 1.5% of climate finance goes to education. Better tracking of education’s contribution to climate adaptation could therefore support increased investment in initiatives such as BRACE and CSESI.

Collaboration Between Ministries

In Malawi, GPE and Save the Children fostered collaboration between the Ministry of Education and ministries responsible for climate and land. Coordination between ministries is often an obstacle to scaling up climate finance for education. However, CSESI contributed to the inclusion of education in Malawi’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

“No single ministry can address the education challenges posed by climate change alone. Our collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change and the Department of Disaster Management Affairs demonstrates the power of shared commitment and coordination.“

– Rachel Chimbwete Phiri of Malawi’s Ministry of Education

Similarly, BRACE supports Ministries of Education in coordinating with climate change ministries and engaging in NAP processes, while also facilitating knowledge sharing between the participating countries.

How Did NDCs and NAPs Support Climate Finance for Education?

Component 2 of BRACE supports countries in integrating education into NAP and NDC processes. The inclusion of climate education in NDCs or NAPs was therefore not a requirement, but a result of the initiatives. Similarly, the inclusion of education in Malawi’s NAP resulted from CSESI.

Both initiatives demonstrate the potential to integrate education into national climate planning. In Cambodia, NDC 3.0 mentions education 70 times.

Cambodia’s Price Tag for Climate Education

To effectively bring climate finance to education, countries and multilateral institutions need to establish clear financial requirements. Cambodia has estimated the cost of education and awareness in its NDC at US$96 million (NDC 3.0, p. 65).

This makes the US$40 million in BRACE funding for all three countries appear relatively small. However, the price tag represents a long-term strategy, while BRACE contributes to building the capacities described in the Cambodian NDC. Its broader aim of scaling up finance for participating countries could help Cambodia move towards its longer-term financial needs for education.

Progress on climate education NDCs commitments in each country can be accessed through the Climate Education NDCs Tracker managed by EARTHDAY.ORG.

Schools as Indicators of NAP Processes

The NAP process is also considered a co-benefit indicator of BRACE. Increased locally led adaptation is measured through the percentage of target schools contributing to the NAP process through civil society and public dialogues, with a target of 70% of schools across the three countries. This provides direct evidence that the education sector is expected to actively participate in national adaptation planning.

Future of Finance for Education

The experiences of Malawi and Cambodia demonstrate that education can access funding and technical assistance from institutions such as the GCF. BRACE goes further by supporting curriculum development, teacher training, climate finance tracking, and school infrastructure.

The next step is for more countries to follow the examples of Malawi and Cambodia and unlock greater finance for education to strengthen resilience. This call should also be answered by major climate funds, including the GEF and Clean Technology Fund, by expanding their support for education, teacher training, and empowering the students who will lead the future of the green transition.

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Gen Z climate activists near and far have been tirelessly working to make their voices and dreams heard. And it’s working. The 2026 EarthDay.org theme of “Our Power, Our Planet” has been a theme engrained in these activists’ mentalities for years and they show us what we can achieve when we truly use our power to invoke climate attention and action. 

Three activists: Vanessa Nakate, Xiye Bastida and Sophia Kianni, come from all corners of the globe and are brought to the environmental crisis for various reasons. Fueled by community, identity and language, they are sparking a global movement to dismantle climate injustice and tackle the climate crisis. While the impacts they are making may seem impossible to match or come close to, their efforts boil down to simple, powerful tactics that use their voice to show change is not just necessary, it is entirely possible. 

Vanessa Nakate: The Climate Fight Starts on Your Block  

Frequently, countries that are facing the most severe impacts of climate change are underrepresented in the international sphere. Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan native, has discovered community-based initiatives as an excellent method to address this and create intersectional representation in the climate movement.

While Africa faces some of the most harsh and tangible effects of climate change like intense water stress, increased heat-related deaths and crippling impacts on agriculture harvests, they are frequently excluded from the climate change conversation. Nakate has directly experienced this injustice. In 2020, at a Switzerland climate summit, Nakate was photographed alongside a group of white climate activists but was cropped out of the photo when it was published. In identifying a way to have an intersectional dialogue in the climate discussion, she founded Rise Up Climate movement to amplify voices of activists from Africa by giving them an online platform to tell their stories. 

Nakate exemplifies what it means to address challenges in ones own community by turning her attention to classrooms in Uganda. Despite facing the brunt of the climate crisis, rural schools in Uganda, and many other nations, are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels such as charcoal to make their classrooms run. In response, Nakate started the Vash Green Schools Project, an idea rooted in community and climate which ended up implementing solar on 75 rural schools while hoping to expand to homes. 

And a community extends well beyond the people who exist in it: it includes the world that we call home. With this in mind, she used her social media presence to promote the tagline “Save Congo’s Rainforest” in hopes of getting attention on the issue and protecting Congo’s rainforest from deforestation. In just two weeks, it was an internationally successful movement when it was given online recognition by Greta Thunberg.

Nakate shows us that a community-based approach has the power to bring local issues to the international stage. Since her efforts began, she has become a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and made powerful strides across the globe, bringing the attention back to those who need it most. 

Xiye Bastida: Loud, Proud, and Proven

Hailing from San Pedro Topiltepec, a town of less than 500 in Oaxaca, Mexico, Xiye Bastida shows us that no matter if one comes from a big city or a small town, everyone has a voice and deserves to be heard. 

