Project Summary: Describe your contribution in one sentence

Jovenes Por el Clima contribute to the fight against the climate crisis in raising awareness and mobilize society around the urgency of acting on the climate crisis, through youth leadership training, accessible communication and advocacy to ensure a livable future for all

What are the additional countries or territories of impact?

We are part of the international movement Fridays for Future.

Challenge Focus: What topic does your project most directly relate to?

Creating inclusive pathways for people to contribute towards building a sustainable worldTurning data and information into stories that spark action around environmental issues

Website URL(s) or social media handles

https://www.instagram.com/jovenesporelclimarg/ https://twitter.com/jovenesclimarg

The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve?

One of the most significant problems we see in the fight against climate change is the slow pace of the transition. Despite the urgent need to transition to a sustainable and carbon-neutral economy, progress has been insufficient, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at an alarming rate. This situation is particularly critical for countries like Argentina, where the impacts of the climate crisis are already being felt, and the most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of its effects. Unfortunately, those countries that are least responsible for the crisis also lack the resources to address it effectively, exacerbating the already disproportionate burden they face.

Another problem we see is the lack of awareness and understanding of the climate crisis among the general population. The issue is often communicated in a technical and distant way, which makes it difficult for people to connect with the urgency of the situation. As a result, many individuals and communities are not fully aware of the impacts of the crisis and the actions they can take to mitigate it.

 

 

Your connection and commitment: How close are you to the problem and/or the community impacted?

Jovenes por el Clima has a strong presence in Argentina, with local chapters in 9 provinces. This allows us to be close to the problem and the communities impacted by the climate crisis. Each province has unique characteristics and is impacted in different ways, allowing us to understand the complexity of the problem and tailor our approach accordingly.

In Buenos Aires, where I live, the climate crisis has had a significant impact, especially in the form of heatwaves and air pollution. Last summer was the hottest on record, with 9 heatwaves reported. This situation is particularly concerning for vulnerable sectors of society who often do not have access to essential resources such as energy and water. As a result, they are the ones who suffer the most during these extreme weather events.

We firmly believe that the climate crisis is not just a problem of the future but a pressing issue of the present. It is crucial to change the predominant narrative that many people still think that it only impacts a far-off future, as this misconception hinders the sense of urgency that is necessary for prompt action. As young people, we are particularly vulnerable to this crisis, as we did not make the decisions that led us to be in this situation, yet we will have to deal with the consequences of these decisions in our own future.

 

Your approach: How are you enabling other people to identify as green changemakers? How are you influencing them to get involved in your initiative or care about the issue you are addressing?

Jovenes por el Clima aims to inspire more people to become green changemakers and join the fight against the climate crisis. We recognize that the enormity of this problem can often lead people to feel powerless or that their individual actions won't make a difference. To counter this, we prioritize education and communication as key tools to help people understand their agency and the impact they can have.

Our education group focuses on conducting environmental workshops in primary and secondary schools.Through our workshops, we provide tools and knowledge that empower students to take action, and we encourage them to see themselves as agents of change. Last year alone, we delivered 62 workshops and trained over 4,000 students and 60 teachers. This year, we have expanded our education efforts to include a school for environmental educators, where we teach not only about the climate crisis but also non-formal education tools so that participants can teach others.

We also recognize the importance of making information about the climate crisis more accessible to the public. Our communication group is working to achieve this through various platforms, such as our podcast, which is the most listened to environmental podcast in our country, and our Instagram account, which has over 170 thousand followers. Through these platforms, we share practical and actionable information on what can be done to stop the climate crisis, and we encourage people to take meaningful steps towards reducing their carbon footprint.

Finally, we believe that our organization's successes and achievements, such as the approval of the environmental education law and the climate change law, serve as an example to others that change is possible when people come together and take collective action. 

 

 

Community involvement: How is your approach involving community participation, especially the historically marginalized groups?

We recognize that historically marginalized groups are the most impacted by environmental degradation and climate change. As such, we have developed partnerships with social movements in Argentina, who have been our strongest allies from the beginning.

One such partnership is with the Movimiento de los Trabajadores Excluidos (MTE), with whom we host a community kitchen every Friday in front of the Congress to provide food for people who do not have access to enough to eat. 

Another partnership we have is with "La Poderosa," a social movement present in slams. Together, we are working on a project to provide renewable energy access to schools and canteens that do not have it. This project aims to provide sustainable energy solutions while empowering marginalized communities.

Lastly, we are campaigning alongside the MTE movement who are responsible for recycling waste in our country. Our goal is to pass a Packaging Law in the National Congress that implements the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility to provide more resources for waste pickers. Our campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of the social movement of waste pickers in Argentina.

Overall, our approach involves working hand-in-hand with social movements and historically marginalized communities to empower them and to create sustainable solutions for a better future.

 

Your Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions already out there? How is your approach original and innovative? We are particularly interested in solutions that use regenerative approaches.

Jovenes por el clima is unique in our approach to combating climate change. 

