Taking climate action and fighting for change to happen in the climate sphere can feel pretty discouraging and overwhelming at times. The biggest motivator that inspires us to keep going though, is knowing that we're alone — there are people all around the world striving everyday to protect our Mother Earth with the solutions they've created to tackle the climate crisis. This gives us hope and energy to stay the course and continue doing our parts to preserve a healthy future for both our planet and communities.
We've rounded up a few incredible solutions being spearheaded by various organisations and people in different countries across the world that you can check out! They might just light a fire in you to continue fighting for the planet.
1. Indigenous Women of The Reef
Country: Australia
Tackling: Reviving Oceans
The Queensland Indigenous Women Rangers Network were recognised for their amazing work in protecting Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2022 by the Earthshot Prize.
The network provides in-country training to their 150 women rangers, encouraging them to share their knowledge and use storytelling as a new approach to conservation. The Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef marries ancient knowledge and modern tools like drones to preserve the Great Barrier Reef, making their work crucial to see the continued survival of one of our world's most important ecosystems.
Managing Director, Larissa Hale, says: "We're going to create a global groundswell of First Nations female-led conservation programs, a network of women helping to repair the planet fuelled by ancient knowledge and new technology."
2. The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs
Country: Italy
Tackling: Food waste
Hundreds of millions of people experience food insecurity globally, while about 30% of all of our food produced across the world is being chucked in the bin.
In 2019, The City of Milan's Food Waste Hubs set out to reduce the city's food waste by 50% by 2030. Each food hub receives food waste from supermarkets and companies' canteens, which they then distribute to citizens who need food through not-for-profit organisations.
Milan is the first major city in the world to have a city-wide food waste policy that includes food banks, charities, NGOs, private businesses, and public agencies and they are succeeding in enforcing this food waste reduction. Today, Milan has 3 Food Waste Hubs. Each of them recovers about 350kg of food waste each year, which is the equivalent of about 260,000 meals.
3. Pole Pole Foundation
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tackling: deforestation and poverty
John Kahekwa, founder of Pole Pole Foundation, felt attached to a special animal species as a child — the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, known as the 'Grauer Gorillas'. John then became a ranger in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, where he got to witness first-hand accounts of how the endangerment of the gorillas as well as the ongoing conflict and poverty suffered by local communities go hand in hand.
In 1992, Kahekwa established the Pole Pole Foundation after a conversation with a poacher, who said, "Empty stomachs have no ears." Pole Pole Foundation's cause is a unique and effective one: it focuses on tackling the root causes of deforestation and bushmeat poaching, which are poverty and hunger.
Today, the Pole Pole Foundation has reached over 1800 people within various communities. 500 members from local villages have gotten involved in its work with reforestation. The Foundation also grows low-cost nutritious foods as part of their farming projects, which helps train former poachers gain new skills and educate them on the importance of conservation.
4. Smokeless Cookstove Foundation
Country: India
Tackling: Electrification
Founded by Nitisha Agrawal, Smokeless Cookstove Foundation is a non-profit organisation that dedicates itself to addressing household air pollution in India. The organisation runs education programs that help rural, migrant, and tribal communities create safe, efficient, and also low-cost cookstoves.
Using Rocket Stove Technology, which reduces indoor emissions and fuel usage, members of the community are able to cook more efficiently and safety, enabling them to use that time for other activities like work or education.
These stoves also use locally available, natural materials such as mud, grass, and cow dung to create their base, which makes them climate-friendly.
Header image from Milan Food Waste Hub
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