In her hometown, she observed the direct effects of climate change through water contamination and increasing floods. And when her family moved to New York in 2015, she decided to take action. Starting at the young age of 13, she found power in her voice as a way to bridge the gaps between indigenous communities and international organizations of power. Bastida has been able to develop this relationship via climate strikes and speaking on the large, public stage. She has captivated audiences through her TedTalk, “Your inner fire is your greatest strength” which has nearly half a million plays. 

These efforts to speak up and speak loud have not gone unnoticed, especially on an international scale. In 2021, she spoke at the UN Leadership Summit on Climate, at the White House for the Biden administration, and has won international awards, like TIME 100 Next honoree, Forbes Changemaker, and UN Spirit Award, in recognition for her efforts. 
She is also no stranger to climate action and protest. Partnering with Greta Thunberg in 2019, she has gathered hundreds of thousands of high school students and led massive protests down the streets of New York to show the importance of the fight against climate change and the importance of indigenous voices. Bastida understands that this issue is a time-sensitive one and is hoping the world is listening.

Sophia Kianni: Climate Action as a Universal Tongue

90 percent of internationally recognized climate journals are published in the United States or the United Kingdom but at least 6.5 billion people in the world cannot speak the English language. As a result, the number of people who have access to climate science is incredibly limited. Bridging the gap between language barriers is a huge aspect of environmental activism and Sophia Kianni cracked the code.

Similar to the local experiences of Vanessa Nakate, Kianni observed the language barrier of scientific journals when visiting family in Iran and on a school trip to the country. What she struggled to understand was how her relatives there didn’t realize the scope of the climate crisis happening in their backyard due to the lack of translation of climate science. She took matters into her own hands, translating for her relatives before they started to realize the degree to which climate change was impacting their direct world.

By taking her love for family into the application of language, Kianni has grown this into an international movement with her company, Climate Cardinals. What started as a simple care for her community and the environment they live in transpired into a worldwide movement. Climate Cardinals now has 19,000 volunteers in 185 countries and she’s given a TedTalk with 2.5 million plays. Speaking up about the social injustices that result from climate change has led her to be a recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30, the Muhammid Ali Humanitarian Award, TIME’s 100 Next, National Geographic Young Explorer and many more. 

From Bystander to Builder of Change

What a privilege it is to live at the same time as such impactful and inspirational climate activists who have harnessed their passions to achieve monumental results. But if you’re like me, you’re probably overwhelmed by their achievements and wondering how on Earth you could come close to them. 

The good news is that you don’t have to amount to the same level. Use these stories as inspiration and sign up to be a volunteer with EARTHDAY.ORG. From local community action to individual action, we have a plethora of toolkits to help get you started. In line with the 2026 Earth Day theme, you truly have the power to change our planet. Earth Day falls on April 22nd and there are volunteer events around the country with opportunities to activate your power and take the fight against the climate crisis into your own hands. 

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Delegates are currently gathering in Belém, Brazil, for COP30, the 30th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These annual meetings are intended to allow countries, non-governmental organizations, and other parties to review progress on climate change mitigation and negotiating agreements on how to address climate change.   

It is estimated that Brazil hosts 15-20% of the world’s biodiversity, making it the most biodiverse country in the world. Called the “gateway to the Amazon,” hosting COP30 in Belém underscores the urgency of forest and biodiversity protection, but it also serves as a focal point for climate activists movements. Youth have a deep stake in these talks, as their generation will bear the most severe impacts of delayed climate action.

Around the world, people under 30 make up a majority of the population in many developing nations. These countries are often the most vulnerable to climate change impacts like extreme weather, drought, and resource scarcity. Young people are leading grassroots action, demanding accountability from governments and corporations, and developing innovative solutions that are critical for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.  

The global youth climate movement, energized by figures like Greta Thunberg and movements like Fridays for Future, has transformed from street protests into a powerful political presence. 

Our own Climate Education Coalition, has seen youth activists from all over the world band together and work tirelessly to get climate education into every school curriculum. Their campaigning is working. There are now 152 nations, 60 using similar EDO model language, who have embraced some form of climate education in their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submissions for COP30.

As climate change continues to accelerate and human activities further contribute to rising temperatures, including youth voices in annual climate conferences is essential for securing long-term, equitable climate commitments.

COP30 and Youth Voices

Youth participation at COPs has grown significantly since the first meeting in 1995. While initially limited to side events and protests, young people now form dedicated delegations like the European Youth Forum. These youth groups also have a formalized constituency within the UNFCCC known as YOUNGO (Youth Non-Governmental Organizations).   

COP30 is expected to feature an unprecedented level of youth involvement. Brazilian civil society, which has strong youth engagement, is working to ensure young activists are integrated into the processes.

The COP30 Presidency has also signaled a commitment to intergenerational dialogue. The conference is set to include dedicated youth programs intended to bring their perspectives directly into policy discussions. This shifts from viewing youth as observers to recognizing them as essential contributors to policy.   

Key Agendas and Demands

With this year’s COP anticipated to have record youth participation, how will these youths contribute to negotiations surrounding climate change adaptation and mitigation?

Youth groups at COP30 are uniting around several critical demands. A recent youth protest at COP30 focused on securing robust financing for the Loss and Damage Fund, which helps climate-vulnerable nations recover from disasters, and ensuring that climate policies do not burden the world’s most vulnerable populations.   

Youth movements are also supporting Indigenous leaders at COP30, recognizing that the protection of the Amazon, a key focus of COP30, requires traditional knowledge and the defense of Indigenous land rights. 

