ActNowFilm: youth climate leaders in conversation with climate experts is an international youth voices in climate change project, run by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Cambridge Zero, with support from the UK Universities Climate Network (UUCN) and in partnership with One Young World.
The project invited youth climate leaders from across the world to feature in the ActNowFilm, having 1-2-1 conversations with leading international climate experts. We were delighted to receive applications from 342 youth climate leaders, from 88 countries. 30 selected applicants were then carefully matched with climate experts.
We filmed with 30 pairs, from every continent, except Antarctica, with representation from 33 countries. Participants include leaders from indigenous communities, business, policy, activism, academia, the third sector and international organisations.
Project aims:
An aim of these two way conversations was to provide opportunities for mutual learning, covering areas such as:
- youth climate leaders' and climate experts' personal and professional experiences of the climate crisis;
- what they think needs to change and who they think should make and lead these changes;
- what advice they would give to each other;
- the role of young people in addressing the climate crisis;
- the skills, support and capacity building opportunities that they think will empower young people to be at the frontline of global climate policymaking and negotiations;
- and their hopes for the future.
The film aims to highlight the value, place and importance of young people in the urgent national and global climate debates and negotiations. Young people, from every continent, are capable, ready and committed to be at the centre of global efforts to address the climate crisis. The ActNowFilm project aims to demonstrate the skills, capacity, knowledge, experience and expertise that youth climate leaders contribute, and to act as a clarion call for the integration of young people into national climate negotiating teams and global climate decision-making processes.
Through these conversations the film demonstrates that young people are able to have pertinent and timely conversations with climate experts and are experts in their own right, through their lived experiences, and are able to provide critical leadership on the climate crisis. It also serves as a call to further empower young people to contribute to national and global climate policymaking by providing them with the relevant skills, tools and opportunities.
ActNowFilm at COP:
This film follows on from the successes of two previous film projects: ActNowFilm and ActNowFilm: intergenerational conversations on climate change which showcased in the Green Zone at COP26 and the Blue Zone at COP27 respectively. Both these films gave young people living across the planet the opportunity to tell COP decision-makers, in their own words, and through intergenerational conversations, why addressing the climate crisis is important to them and future generations.
This year, ActNowFilm: youth climate leaders in conversation with climate experts will premiere at COP28. The film will be screened in the Green Zone on Friday, 8 December, which is Youth, Children, Education and Skills Day, from 15:00 – 16:30 in the Terra Auditorium, and in the Blue Zone on Saturday, 9 December, from 15:00 – 16:30 in the GAUC Pavilion.
From 30 November to 12 December, COP28 will bring together international government negotiators, decision-makers, and policymakers in the United Arab Emirates to discuss how they should accelerate action towards stopping climate change. From small island states to countries with rapidly growing urban areas, representatives from 197 countries are expected to join.