International Youth Day 2024: Climate Champions Youth Fellows share their reasons for hope

By Climate Champions | August 12, 2024

As we mark International Youth Day 2024, we spotlight the latest cohort of the Climate Champions Youth Fellows, announced earlier this June. Now in its fourth year, the initiative continues to empower young leaders from across the globe, integrating their voices into the highest levels of climate diplomacy. These seven young professionals, aged between 20 and 29, hail from seven different countries across four continents. They have been chosen to work alongside the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions for COP28 and COP29, H.E. Razan Al Mubarak and Ms. Nigar Arpadarai, contributing their expertise and passion to accelerate climate action.

This year’s International Youth Day theme, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” underlines the vital role that digital innovation plays in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Technologies like mobile devices, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence are key drivers of this transformation, contributing to an estimated 70% of the 169 SDG targets. Despite the challenges of the digital divide, young people, often seen as “digital natives,” are at the forefront of adopting and innovating with these technologies, making significant strides in sustainable development.

In the lead-up to International Youth Day, the Fellows were invited to share their insights on innovative climate solutions and the individuals who inspire them within the climate action community. Their responses provide a glimpse into the pioneering projects and transformative leadership that are shaping the future of our planet.

Amal Ridene, a Finance Youth Fellow, focuses her work on Nature Finance, a critical area that intertwines the economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development. Amal is particularly drawn to projects that not only innovate but also engage communities directly in climate solutions. One such project that she finds particularly promising is rrreefs, an innovative startup dedicated to regenerating degraded coral reefs through the use of advanced 3D printing technology. Amal explains, “Their approach involves constructing modular reef systems from pure clay bricks, which serve as a robust and natural substrate for coral recruitment and marine life. These systems are designed to foster resilient and self-sufficient coral reefs, which are crucial for the preservation of marine biodiversity and the protection of coastal communities.”

Amal is especially inspired by Marie Griesmar, a co-founder of rrreefs and a personal friend, whose dedication to environmental restoration has left a profound impact on her. “Marie’s dedication to environmental restoration is genuinely impactful. Her leadership in involving local communities in the building, installing, and monitoring of these reef systems is not only about restoring vital marine habitats but also about empowering individuals to become stewards of their ecosystems,” Amal says. The rrreefs project, with its focus on community engagement and sustainable practices, exemplifies the kind of innovative climate action that Amal believes is essential for creating lasting change. The project has already been implemented in diverse locations, including San Andrés in Colombia, Cooper Island in the British Virgin Islands, Pujada Bay in the Philippines, and Isla El Sucre in Ecuador, showcasing its global reach and adaptability. “The team is working hard to support further geographies,” Amal adds, underscoring the ambitious nature of rrreefs and its potential for widespread impact.

As a Youth Fellow, Amal’s current priorities include advocating for sustainable practices and promoting youth involvement in climate action. She believes that the example set by Marie and the rrreefs team underscores the critical role of youth leadership in driving innovative solutions for climate resilience. “Youth participation is vital for ensuring the sustainability of our planet, as it brings fresh perspectives and a proactive approach to addressing environmental challenges,” Amal emphasizes. “It is important that our ‘youth’ mandate drives and motivates our impact on climate and does not limit or hinder our contributions.”

Richard Shen, serving as a System Transformation Youth Fellow, brings a unique and crucial perspective to the table. His work within the Climate Champions Team focuses on promoting innovative climate solutions that bridge existing silos and usher in new paradigms within the global climate action ecosystem. Richard believes that these solutions should encompass not only tangible technological advancements through research and development but also, critically, conceptual frameworks that inspire novel and transformative thinking. “As we approach International Youth Day, I want to take the opportunity to advocate for a climate solution that resonates deeply with my perspective as a youth from the Global South: climate humanitarianism,” Richard shares.

Richard explains that climate humanitarianism is an innovative framework that brings together and ‘cross-cuts’ the sphere of humanitarianism – including humanitarian aid and humanitarian ethics, such as the principles of triage, exclusion, and regret – with the sphere of climate change, including loss and damage and climate justice. “Climate humanitarianism encourages awareness and action across these domains, presenting a unique framework capable of inspiring significant change,” Richard says. This framework is particularly relevant to the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in the Global South, where the impacts of climate change are often felt most acutely.