Increasingly the protection of forests is becoming a hot button issue for both youth and Indigenous communities. If you want to learn more about why forests matter, please watch our brand new series UNDERREPORTED EARTH – “TREE TALES”– IG TRAIL. 

In this series, Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian speaks with three top investigative journalists about their groundbreaking reporting: Elisangela Mendonça uncovers how the Amazon rainforest is being threatened by the collagen industry. Josephine Moulds takes us into the Congo Basin, where fossil fuel auctions are endangering one of the world’s most vital forest ecosystems. Ana Bottallo travels deep into the Amazonian mangroves to witness how local communities fought to have their voices heard. The episodes went live on November 17/18th/19th across EARTHDAY.ORG social media, including on Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3  and YouTube:  Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3.

Youth activists are also pushing for all long-term national and international commitments to be assessed by their impact on future generations. Youth groups are also advocating for investments in education and vocational training, to better prepare them for the shift to a rapidly growing green economy.

What’s Next for COP30? 

The increased presence of youth movements at COP30 will be essential to maintain pressure on negotiators to deliver ambitious outcomes. The energy and moral clarity of the youth movement are vital for bridging the gap between current government commitments and the action required by climate science.

As COP30 negotiations unfold over the coming week, consider supporting youth-focused initiatives like EARTHDAY.ORG’s Climate Education Coalition to help amplify the demands of the next generation of climate leaders.

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Every November 20th, we celebrate children’s rights on World Children’s Day – their right to learn, to dream, and to grow up on a healthy, livable planet. However, growing up in 2025 means that children are coming of age at a time when the Earth is crying for care. 

When we look at the climate crisis through their eyes, we see things differently – and perhaps we adults can learn a thing or two from children.

Here are eight lessons children offer us, not because they have all the answers, but because their way of seeing the world reminds us what really matters.

1. Be Curious About Everything

Children ask “why” a hundred times a day; in fact it is a precursor to some of the most common questions asked by kids 6 and under. That curiosity is where we can learn about the world around us. When we ask more questions about things, like how our energy sources are created, how products are  made, or where our waste goes, we become aware of the systems that shape our planet and what  changes need to be made. Curiosity keeps us open-minded and ready to learn. As new research from the University of California, Santa Barbara shows, people who nurture their curiosity tend to stay more engaged with the world around them, exactly the kind of mindset that helps us care more deeply for the planet.

This is the foundation of environmentalism: understanding how human choices impact the Earth and engaging in mitigation of the harm we may cause.

2. Paper Beats Rock, Rock Beats Plastic

We don’t come out of the womb with a Christmas wish-list – but we are born with our imagination. Children can build a rocket from a box or a sword from a stick. They teach us that happiness can be found in keeping things we already have rather than purchasing new items. Repurposing the things we already have in our hands cuts down on waste and uses our imagination. The circular economy works the same way, it reminds us to give materials like plastic bottles or packaging a second life, keeping them in use instead of sending them to waste.

3. Outdoor Play Is How We Learn

Kids don’t just play outside, they soak it all in. Evidence from 2020 shows that kids who spend more time in nature have better mood, concentration, and ability to empathize with others. Whether it’s noticing the smell of rain or the buzz of bees, connecting with the natural world helps kids — and adults — feel happier, calmer, and more motivated to protect the planet. 

4. Turn Feelings Into Action

Children don’t hide their feelings about climate change. Climate anxiety is so prevalent that in 2021 more than half youth across the world report feeling sadness, anxiety, anger, powerlessness, helplessness, and guilt about the changing climate. These feelings affect their daily life, causing such symptoms as fatigue, insomnia, and panic attacks.  ; We cannot let kids roll over and take this way of life; they must  act on these feelings instead. Research has shown that when young people express what they feel about climate change and engage in climate action, it strengthens their sense of agency – and that’s where climate education plays a role. Learning about solutions and sharing knowledge can turn these feelings into purpose. A reminder for adults that caring out loud is powerful.

5. Don’t Let your Ego Overshadow Your Message 

Children don’t need big words to explain why we should take care of the Earth. They know: “It’s our home.” and  that could be all the reason they need. Children tend to simplify things, adults tend to overcomplicate things. Sometimes simple language is much more effective in inspiring people to act on climate issues. In the United States, for instance, where 99% of the population is literate, the average reading level is a 7th-8th grade level. It is more important to be understood than to be perceived as an all knowing expert.  

6. What’s Gonna Work? Teamwork! 

Change doesn’t come from one person doing it all, but from all of us doing our part. A national survey study from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that while many Americans care deeply about climate change and would take actions like signing petitions or attending rallies,only about 6-16% actually do these things. The researchers discovered this by analyzing how people’s sense of shared responsibility influences their willingness to act. The study shows that we’re more likely to take action when we feel part of a collective effort rather than doing it all by ourselves. It’s through working together, asking questions, experimenting, and sharing ideas that we find the most effective ways to mitigate climate change. 

7. Empathy is as important as Science

Children not only absorb information; they experience stories. This unique mix of empathy and knowledge fuels lasting dedication. As for grown-ups, empathy means compassion in policies and practices that safeguard other people, and more specifically those hit hardest by the crisis. One effective way to build empathy is through reading stories and narratives that help us understand different perspectives. Developing emotional intelligence is just as important as understanding science. After all, Emotional intelligence is a crucial climate skill, one that is often overlooked in efforts to tackle climate change. 

