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British Council’s International Climate Champions is a programme that works in sixty countries across the globe, with young people who are passionate and committed to action on climate change. We help them develop and implement projects within their local communities that raise awareness of climate change, limit the impact of climate change (adaptation), and reduce carbon footprint (mitigation). Champions work with other young people around the globe to share and develop their ideas through a networking site and other discussion forums. As well as working in their local area, International Climate Champions meet with local and national leaders to share their experiences. Some champions will have the chance to express their views to world leaders at international meetings, such as the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December 2009.
Champions are young people who share a passionate interest in climate change and who want to make a difference. Champions vary in age in different countries but are aged between 11 and 35 years. In 2008 there were over 800 International Climate Champions in twenty nine countries. During 2009, we recruited over 1,300 new Champions in a total of sixty countries across the globe.
International Climate Champions spend a year working with their local communities carrying out projects that raise awareness of climate change and crucially encourage people to change their behaviour.
The British Council and our partners support the Champions by providing training and skills building in project management and communication. We help Champions to develop their own knowledge about climate change and their project ideas by offering visits to people and organisations already working in this field.
Champions first and foremost work with their local communities to make a real change. Champions are working on projects as diverse as campaigns to ban plastic bags to car sharing schemes. An important part of local work is encouraging others to get involved, from local people to local decision makers and the media.
From Brazil, to Canada and Indonesia, British Council International Climate Champions have already developed successful local projects. We help them to express their experiences and raise their concerns at national and international meetings, allowing the voices and expectations of young people to be heard and taken in to account during decision making.
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