A pivotal advocate and personally inspirational figure in the realm of climate humanitarianism for Richard is Dr. Hugo Slim, who has been a mentor to him at Oxford and a trailblazer in redefining humanitarian principles. “Hugo has dedicated nearly four decades to humanitarianism and conflict, teaching, writing, and advocating for the protection of civilians in war,” Richard explains. Currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Las Casas Institute at the University of Oxford, Hugo’s experience has deeply influenced his latest work, Humanitarianism 2.0 – New Ethics for the Climate Emergency (2022). In this book, Hugo argues that humanitarianism should extend beyond human welfare to include all of nature. He calls for a major revision of the fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity and impartiality, proposing an ‘all-life’ approach to aid. This involves recognizing precaution, anticipation, and adaptation as essential principles for future-focused humanitarian work.

Richard elaborates on this shift in focus, which came during Hugo’s tenure as Head of Policy and Humanitarian Diplomacy at the International Committee of the Red Cross. “Hugo realized that in the face of a planetary-level climate emergency, solely prioritizing human life is insufficient. It is instead morally imperative for humanitarianism to follow other international institutions by focusing on the suffering and needs of the whole earth community,” Richard emphasizes. He believes that the innovative framework of climate humanitarianism is not only a new way of thinking but also a crucial blueprint for climate action, especially for youth across the Global North and South who are poised to lead this transformative journey. “This framework fosters a global community committed to protecting all life with empathy and resolve,” Richard concludes.

Jimena Padilla Pineda, who focuses on Visual Communications, turns her attention to a project in Oaxaca, Mexico, that embodies the intersection of social justice, Indigenous knowledge, and climate resilience. The project, led by Espacio de Encuentro de las Culturas Originarias (EECO), is particularly significant for its holistic approach to addressing the unique environmental challenges faced by the region. “Oaxaca is threatened by drought and frosts, the frequency of which are expected to increase with climate change,” Jimena explains. Given that a large portion of Oaxaca’s population depends on agriculture for food and income, these climate-related events have dire implications for both livelihoods and food security.

Jimena is particularly drawn to this project because it embraces an ancestral agricultural technique known as ‘waru waru’ and complements it with innovative fog capture technology to adapt to climate change. “Waru waru is an ancient Andean farming method that involves constructing raised beds with water channels to prevent soil erosion and optimize water use,” Jimena describes. The addition of fog capture technology, which collects water from fog in the air, provides a sustainable water source in an area prone to water scarcity. “This dual approach not only addresses food insecurity and water scarcity but also enhances the resilience of local communities to the impacts of climate change,” she adds.

What stands out to Jimena is the project’s commitment to empowering Indigenous communities by involving them directly in decision-making processes. “Beyond addressing immediate environmental challenges, the project is instrumental in granting often marginalized, rural, and Indigenous communities agency in the processes that affect their lives,” Jimena says. By holding meetings in Indigenous languages, using local materials, and focusing on capacity building, the project fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility over their food and water supply. “For me, projects like this, which are empowering, collaborative, and stand at the intersection of social justice and development, are the most promising in combating climate change,” she emphasizes.

Daniel D’Elia da Costa, a Finance Youth Fellow with the Climate Champions team, supports the Regional Platforms for Climate Projects (RPCP), focusing on advancing investable pipelines in developing economies. While looking for impactful projects, Daniel is inspired by the Xingu Seeds Network’s (XSN) ability to blend environmental restoration with economic empowerment. “The XSN model exemplifies the kind of initiative that motivates my work—it shows that climate action can drive both ecological and economic progress,” Daniel says.

XSN is a vibrant collective of 647 seed collectors—76% of them women—organized into 25 groups, who are all united in their commitment to restoring Brazil’s precious ecosystems. This collective employs a fascinating approach called the ‘muvuca’ restoration method, rooted in traditional Indigenous knowledge. Essentially, it involves using a blend of seeds from dozens of native species, all sown together to mimic nature’s own regeneration process, allowing for efficient and large-scale reforestation. “It is a powerful technique that’s up to 20 times faster and much more cost-effective than traditional sapling planting, and it even meets UN standards for carbon accreditation,” Daniel explains.

Since its inception, the XSN has amassed over 220 different species of seeds, generating an income of over BRL 7 million for participating communities. They have sold more than 350 tonnes of muvuca seeds, transforming around 8,800 hectares of degraded land (which is more than 12,000 football pitches) into lush, thriving forests. “Since XSN’s beginning in 2007, many seed collector networks have emerged in Brazil, laying the foundation for a network of networks, called ‘Redario,’” Daniel notes.

Daniel believes that the blend of seeds used in the muvuca approach could be mimicked in climate finance, where a mix of different types of capital is needed to advance sustainability goals. “Through my work, I aim to advocate for such holistic approaches, ensuring that climate action is both inclusive and impactful, paving the way for a future where resources flow towards sustainable ventures,” he concludes.

Discover the work of all seven Youth Fellows.