8. Celebrate Small Wins

Children celebrate when they complete a puzzle or harvest their first tomato. Adults can use more of that happiness. Small wins can build momentum. Psychologists say that recognizing progress can help individuals sustain new behaviors.In taking climate action, it’s all about celebrating small wins to keep ourselves motivated. Whether through planting a garden, diverting waste, or creating art that reflects hope and concern, these activities help us connect with the planet on an emotional level. Art lets people envision the change, communicate their emotions, and could inspire others to begin the important work of healing our planet.

World Children’s Day is a time to remember that children have a right to a safe future.They also remind us that learning can go both ways. They demonstrate that caring for the planet doesn’t have to be a complicated task, it can start with curiosity, play, empathy and hope. Perhaps saving the planet isn’t always just about science or politics. Sometimes it’s about learning again, to see the world like a child does, as something worth loving.

But understandably love alone isn’t enough. Children deserve strong climate education and strong national climate commitments that safeguard their future. To help make that possible, sign EARTHDAY.ORG’s Pledge to Support Climate and Environmental Literacy, urging governments to include climate education in their NDCs. Every signature helps turn big goals into real classroom action and a more climate-literate world.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life in order to learn, grow, and contribute to their community. Mental health is an integral part of our motivation and resiliency, and psychological struggles can wreak havoc on our bodies and minds. 

Mental disorders account for 15% of the global burden of disease among adolescents. Globally, 1 in 7 youth experience a mental health disorder each year. The average delay between mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years, which means that young people can be trapped in a state of poor mental health most of their childhood and adolescence.

Today is World Mental Health Day, and we’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on how climate change can negatively impact our mental health.

The Vulnerability of Youth To Climate Change 

Youth are the most vulnerable group experiencing poor mental health due to the extremes of climate change. A global study from 2021 found that 45% of students, 16 to 25 years, feel the effects of climate anxiety daily. 

Climate anxiety is a natural and adaptive response to the all too real threats of our climate crisis, and causes serious issues in children such as sleep troubles, PTSD, disrupted cognitive development, and even major depressive disorder. Youth can experience indirect impacts from climate change too such as disrupted schooling, family and financial strains, displacement, and food insecurity.

Cognitive Development = Concrete Thinking

Children aged 6 to 12 years are in the stage of cognitive development characterized by concrete thinking, where they learn to understand and reason about real objects and events. They are concerned with ideas of justice and fairness and orienting themselves within their own community, the wider world. Furthermore, they are able to understand empathy and consider other people’s needs. This stage of cognitive development is critical for growth and overall health. 

But children’s brain health is impacted by climate change because when they are exposed to climate disasters, like wildfires and floods, they are susceptible to psychological distress which then can impedes brain development. 

Extreme weather events have been shown to significantly increase the risk of developing serious mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic stress. Plus, higher temperatures and pollution have been linked to an increase in ER visits for mental health problems, including suicidal thoughts.

That is why increasing our awareness and understanding of climate mental health issues will reduce mental health issues that are linked to climate change. A Yale School of Public Health study found that young adults who participate in collective climate action experience less depression and hopelessness linked to climate anxiety. Active involvement provides a buffer against the mental health toll of climate worries by fostering purpose and community.

Research also shows that feeling empowered through climate action boosts self-efficacy and reduces feelings of helplessness, key drivers of anxiety related to climate change. Harvard Medicine Magazine notes that many people deeply worried about climate change find that taking action—whether small steps or advocacy—helps balance their anxiety and supports daily functioning.

The Power of Emotions 

Mental health is more than just dealing with emotions; it encompasses both psychological and social-well being. When we use appropriate techniques that address stressors on mental health, we can create a positive feedback loop that provides youth with tools for dealing with everyday life, no matter how complex it can get.

Emotional regulation is a crucial aspect of mental health, and can be understood through three key factors: Adaptive Engagement, Disengagement, and Aversive Cognitive Perseveration. 

Our ability to recognize emotions and choose how we respond to them is essential for mental health. Changing a reaction or avoiding inaction starts with stepping back from the initial emotional response and intentionally selecting a healthier one. This skill requires ongoing practice and conscious effort to understand how emotions influence thoughts and behavior.

Cognitive reappraisal is the skill of reinterpreting a situation to change its emotional impact. For example, instead of feeling frustrated about heat advisories keeping children indoors, one can focus on creating fun indoor activities, shifting attention from the problem to positive solutions.

Mental Health, Nutrition, & Food Insecurity

Our mind and body are intricately connected. Healthy eating, exercise, and adequate sleep have all been shown to protect against mental health disorders and improve mood. Droughts, floods, and higher temperatures impact food production and therefore exacerbate food insecurity. 

According to UNICEF, more than one in four children globally experience food poverty. Food insecurity acts as a chronic stressor, increasing inflammation in the body, which can also contribute to mental health problems. Children suffering malnutrition due to the climate crisis face heightened vulnerability to future climate-related events, creating a harmful cycle that deepens lasting disparities.

Supporting Mental Wellness 

To effectively tackle mental health issues, we must ensure that everyone’s basic needs are met. When people feel safe, have enough to eat, and face less stress, their mind and body can thrive.. 

Some of the biggest barriers to mental health services are access to mental health professionals and funding. Since children spend much of their time in schools, educational institutions should be key to providing mental health support. In 2019, 15.4% of adolescents aged 12-17 reported receiving mental health services at school. However with 52% of public schools in the U.S already struggling to provide basic mental health services for students and 58% reporting an increase in the number of students seeking school-based post post-COVID,  funding remains a major issue. If we want to address mental health in our youth, then we must invest in their schools.

