Press release | 21.11.2024
Children’s climate efforts give reason for hope at COP29
Green Footprints campaign results presented at the 29th UN Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan
Frankfurt am Main / Baku, 21 November 2024. A team of COP29 youth delegates unveiled the results of Climate Alliance’s 2024 Green Footprints campaign yesterday at the 29th Climate Summit in Baku. In 2024, a total of 265,992 children from ten countries earned nearly 3.7 million ‘Green Footprints’ for their sustainable behaviours. The 2024 campaign edition thus saw more children collecting more footprints than in any of the previous 20 campaign years.
“One big ‘thank you’ to all of the kids whose contributions we’re holding in our hands at the moment,” acknowledged Austrian Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler at the unveiling, affirming that the results were a “…good reminder to all of us politicians in the negotiations to have clear in our heads who are we doing this for and why.” Hungarian Ambassador-at-large for Climate Barbara Botos and Marc Serra Solé, Climate and Energy councillor for the Province of Barcelona were also among those onsite in Baku to honour the children’s efforts.
“As you can see children are deeply concerned about the global climate goals… they expect us politicians to take immediate action,” observerd Marc Serra Solé, Climate and Energy Councillor for the Province of Barcelona, in Baku during the presentation of the 2024 campaign results. “The climate crisis is mounting. Its effects recently hit home in Spain with record rainfall resulting in extreme flooding. We need a strong local level to be able to tackle these challenges. The children's efforts give us hope and motivate me to double down on our council’s work. The time to act is now,” Solé continued.
The Green Footprints campaign is a low-threshold programme for municipalities and educational institutions to teach children about sustainability in a playful way, to promote climate-friendly behaviour and to give children a voice. This year, Climate Alliance added new lessons covering topics such as water use and forest with examples from Spain, German and Italy. “Thank you very much for the material, the ideas and support. I hope that the many little footprints collected so diligently will get the ‘big heads’ thinking and acting!” said one campaign coordinator from Germany of the programme.
Children across Europe have been diligently collecting Green Footprints since 2003, for example, by walking to school or using energy sustainably at daycare centres and at home. Over the past two decades, the campaign has reached well over 3,5 million children from 42 countries. Together, they have collected 48,141,366 green footprints, sending a clear message for more climate action year after year.
Further Infromation
- Photos impressions from Baku
- Video of the presentation
- 2024 Green Footprints Campaign results
- Green Footprints campaign website
- This press release as a pdf
Contacts
Sarah Mekjian
Communications DIrector
T. +49 69 7171 39 -20
communications@climatealliance.org
Claudia Schury
Green Footprints Campaign Manager, Climate Alliance
+49 69 7171 39 -22
c.schury(at)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 nearly 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
