Last week, the UN CC:Learn community came together for a series of events that brought climate stories to life. Over three dynamic sessions, held on 10 and 11 December in English and 12 December in French, nine of the 2024 UN CC:Learn Champions showcased their inspiring work in the field. With an audience of nearly 1,000 engaged alumni from around the globe, these 90-minute events showcased inspiring examples of climate action in different shapes and forms.
Each event followed an engaging structure that kept the energy high. The Champions—Afifa, Sagaitu, and Vathanak in Event 1; Alan, Hannah, and Varnessa in Event 2; and Jules, Souhayata, and Wadley in the French session—each had 10 minutes to share their unique climate stories. Their work painted a compelling picture of leadership in climate action, from reforestation projects to educational comic books. Following these presentations, an active and engaging Q&A followed. The Champions answered thought-provoking questions from the audience, sparking deeper dialogue about the challenges and successes of their climate actions. The conversations were rich and left participants inspired by the diverse ways individuals can make a difference.
The events closed with an insightful exercise. Participants were asked to submit a pledge answering the question, “What climate action do you pledge to carry out after being inspired by the UN CC:Learn Champions?” Participants bought into the idea and pledged several different things, from “increased community engagement through grassroots initiatives” and “more capacity building on climate change” to “scale up renewable energy” and “reduction carbon footprints,” to name a few.
These events highlighted how individual actions can motivate broader changes within larger groups. Building on this momentum, UN CC:Learn is planning similar events in 2025 featuring Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Champions.
