UN campaign empowers kids to take climate action

<p id="content">Building on the growing momentum for climate action, the United Nations is broadening its engagement of global audiences.</p>
A new campaign will empower children to learn about sustainability and act to protect the planet.

The 'Climate Action Superheroes' campaign, to be launched on UN social media platforms on Saturday, targets kids under the age of 12 as agents of change.

Eight quirky superheroes — the Energy Expert, Fashion Fixer, Fume Fighter Green Guide, Recycle Ranger, Truth Talker, Veggie Vindicator and Water Wizard — engage children, and parents, in fun missions on topics such as reducing single-use plastic, saving energy and water, fixing and reusing clothes, eating more vegetables, and sharing scientific facts.

"We want children to be aware of the difference they can make through everyday actions," said Nanette Braun, Director of Campaigns in the UN Department of Global Communications.

"Lifelong behaviors are shaped at an early age and we hope that providing the knowledge and tools to help build a more sustainable future will have lasting impact," Braun added.

Parents and children can discover the superheroes and their missions through a colorful, aminated world built on the UN website.

Campaign materials include downloadable activity sheets, certificates of completion, animated social media cards and stickers.

The campaign concept was developed by the students in a global executive master's program at The New School's Parsons School of Design. As part of the program's focus on leading creative change, the group worked with the UN to brainstorm new ways of engaging the public on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and landed on a kids campaign as the most impactful way of driving long-term, transformative change.

"With climate change causing ever greater harm to people and the planet, the students were eager to take on this urgent topic," said Melissa Rancourt, Academic Director for the Global Executive Master of Science in Strategic Design and Management at The New School.

"By engaging children, we target the consumers and decision-makers of the future, who will drive the change the world needs," Rancourt said.

The Climate Action Superheroes are a component of the UN's ongoing ActNow campaign that mobilizes individual action on sustainability. ActNow has so far seen close to one million climate actions logged through the campaign's chat bot and mobile app, with a growing number of people making climate action an integral part of their daily life..