Greta Thunberg started the Fridays for Future movement and spearheaded the climate change movement in the last year. In 2018, she stopped going to school on Fridays to protest climate change outside the Swedish Parliament.
This led a global movement for students to strike on Friday’s for climate change. Since then, she has spoken at countless climate conferences, challenged heads of state and inspired people around the world to advocate for change in environmental policies and protect the planet.
Here are some of the other amazing youth speaking out against climate change and influencing people around the world to protect the environment.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez – USA & Mexico
An Indigenous climate activist and powerful voice leading the front lines of the youth-led climate justice movement.
Xiuhtezcatl is the Youth Director of Earth Guardians and has recently published a book called ‘We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Movement that Restores the Planet.’
He has addressed the UN, opening in his native nahuatl, to urge the international community to take action against climate change as a human rights issue.
Xiuhtezcatl’s #TrashHack
Xiuhtezcatl and friends have pledged to stop using straws and to pick up plastic from rivers to keep local waterways clean. Watch it here:
Melati Wijsen – Indonesia
Co-founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags, an Indonesian not-for-profit advocating around waste reduction. Melati successfully advocated for plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam to be banned in Bali.
Melati’s Trash Hack
Empowering people to reduce their waste through education, campaigns and political meetings ‘one bag at a time’. Check out Melati’s Instagram:
Afroz Shah – India
Lawyer and environmental activist from Mumbai. Afroz rallied over 200,000 volunteers to come together to collect over 60 million pounds of garbage from the beach.
Afroz’s Trash Hack
Leading his community to clean over 30kgs of trash from the beaches in India in one day!
Week 224.
— Afroz shah (@AfrozShah1) February 2, 2020
Today is World Wetland day .
Mangroves and River bank needs maximum protection from #plasticpollution .
Our bit :
1. Cleaning up mangroves.
2. Training people to not litter in the river and adopt #circulareconomy .
We love you – mangroves and rivers . pic.twitter.com/hOPaZ7WVvM
Anita Vandyke – Australia
Corporate fashionista turned zero-waste rocket scientist. Wrote the book called ‘A Zero Waste Life: a thirty-day guide’ and has plans to publish a second book in 2020.
Antia’s Trash Hack
Through her book, helps people to figure out all the tricks to living a zero-waste life in just one short month. Find more tips on her Instagram:
Max La Manna – United States
Zero-waste vegan chef and climate activist.
Max’s Trash Hack
Reducing his impact on the planet by living a zero-waste lifestyle. If you’re interested in doing the same, follow Max’s social media:
Ebrahim Ramzat – United Arab Emirates
YouTuber, environmentalist, vegan and zero-waste influencer. A vegan ambassador in the Arab world, Ebrahim uses his YouTube and social media channels to give people practical tips on how to live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle by reducing their waste.
Embrahim’s Trash Hack
Making conscious consumer choices not to buy 25 things this year (like plastic razors!) to reduce his waste.
Leah Namugerwa – Uganda
Climate leader in Uganda and Fridays for Future activist. Leah is the Friday for Futures champion in Uganda, she is known for speaking to politicians, setting up petitions to stop the use of plastic bags and setting up her own tree-planting campaign.
Leah’s Trash Hack
Organizing plastic pick-ups and encouraging youth in her community in Uganda to learn more about the climate crisis and play their part.
During one of my plastic pick ups, children were sent by their parents to discard plastic bags here. I engaged them on the dangers of poor plastic disposal and they instead joined me in the pick up. This is one of my biggest moments. #BanPlasticUG pic.twitter.com/DgPTJcpTiD
— Leah Namugerwa (@NamugerwaLeah) October 7, 2019
Photo:
Jean-betrand Mhandu
African Youth Initiative on Climate Change Zimbabwe – National Coordinator