+SocialGood Empowers Youth For A Greener Future
Tags: Youth, Partnerships, Earth

Photo by Miriam Espacio on Unsplash

2020 has challenged world leaders and stakeholders of environmental stewardship to re-imagine the contours of an inclusive, sustainable, green world. International lockdowns and travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may have improved air quality or reduced fossil fuel consumption, but experts warn this is a temporary side effect. If there is anything that 2020 has taught us, it is that more urgent action is needed now more than ever to heal our planet, including more climate-friendly economic practices, protecting biodiversity, and enhanced public and private sector commitments. During this past year, the +SocialGood community gave their voices, time, and ideas to help build momentum on climate action and environmental sustainability — both in their communities and on the world stage.

As part of the G20 Think20 Saudi Arabia (T20) climate change and environment task force, Qatar-based youth climate activist Neeshad Shafi worked with other experts around the world to develop recommendations for empowering youth to take action on climate change and environmental protection. He and his co-authors point to a global disparity in climate and environmental education, with youth in developed countries more aware of issues such as pollution, climate change, and renewable resources than their peers in developing countries.

To address this gap, they suggest a few ways that the G20 could enhance global environmental education, including: mandating environmental curricula in schools worldwide; empowering teachers with the tools they need to both learn and teach about environmental issues; gamifying environmental awareness by using scenarios from real life; and organizing summits and gatherings for youth to connect about these issues. Shafi — a 2019 +SocialGood connector who has spent most of his career advocating for environmental awareness in Qatar and the Middle East, as well as on the global stage — and his team believe that only if youth are educated in environmental issues can they change their behavior to better protect the planet.

According to Shafi, once youth are educated in how climate change impacts their local communities, they must then amplify these stories on a regional and international stage. In a recent conversation, he explained that it is rare that we hear from young climate activists from his region, the Middle East, for example: “We need to give young people the platform to speak about climate issues in their communities.”

As the T20 task force highlighted, youth summits and training opportunities are an important step to turning young people into advocates for the environment. Peru’s +SocialGood chapter president Jose Arrieta was selected as the Peru country coordinator at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY) in Glasgow. The gathering of young climate change action and sustainability enthusiasts from around the world will come together a week ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to exchange experiences and address the inclusion and impact of climate change on young people. Arrieta was also selected for the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, a training program with environmentalist Al Gore for global activists to learn how to better communicate and advocate for climate change action. The program equips participants with storytelling, digital media outreach, and community organizing skills to translate big-world environmental challenges into how they tangibly impact the daily lives of people around the world.

Communicating complex challenges such as climate change can mean the difference between ambivalence and action, as Nigerian climate activist Esther Agbarakwe knows. This year, she completed her MSc in corporate communications and public affairs from the Robert Gordon University, where her research focused on how public relations can shape the global response to climate change. Most recently, Agbarakwe has been using her people-centered communications skills in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, where she previously helped develop strategic engagement around the SDGs, including the first UN Youth Climate Summit.

Spearheading events such as the Climate Summit calls for visionary thinking and willingness to think without limitations. That takes leadership. Ruba Al-Zu’bi in Jordan also pushed for progress on environmental issues — as a leader and collaborator focused on the green economy and environmental mainstreaming. She was recently selected for Common Purpose’s Sky Blue training program, which brings together leaders from across the world to tackle common issues such as environmental challenges. The program challenges participants to think across sectors, geographical boundaries, and disciplines to brainstorm projects and creative solutions to environmental issues. Al-Zu’bi also received a Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Award this year, which recognizes the accomplishments of women working in the clean energy field.

The environmental challenges we face are multifaceted and require multifaceted solutions. Whether it’s developing environmental literacy programs or developing innovative storytelling strategies to convey the urgency of climate change, the +SocialGood community worked hard, despite the challenges, to reimagine and advocate for a sustainable, green future.