1 August 2018: The Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) has announced 22 “Climate Trailblazers:” individuals from around the world representing both emerging and established voices on climate change action, activism and ambition. The Trailblazers, who show through action that “everyday people can do extraordinary things,” will raise awareness regarding the Summit’s goals within their own networks and specific climate arenas in the lead up to the GCAS.

Of the 22 Climate Trailblazers, six are from North America, three from Central or South America, two from Europe, four from Africa, three from Asia and four from Australia or Oceania.

The Trailblazers work with a diversity of issues, including sustainable farming, green technology, climate justice and coral reefs, and include, for example, a social activist who develops education campaigns on uncontrolled fires in Africa, a civil engineer working on sustainable development in Iraq and a young innovator who developed a hydroponics system to improve human health and resilience to climate change in Kiribati.

The GCAS will showcase climate action taking place at all levels along with new commitments.

The Trailblazers hail from such organizations as: the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) in the US; Thirst, which addresses global water scarcity by educating and engaging the next generation of consumers; the Foundation for Wildlife and Habitat Conservation (FWHC) in Zambia; the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication; the Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative; and 1 Million Women, a global women’s movement to fight climate change. They include: environmental justice leader Robert Bullard, Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy, Texas Southern University, US; Chris Castro, Director of Sustainability, City of Orlando, Florida, US; and Shukri Haji Ismail Mohamoud Bandare, Minister of Environment and Rural Development, Hargeisa, Somaliland.

The Climate Trailblazers were nominated by a range of awards committees and institutions, including the UNFCCC’s Momentum for Change, the Equator Initiative, UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP, or UN Environment) Young Champions of the Earth, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers, the Goldman Environmental Prize, XPRIZE, Grist, Oxfam and Forbes 30 Under 30.

The GCAS will convene in San Francisco, US, from 12-14 September 2018. The Summit will bring together state and local governments, business and citizens to showcase climate action taking place at all levels and new commitments related to the five Summit themes: healthy energy systems, inclusive economic growth, sustainable communities, land stewardship and transformative climate investments. [GCAS Press Release] [Trailblazers Website] [GCAS Website]