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18 November 2025
Press release: Children call for greater climate action efforts at COP30
Climate Alliance presents Green Footprints campaign results to UNFCCC Secretariat
Frankfurt am Main / Belém, 18 November 2025. Yesterday, Climate Alliance presented the results of its long-running Green Footprints campaign to Noura Hamladji, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC at the UN Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil. The Climate Alliance delegation was supported by a team of youth delegates and indigenous partners in symbolically handing over the efforts and the demands of participating children to the UNFCCC Secretariat. The 2025 campaign results are impressive: a total of 250,000 children from eleven countries collected almost four million so-called ‘Green Footprints’ for integrating sustainable behaviour in their everyday lives.
Noura Hamladji sent a powerful message to the children who took part in the campaign: “[…] I encourage you to do more, to be the champions, with your friends, with your teachers, with your parents, we are with you, the UN Climate Change is with you and we need you. You’re doing a fantastic work, thank you […]!”
“It is incredibly motivating to see children from across Europe participate in the Green Footprints campaign year after year. What is especially inspiring is how they take part. While adults often frame climate action as a challenge to overcome, children approach it with pragmatism and positivity – for them, it is a promise. We have so much to learn,” commented Andreas Wolter, Climate Alliance President and Council Member of Cologne.
Since 2002, Climate Alliance has been offering the Green Footprints campaign as a low-threshold programme for municipalities and educational institutions. The aim is to use the collection of green footprints to teach children about sustainability and climate protection in a playful way, to highlight climate-friendly behaviour and to give children a voice at the political level. Over the past two decades, the campaign has reached well over 3,5 million children from 42 countries.
Further information
Photo impressions of Bélem
FlickR Album
Video message of Noura Hamladji, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
Youtube Short
2025 Green Footprints campaign results
Final report
Green Footprints
Website
Have questions? Get in touch!
Claudia Schury
T. +49 69 717139-22
E. c.schury@climatealliance.org
The Green Footprints campaign
Since 2002, the Green Footprints campaign has been helping children across Europe to learn about the impact of their daily lives on the climate and encouraging them to be role models for their families and climate politicians. For a period of at least one week, children collect ‘green footprints’ for every journey they make on foot, by bike or public transport, as well as for other environmentally friendly actions such as sustainable nutrition. The Green Footprints are presented annually at the UN climate conferences. zoom-kidsforclimate.eu
The Climate Alliance
For over 30 years, Climate Alliance member municipalities have been acting in partnership with indigenous rainforest peoples for the benefit of the global climate. With over 2,000 members spread across more than 25 European countries, Climate Alliance is Europe’s largest city network dedicated to comprehensive and equitable climate action. Recognising the impact our lifestyles can have on the world’s most vulnerable people and places, Climate Alliance pairs local action with global responsibility. climatealliance.org