Human Rights Issue 

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1 in every 7 people, over 1 billion people, around the world are living with a mental disorder.  Mental health spans socio economic and geographical barriers, it affects all. However we know access to care is one of the biggest hurdles in tackling this issue. 

Mental health is a fundamental human rights issue and a vital part of global development discussions. A WHO report  highlights the deep connections between mental health and the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showing how progress on the SDGs supports tackling mental health challenges worldwide. For true social, economic, and political prosperity, widespread investment in promoting positive mental health and ensuring care for those struggling is essential.

Climate education is one way we can prepare young people with the tools and strategies for coping with climate mental wellbeing. Education can build connections to solutions that positively impact the mind and body against climate change impacts.  But how can we, as individuals, help to ensure that everyone gets access to climate education? For one thing, we can make sure that we are all informed about what climate education entails. More actively, sign EARTHDAY.ORG’s petition for all countries to commit to climate education.

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OPINION

I didn’t become a climate activist in spite of my Catholic education. I became one because of it.

As a child, one of my favorite parish traditions was the annual blessing of the animals on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th. This annual celebration honors St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment, and is traditionally marked by religious services and blessings of animals. Dogs barked through hymns, and cats squirmed under the makeshift outdoor pews as we celebrated the patron saint of animals and ecology. One year, someone even brought a pet fish. I had no pets of my own, so I cradled a stuffed animal. And somehow, I still felt entirely welcome.

In hindsight, that sense of belonging planted the seed for something deeper: the belief that faith and care for the Earth are inseparable. My Catholic upbringing taught me to see all creatures — whether they barked, meowed, splashed, or were stitched together with thread — as sacred. 

That early reverence and connection to the natural world stayed with me as I embarked on my K-8 Catholic education. In sixth grade at my Catholic school, I ran for student council ecology commissioner. By eighth grade, I became a vegetarian. At the time, I didn’t think of these decisions as activism. They felt like natural extensions of my faith. If God created this beautiful world, why wouldn’t we protect it?

Growing up near San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, nature was a constant companionship. The vast Pacific Ocean shaped my awe for the planet and a sense of duty to care for it. In high school, that awe turned into action. I organized beach cleanups, led my school’s environmental club, and helped launch the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit (BAYCS). At BAYCS, we addressed not just recycling and tree planting, but environmental racism and the global inequities of climate change. Our work was grounded in justice, not just conservation. 

My faith gave that work a spiritual foundation. In my junior and senior years at a Catholic high school, my religion classes included full units on Laudato Si’, the late Pope Francis’s encyclical on environmental degradation and its impact on the poor. For the first time, I encountered a vision of Catholicism that didn’t just urge personal virtue — it demanded the systemic change my peers and I had been fighting for. Pope Francis urged us to reject consumerism and domination, and instead live in “serene harmony with creation.” 

His words changed me. “Human beings, above all, need to change,” he wrote. So often, religious doctrine is associated with history and tradition. Pope Francis’ teachings represent a striking departure from the Church’s preservation of the status quo. Laudato Si’ made it clear that we cannot continue with the way things have always been. According to Pope Francis, environmental stewardship is not an optional extracurricular for Catholics. Rather, it is at the heart of what our faith demands.

Writing this now, I’m struck by how Pope Francis’s call to “care for our common home” feels more urgent now than ever, especially in the wake of his recent passing on Easter Monday. His papacy was formative for my ecological justice journey, and I feel incredibly blessed to have encountered his teachings at such a pivotal time in my life.

When I joined my first global climate strike in 2021, I skipped school to march the streets of San Francisco with fellow BAYCS organizers, families, and thousands of young people. I told my Ecological Justice and Spirituality (yes, this was a class my school offered) teacher I’d be missing class. He laughed and said, “There’s no better reason to skip.” He was right.

Marching through the streets, holding signs, chanting alongside children on their parents’ shoulders, I experienced a profound sense of hope. For the first time since learning about the scale of the climate crisis, I didn’t feel small or powerless. Just as I did years before at the blessing of the animals, I felt part of something bigger, something sacred.

Still, I can’t ignore how many Christian communities continue to resist climate action—or deny climate science outright. This denial is not only misguided but fundamentally antithetical to the Bible’s teachings of stewardship. If we believe this Earth is God’s creation, then caring for it is not a political issue. It’s a spiritual imperative

Every Earth Day, I find myself thinking back to the Feast of St. Francis. To bless a dog, cat, or even a stuffed animal means to recognize the sacredness that is consistent throughout all creation. This same sacredness flows through the coral reefs and forests, the birds and butterflies flying overhead, and the communities fighting to survive rising seas and wildfires. 

If we claim to love the Creator, we must love creation too. Let this be a unifying mission for all of us, not a divisive one.  

So the next time you find yourself in nature — at a park, an aquarium, or simply under a tree — pause. Lean into your childlike wonder of the natural world. Watch a jellyfish float or a bee as it traverses from flower to flower. This is God’s way of transmitting the magic of the Heavens down to us on Earth. These moments are divine.Faith that does justice is about honoring these gifts — not just with prayer and gratitude, but with action. While Earth Day 2025 may be over, the fight for our common home remains. Join us at EARTHDAY.ORG to unite around the future of our planet and continue our mission of Our Power, Our Planet. Our faith calls us to nothing less.

