Scouts lead climate action & advocacy
Did you know that Scouts worldwide are leading advocacy efforts, innovative service projects and local actions to tackle the most pressing challenges facing our planet, including climate change?
Across the globe, Scouts strive every day raising awareness, advocating for action and inspiring change by leading widespread community service actions to increase sustainability, lower emissions, drive reforestation, restore biodiversity loss, and more!
COP 27: Leading by doing!
Scout youth representatives joined thousands of civil society organisations at date at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to call on world leaders, climate negotiators, and business leaders to take urgent action on climate change, amplifying the voices of 57 million Scouts worldwide in climate action and negotiations.
The Scouts participated in over 20 events throughout the week, including eight speaking engagements, multiple media interviews, and countless networking opportunities. They also hosted three events in the Blue Zone, the main area of COP27 where negotiations take place. These highly-visible events allowed Scouts to gain traction for youth's call to climate action, and gain visibility for the passionate work being done by Scouts for well over 100 years.
Our volunteer delegation worked tirelessly to have the voices of young people heard - and they were successful in their mission together with their peers of youth activists. The Scout Movement will continue to dedicate its voice to influence change and educational programmes to empower environmentally committed young leaders." Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary General, World Organization of the Scout Movement & World Scout Foundation Board Member
Scout youth representatives’ vital work at COP27 was made possible in 2022 via Scouts for SDGs support from our longstanding partner, Alwaleed Philanthropies.
A global snapshot of climate action
Scouts from the Dakar area, Senegal once again joined in annual efforts to reforest the classified Mbao forest, known as the ‘green lung of Dakar’, which the Scouts regularly use for activities and training camps.
Cub Scouts in Chile recently demonstrated that you’re never too young to start caring for and protecting the environment, taking part in tree-planting and activities to eliminate micro-dumps and recover the riverbanks near their local Scout camp in Arica.
One year on from launching an innovative “Adopt a Storm Drain” programme as part of his Eagle Scout service project, the impact of USA Scout Liam’s efforts to combat flooding live on in his hometown of Ramsey, New Jersey.
Along with his family, friends and fellow Scouts, Liam developed a website, aggressively promoted his programme and educated residents at various public events. In addition to allowing residents to easily register and adopt their own drain, the website provides significant educational content about the need for and the benefits of the Adopt A Drain initiative. Full story.
Since the programme launched, more than 100 drains have been adopted and it has been so successful that local officials are encouraging residents to keep up the good work to continue to tackle flooding.
I am very happy and proud to know that this programme continues to grow, and that I was able to start something that is having a positive impact in my town, and on the environment. Caring for a drain is a pretty easy thing to do, and the response has been great.” Liam Curran, Eagle Scout, USA
Let’s help Scouts to do even more
Your support for Education for Sustainable Development, one our seven funding priorities, will contribute to the continued development of educational resources, training, activities and digital content to boost Scouts’ action to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), imbed education on the SDGs in national Youth Programmes and contribute to the delivery of an additional 25 million community service projects and actions over the next five years.
DONATE to our Annual Appeal today!
We invite you to join our Annual Appeal so we can educate and develop over 100 million young people worldwide. We will achieve this through concrete projects in seven priority areas defined together with the World Organization of the Scout Movement to strengthen and grow this vital force for good. Discover these seven priorities — including Scouting Education for Sustainable Development — on our donation page here.
Photos and stories courtesy of: Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Chile; Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs du Sénégal ; Liam Curran ; On Scouting; World Organization of the Scout Movement.