Our initiative combines a variety of approaches, including environmental education, community outreach, advocacy, and international activism, to create a holistic strategy for addressing the climate crisis. We recognize that social justice is intrinsically linked to environmental sustainability and strive to work towards both goals.

Our community organizing group, for example, organizes activities in low-income neighborhoods, collaborating with other social movements like "La poderosa" or the "MTE". We hold weekly popular pots, providing vegetarian food and companionship to those in need. This work not only supports vulnerable communities, but also promotes regenerative agriculture practices and sustainable food systems.

In addition, our advocacy group is pushing for the sanctioning of the wetlands law and the law on packaging with social inclusion. These laws promote regenerative practices by protecting wetlands, which serve as important carbon sinks, and encouraging companies to take responsibility for the packaging they generate.

Furthermore, our international group is active in Fridays For Future International and has participated in COP25,26 and 27, advocating for global action on the climate crisis. We believe that working on an international scale is crucial in achieving a regenerative future.

At the same time, in the workshops we give in schools for young people, we use technology to convey the message in a more original way. For example, we use online games that not only provide information about the climate crisis, but are also fun.

We believe that our multifaceted strategy leady by young people will have a greater impact in creating a sustainable future.

 

Founding Story: Share a story about the "Aha!" moment that led the founder(s) to get started or the story of how you saw the potential for this to succeed.

In February 2019 I came across a video on instagram of Greta Thungerg calling for the first international climate strike. When I saw this video, I was struck by the fact that there were millions of young people on the other side of the world mobilising for something that was not being talked about in Argentina. The climate crisis was not a topic that was on the media or political agenda, nor was it a topic that was taught in schools. It made me angry and curious at the same time to see that the Argentinean youth did not have the necessary information to take action. So I started researching and one of the first things I read was on a UN website, something that is obvious to me now but that at the time changed my perspective on the issue: the climate crisis is a human rights issue. Understanding the human rights connection with the climate crisis and that it impacts historically vulnerable sectors made me even more concerned because in my country 51% of children are poor according to the last census done by the State. Moreover, as a young person I understood that if we wanted to live in a livable future we had to fight for it. So, together with 4 friends we founded Youth for Climate with the first objective to organise in Buenos Aires the first climate strike together with millions of young people all over the world. We didn't know what to expect but more than 5.000 people came.

Impact: How has your project made a difference so far? How is it contributing to a zero-carbon world- where every person thrives, and nobody gets left behind?

Jovenes por el clima has been instrumental in the fight against climate change through education, communication, advocacy, and international efforts. We organized a monumental strike with 40,000 participants, demanding climate action. Through activism and lobbying, we successfully advocated for three crucial bills: the climate change law, environmental education law, and ratification of the Escazú Agreement. These expanded regulations, mandated environmental education in schools, and required information disclosure for potentially harmful projects. 

Our education group has impacted 4000 students and 60 teachers with workshops in schools and universities. This led to a partnership with the Ministry of Education for regular workshops and inspired 8 schools to develop their own environmental projects.

Our media presence, including interviews with media outlets such as Infobae and The New York Times, raised awareness and resulted in us having over 170,000 followers on Instagram, which is our own outlet for communicating about the environment in a more accessible way and to a younger audience. Our podcast "Permitido Pisar el Pasto" ranked among the top 50 podcasts nationally.

We have also met influential figures like Antonio Guterres and Alberto Fernandez. These discussions addressed climate debt, finance, and loss and damage mechanisms, resulting in commitments to action.

 

What’s Next: What are your ideas for taking your project to the next level?

To take our project to the next level, last year we incorporated as a non-profit organization. This allows us to realize long-term projects with the support of funds, for the rest of the projects and actions we have carried out in the past and at present we did not need funds.

1. School of environmental educators: a course where we are going to teach 40 people not only about climate change but also non-formal education tools so that once they finish the course they will be able to carry out an educational project in their community.

2. Climate concert: we believe that music has a huge potential to raise awareness among people who are not yet involved in the environmental struggle. Our idea is to organize a climate concert where top level artists from Argentina participate and where there will also be awareness-raising talks.

3. Long explanatory videos content in Spanish for our Youtube channel: many times the content on climate change is in English and in very technical reports. Our idea is to explain different topics in depth but dynamically in Spanish. 

4. Project on renewable energy in slams: many people living in poor neighborhoods do not have access to energy. We are thinking together with social movements how we can help schools and community kitchens to have access to energy through renewable energy such as solar panels.

 

 

 

Your team: What is the current composition of your team (types of roles, qualifications, full-time vs. part-time, board members, etc.), and how do you plan to evolve the team’s composition as the project grows?

Youth for Climate is made up of 200 activists from all over the country. 
10 of us are part of the national coordination. Two people lead each of the five working groups: education, communication, community organising, international relations and advocacy. In this way, we have representation from all groups when it comes to the most important decisions of the organisation. 
In addition, I am in charge of fundraising and Nicolas Gallardo is in charge of legal affairs.