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At EARTHDAY.ORG, we have been fighting plastic waste to protect the environment and our health. But today, July 30, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, it’s worth recognizing another reason to fight: limiting the plastic and trash that ends up in landfills could also limit the exploitation of children and families around the world.

Here’s why: nearly 50 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery, and plastic pollution is helping fuel it. Trafficking occurs when a person is forced, or coerced into performing labor of any sort against their will. 

In the global waste management system, there are countless work-force gaps filled by informal labor and in these unregulated spaces there are countless opportunities for traffickers to exploit vulnerable men, women, and children.The global waste trade creates a shadow economy, one that’s poorly regulated, easily exploited, and often run by informal or criminal networks. It’s within these vulnerable aftermarkets that trafficking and exploitation thrive.

What Happens to Our Waste?

When we throw plastic away, we often assume it’s either recycled or responsibly landfilled. But in reality, much of our plastic waste, especially from countries in the Global North, is shipped overseas, often to poorer nations in the Global South. These countries lack the infrastructure to manage this waste safely, and it often ends up in landfills,  open dumps, rivers, or illegal recycling operations

Waste picking is a large part of this economy – it’s when people, many of them children, pick through open dumps looking for materials that can be sold to recyclers. These pickers are subjected to extremely dangerous working conditions, including cuts and abrasions from used needles and glass, exposure to toxic chemicals, and disease from rotting foods, among many other things. 

Children and migrants who scavenge waste from dumpsites are doing some of the dirtiest and more dangerous work on the planet, often with no protections, no education, and no way out. 

This is the perfect setup for traffickers. 

These children often live on the fringes of society, meaning they are not in school, living without birth certificates or legal identities and are often socially marginalized because of this. The conditions at these dumpsites in which they live are often overrun with gangs, alcohol, and drug abuse.

While not every case of child waste picking qualifies as trafficking under international law, the conditions these children face such as extreme poverty, lack of protection, and constant exposure to predatory actors make them exceptionally vulnerable to trafficking and other forms of exploitation.

In some cases, families compel children to work in dangerous dumpsites not out of malice, but out of desperation. While this may not legally constitute trafficking, it still places children at enormous risk, particularly when third parties begin to profit off their labor or exploit their isolation. ​​For example, media investigations and international reports have documented that Syrian refugee children in Turkey, unable to attend school due to age restrictions or language barriers, often survive by picking through litter and waste at landfill sites. These informal labor conditions are hazardous and leave children vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and in some cases, trafficking.

Informal waste economies often exist on a spectrum. This ranges from survival labor to outright trafficking. Children may begin picking trash to help their families, but over time, third-party control, debt, abuse, or sexual coercion can escalate their situation. Some may argue that because these children are earning money for their family through sorting through waste that they are actually benefiting from the plastic pollution.

Let’s be clear: They are not. These children are better off in schools. Children forced into waste picking miss out on education, suffer long-term health damage, and face a lifetime of marginalization. 

So today, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, what can we do? This August, world leaders will meet for the sixth round of negotiations on a legally binding global plastics treaty, known as INC-5.2, which will take place in Switzerland. We can use this moment to urge our governments to support a strong treaty that addresses plastic pollution at its source and limits plastic production. You can make your voice heard by signing our petition here.

EARTHDAY.ORG has been calling for a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040. This is entirely achievable given that a massive volume of the plastic produced is designed for single use and immediate disposal. 

By limiting our production of plastic, and the waste it eventually creates, we can help to dismantle the conditions that lead to trafficking and exploitation. The fight against plastic pollution isn’t just a fight for the environment, or for our health, but for the most vulnerable on our planet – our children.  

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is also cleared for use. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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Every July 15th, World Youth Skills Day  shines a spotlight on the incredible talents and limitless potential of young people around the globe. This year, the celebration takes on a futuristic twist, highlighting how artificial intelligence and digital skills are empowering youth to navigate—and shape—an ever-evolving job market. As technology transforms the world of work at lightning speed, today’s youth are not just keeping up; they’re leading the way into a smarter, more connected future.

AI is redefining education, work, and life. But we need to pose one question: Where does climate education fit into all of this?

AI  might open up new job opportunities, but the climate crisis is the biggest issue young people will face in the coming years. It is not enough to educate young people solely in computer literacy. If we don’t educate them about the climate crisis too, we are in danger of leaving them ill-equipped for the world they’re going to inherit.

Education Should Reflect the World Young People Will Inherit

The climate crisis impacts every area of life – from the professions young people pursue to the places they settle. The reality is, our world is not doing well. Weather catastrophes, species extinction, and plastic pollution are reshaping and impacting every aspect of our lives. 

Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue—it’s a force reshaping every part of our lives. It’s disrupting economies, deepening social inequalities, and accelerating technological change all at once. The impacts reach far beyond melting glaciers and rising seas: climate change threatens jobs, health, food security, and even where people can live, with the poorest and most vulnerable bearing the brunt of these risks. As new technologies emerge to address these challenges, the need to tackle climate change as a social, economic, and technological crisis has never been more urgent

Which is why the next generation of workers is going to need more than computer coding and technical skills to secure their futures.  They must have climate literacy – understanding how the earth operates, why the earth is heating up, and how to restore the planet, hardwired into their education. In short: climate education has to be on the curriculum.