In addition, each project described above is included in a working group. For example, the school for environmental educators in the education working group. Each project has a team leader.

Operational Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure operational sustainability.

Youth for Climate takes into account the possible environmental impact of our projects from the very beginning. We have almost no impact in our actions. However, when we go on strikes for example, we make sure that it is cleaned up afterwards and if we do mass events, we make sure that recycling is carried out. In turn, when we travel to summits or international events we try to choose to travel only to those that we think it is important for us to go to because we know that it has a large carbon footprint. However, we believe and push for structural changes. 

VIDEO: Please share the link to a 1-minute YouTube video that answers the following “I identify as a Green Changemaker because...”. Ensure that your video does not exceed 60 seconds

https://youtu.be/eqABPQR829U

Impact Model: While reviewing applications, we identified a need to better understand the impact models for the innovations that applied. How would you describe the activities you engage in and what outcomes and long-term impact do they lead to?

Our partnership with the Ministry of Education in Buenos Aires allows us to conduct environmental workshops on climate governance, human rights, and sustainable cities in secondary schools every 2 weeks. Short-term goal: Reach 10 schools and 500 students by November. Medium-term goal: Empower students to initiate and implement at least 8 environmental projects in their schools. The long-term impact is the schools' ability to independently replicate the workshops based on the knowledge gained.

In this election year, we are creating a document to pressure candidates into signing our environmental demands. Stakeholders include political parties and the general public, particularly young people. Short-term goal: Lobby for at least 50% of candidates to sign. Medium-term goal: Raise environmental issues high on the political agenda. The long-term impact is to make the climate crisis a priority for the future president of Argentina.

We are going to launch in August a  school for environmental educators for young people. Short-term objective: To train 40 young people as environmental educators also with pedagogical tools.Medium-term goal: Have each participant conduct at least 2 workshops by November reaching 400 people in total. The long-term goal is the full implementation of the environmental education law and to build an informed society.

We are campaining for the approval of the "wetlands law" and the "packaging law with social inclusion," engaging MPs and the social movement of excluded workers. Our objectives are to raise awareness about wetlands and the importance of urban waste pickers and to ensure the adoption and effective enforcement of these laws. We have other projects, including a slum renewable energy initiative, but we need funding for them.

 

Audience: Who are you most directly impacting through your work? Who is the target beneficiary? Please specify if the population you are reaching is underserved due to any of the following characteristics?

Geography LanguageAge - Youth Socio-Economic Class

If you chose the "Other" option, please specify

 

How are you activating green changemakers?

Engaging emotions: Communicating climate change in a way that resonates with individuals’ specific situations to trigger an emotional engagement Building Understanding: communicating complex science, data and / or systems theory surrounding climate change in an accessible way, tailored to the specific audience and context Imagining new possibilities: leading group processes to help people see the possibilities and consequences of acting; innovating new products, business models, or ways of organising Creating a community: bringing together peers to share learnings, reinforce behaviours, and develop positive social norms; hosting gatherings where people see their work as part of a bigger whole

If you chose the "Other" option, please specify

 

Organization Type: Which organization type best describes how your work or initiative has been organized or registered?

Nonprofit/NGO

Tell us briefly about how you have and/ or would like to engage partners or other changemakers to enhance your approach:

We have actively engaged partners and changemakers to enhance our approach in various ways. For instance, we have collaborated with the Ministry of Education of the City of Buenos Aires to deliver environmental workshops in secondary schools. This partnership has allowed us to reach a wider audience and leverage their expertise in education.In addition, we currently collaborate with other youth climate movements in Argentina, as well as social movements such as the Movement of Excluded Workers and La Garganta Poderosa. 

Looking ahead, we firmly believe that collective action involving all sectors is essential for effectively addressing the climate crisis. Therefore, we aim to further expand our network of allies and partners. By fostering collaboration and inclusivity, we can work towards a sustainable future and create a broader impact in tackling the challenges we face.

 

Annual budget: Hint: What is the cost for your current operations every year (or most recent year)? This is expenditure for your project or organization. The reference currency is the U.S. dollar.

$10k - $50k

Winning Impact Potential: How would winning the Green Changemakers Challenge impact and leverage your work?

Winning the Green Changemakers Challenge would significantly impact Jovenes por el Clima Argentina, providing us with resources and mentorships to scale up our initiatives and reach a wider audience. The financial support would kick-start projects like renewable energy initiatives in slums, making a tangible difference in marginalized communities. These projects have been on our agenda, but due to limited funds, we have been unable to implement them fully. 

The training on financing and project measurement would enhance our financial management skills. By learning from experts in these areas, we can enhance our financial management skills and develop robust strategies for measuring the long-term impact of our projects.

Additionally, winning would connect us with a global network of like-minded changemakers, fostering collaboration and learning from best practices to maximize our effectiveness in addressing the climate crisis.

 

Skills Matching: If you win, you may have the opportunity to be matched with HSBC employees for skill-based mentorship. If matched, which of the following skills would you be most interested in receiving?

Accounting & Finance