Tech and the Planet Don’t Have to Compete – They Need to Unite

It is easy to frame it as a problem: should schools focus more on AI and digital skills, or on sustainability and climate change?

But that’s a false choice.

We need both. Climate change is not just an environmental phenomenon, it also affects the economy, society, and technology. The next generation needs to operate in a world where the global temperature is increasing and modern technologies are growing all at the same time. 

Imagine students learning and using AI tools that allow them to track illegal logging and fishing, prevent food waste, or increase the efficiency and use of renewable energy. Moreover, AI and digital technologies can accelerate climate solutions, such as forecasting weather catastrophes and optimizing energy consumption. Educating youth on both digital skills and climate awareness uniquely equips them to develop green technologies, establish sustainable businesses, and make informed decisions. That is climate education in action.

It’s Already Happening

In many places, some schools are already taking the lead by incorporating climate topics in computer class. For instance, High School students in Mexico built an app to track carbon use. In Wisconsin, university students did something analogous by creating the MyEarth app, which lets people track their daily energy use and see how small actions add up to big carbon savings. Similarly, young leaders in Hudson, New York, launched “Watts in Your Hands?”, an interactive workshop empowering community members to reduce their carbon footprints through energy conservation and affordable eco-friendly solutions.

Students at the University of Connecticut are using AI to help map beaver dens across the state, helping scientists better protect local ecosystems. At the University of Vermont, students organized an Earth Action Day Roundtable that brought together youth activists and local government officials to discuss renewable energy policies and climate resilience strategies for their city and state. Students participating in the Oxford Saïd Global Climate Change Challenge collaborated worldwide to develop innovative solutions addressing key climate issues like air pollution, food security, and biodiversity, with finalists presenting their projects at prestigious global forums.

In learning how to use AI to make these projects successful, students are also taught its impact – as using large AI models can consume a lot of water and electricity. Because while AI offers us a means to find solutions, running and training large AI models requires enormous amounts of electricity. Global data center power demand is projected to more than double by 2030, matching the total electricity use of entire countries—with significant water use for cooling these massive computing facilities as well.

Generation Green: Empowering Youth to Lead the Climate Revolution

What is clear is that young people across the globe care a lot about climate action. They want to know how they can sustain their planet and create lasting futures. The good news is that the exploding green economy is  creating millions of new job opportunities in clean energy, nature conservation, and sustainable manufacturing. The International Labour Organization predicts that ‘green jobs’ will number 100 million by 2030. These careers will require workers who understand both technology and climate literacy.

By integrating climate education into youth skills training, we equip them not only for the job market but for meaningful roles in society. Green skills are essential in creating a sustainable world and enabling youths to succeed. That’s why educational systems must evolve – to prepare young people with both types of skills.

Moving Forward: Climate Education as a Priority

On World Youth Skills Day, we mark and celebrate the potential of our youth. But we also acknowledge our obligation. We have a duty towards the next generation. We owe them an education that reflects the real world and gives them the skills they will need to navigate the challenges ahead. 

Let us work towards making climate education a part of every skills training program. For AI won’t save the world, but climate-educated young people just may.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is also cleared for use. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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As the UN Climate Change Conference kicks off in Bonn, Germany this week  – and hundreds of youth activists descend on the city to make their voices heard in a collaborative and meaningful way – we are reminded yet again of the power of youth activism.

Since the very first Earth Day in 1970, young people have always played a pivotal role in shaping the environmental movement. Back then, student-led organizing, organized by Denis Hayes, brought 20 million Americans into the streets, catalyzing landmark environmental protections that endure today like the Clean Air and the Clean Water Act.

More than five decades later, the torch is still being carried by a new generation of youth leaders—only now, the urgency is even greater. With the escalating impacts of climate change threatening their future, students across the country are stepping up to demand action from the ground up, starting in their own communities.

This Earth Month, as part of the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, youth leaders of all backgrounds stepped up as advocates for renewable energy and climate action at the city level. Throughout Earth Month, students met with their mayors and other local elected leaders in cities nationwide to ensure a sustainable and equitable future for their communities, reminding city governments that the Our Power, Our Planet theme for Earth Day 2025 calls on each and every one of us to do what they can to build a stronger community through climate action.

These Earth Action Day Roundtable events weren’t just symbolic—they were avenues for real progress, resource allocation, and public commitments from elected officials.

Atlanta, GA: Funding Climate Solutions from the Ground Up

In Atlanta, Earth Day was marked by the second annual Atlanta Youth Climate Action Summit, a collaborative effort between the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience in partnership with EARTHDAY.ORG, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 21st Century Leaders. The event highlighted the voices and ideas of young changemakers while also providing critical support for their work.

A highlight of the summit was the announcement of the Youth Climate Action Fund’s second round of grant recipients, with $85,000 awarded to youth-led projects focused on implementing climate solutions in their communities.

But the city’s commitment didn’t stop there. Atlanta also kicked off Earth Month by announcing its participation in the UN-backed “Race to Resilience” campaign, which will expand access to renewable energy, increase tree canopy coverage, and improve food waste systems across the city. Additionally, Atlanta launched an inclusive community engagement process for its first comprehensive action plan for climate resilience during Earth Month, aiming to strengthen the city’s ability to prepare for and adapt to climate-related challenges.

San Francisco, CA: Youth Visions for a Sustainable Future

On the West Coast, the San Francisco Climate Action Youth Summit brought together more than 3,000 attendees for a day of education, advocacy, and strategy. Young people came together with the mayor, the San Francisco Environment Department, community groups, and other city leaders for an impactful event featuring student presentations to policymakers and interdisciplinary climate literacy workshops.

“San Francisco has always led on climate action—but we can’t do it alone,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “Hearing from the next generation of climate leaders today inspired me. Their energy and ideas are essential to building a sustainable future.”

In addition to its focus on advocacy, the summit also served as a career accelerator, helping young people challenge the misconception that taking action on climate change is only for scientists and activists; rather, this event encouraged students to consider how careers across sectors can contribute to a sustainable and thriving future for their community.

“The work ahead is going to take everyone—nonprofits, community based organizations, business leaders, changemakers, elected officials, all City departments and our youth—to build a future where every San Franciscan can thrive.” said Tyrone Jue, Director of the San Francisco Environment Department. “Young people are a tremendous force for the environment. They are vital to this City, and play a key role in ensuring the health and safety of our planet and our City.”

Concord, NH: Honest Conversations and Local Accountability

On Earth Day, residents of New Hampshire’s capital city gathered with Mayor Byron Champlin, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, and several city councilors and other city officials for an Earth Day town hall event focused on charting the future of sustainability and climate action in the community.

Myrick Oxnard, head of Concord High School’s environmental club, took center stage with a passionate call for the city to go beyond symbolic gestures and deliver real climate solutions: “As seniors, my classmates and I often find ourselves talking about what our futures might hold — but more often than not, I’ve found not excitement and hope, but shared anxiety and fear. We can and we should celebrate our wins as a community, but we must not forget that there is an enormous amount of progress to be made.”

City officials used the occasion to outline next steps, including efficiency upgrades to municipal buildings and vehicles, among other existing and upcoming sustainability measures. Concord and other communities in New Hampshire have recently made meaningful strides on renewable energy generation by developing plans to increase clean power access while lowering residents’ electric bills.

Austin, TX: Equity at the Center

In Austin, young people are helping shape climate policy not just through advocacy, but through co-creation. Earlier this year, the Austin Youth Climate Equity Council, an initiative of Ecorise, hosted a major listening session that brought together youth from across Central Texas to inform the City’s Comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

“Today’s youth are powerful advocates for a sustainable future, and their voices are important,” said Zach Baumer, Director of the City’s Office of Climate Action and Resilience. “These discussions are helping the City of Austin build a plan that reflects the diverse communities it aims to serve.”

Students shared powerful reflections with EARTHDAY.ORG after the event. “I think knowing how to advocate for yourself is the greatest skill you can cultivate, and through this work I’m doing good and pushing myself to absorb all the education that I can.” said Annika Wood Akinmusuru a Junior at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders “I think that most people feel they don’t know enough about climate change to share their opinions and that there is all this work that they have to put in before contributing, but I disagree. I think that most people know how climate change is affecting them and they have the tools to advocate for what they want to change.”

Odette Rodriguez, a senior at Northeast Early College High School, underscored the importance of justice: “I hope to drive social change that prioritizes teenagers, particularly in addressing social equity issues affecting low-income communities. My goal is to advocate for policies that tackle the injustices these communities face, especially in the context of climate change.” She also shared a clear vision on the role of local government in fostering the next generation of environmental leadership through climate literacy: “Cities should create cohesive spaces where environmental education starts at an early age, beginning in elementary school. It’s essential to instill an understanding of nature’s value and the responsibility we have to protect it.”

Elijah Scott, a Junior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, felt that the experience motivated him to keep making his voice heard: “After the experience, participants noted that it was assuring, and relieving to know that they had the ears of city leaders on their side. Being involved gave me a newfound hope, and excitement for a greener future. … Civic engagement is very important to me because it allows me to play a part in contributing to the “greater good” in a way that positively impacts humanity.”

The insights shared by these students and their peers shaped recommendations on housing, transportation, and environmental education, demonstrating that communities are better prepared to address climate challenges when diverse voices are included in the decision making process.

Burlington, VT: Campus, City, and State Leaders Unite

On Monday, April 21st, 2025, the Rubenstein Student Advisory Board at University of Vermont (UVM) partnered with EARTHDAY.ORG to host an Earth Action Day Roundtable, in which students led a discussion with subnational government leaders about the future of renewable energy and climate action, not only in Burlington but also statewide. The event was well attended by elected officials, with two Vermont State Senators (Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale and Senator Tanya Vyhovsky) and four Burlington City Council members (Gene Bergman, Ben Traverse, Carter Neubieser, and Becca Brown McKnight) participating in the dialogue.

“It was truly rewarding to foster an environment of climate change dialogue amongst other passionate students,” said UVM student, Earth Day intern and event organizer Sean Swikle. “Through the planning process and execution of the event, I learned the importance of community engagement and local government leadership. I am in awe of this generation of student activists and I hope this event serves as a catalyst towards furthering climate advocacy.”

Across the country, young people are making it clear: they are not just the voices of tomorrow, but the leaders of today. Their advocacy is shaping local climate priorities, winning investments in community resilience, and pushing policy makers to act with the urgency this moment demands.

Evidently, young people are speaking truth to power and making a difference in cities nationwide, and there are many more opportunities to come. Along the road to next Earth Day, EARTHDAY.ORG will be mobilizing year-round for similar advocacy opportunities where you can make your voice heard for local climate decision making in your community.

Join us in making your voice heard—because it’s Our Power, Our Planet, and our year to make a difference.

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