Vanessa Nakate

Today, I attended the local conference of youth- LCOY, organized by @tardfoundation and @riseupmovement1 The youth are leading the charge in addressing climate change. Their passion, determination, and innovative ideas are shaping a sustainable future. #YouthPower #lcoyug23

‘Development’ isn’t millions of people dying from breathing toxic air. ‘Development’ isn’t millions of people pushed to the brink of starvation after years of droughts. ‘Development’ isn’t millions of people in Small Island communities having their economies, their culture – and increasingly, their lives – ripped apart by hurricanes and sea-level rise.

Millions of young people—animated by the knowledge of what they’re seeing and animated by faith in things unseen—are bearing witness. We’re looking to those who profess, who’ve called from the wilderness for righteousness and a new vision, to do the same—to hold politicians and business leaders accountable, to march, to petition, and to speak with one voice: Justice. For God’s sake, justice!

There is no other issue that is as critical to Africa as climate change. And now that is beginning to feel true for all regions of the world. It seems that everywhere we look now, communities are on fire. Everywhere we look now, communities are drowning.

Last year, the United Nations General Assembly declared that everyone on the planet has a right to a healthy environment. Not one country voted against this resolution. The historic decision underscores every human being’s right to breathe clean air. But the World Health Organization has been very clear: the release of toxic gases from fossil fuels makes our air unsafe to breathe. Financing more fossil fuel development would deprive the citizens of the world of our right to clean air.

I am really so humbled. #climateaction #justtransition23 #climatemovement #bookgram

Today, I spoke to students from Winsor School and Boston Latin School about my activism work. And honestly, it was so humbling. This is the first time I have seen so many copies of my book, A Bigger Picture, bought by a school for students. Thank you so much.

My greatest source of strength is my abiding faith in God and His son, Jesus Christ. It is God who sustains my spirit and enables me, an introvert, to expose myself to ridicule to continue fighting for the well-being of the only planet God called "very good" (Genesis 1:31)

Hello, Boston

The climate crisis is a child rights crisis. Already every child is impacted. One billion children around the world are at extremely high risk. We are duty bound to act with – and for – children. Children and young people are at the heart of change. They have raised the alarm bells of this code red for humanity. They are calling for new policies, new legislation, new investment, and new thinking from our leaders. But young people do not feel that their calls are being heard.

The UN published the Global Stocktake, one of the key recommendations it called for was a ‘phase out’ of fossil fuels. That ‘phase out’ must be just and equitable. And it requires a simultaneous ‘phase in’ of clean, affordable and reliable renewable energy. And this ‘phase in’ of that renewable energy must also be just and equitable.

@vanessanakate1 speaking at the historic March To #EndFossilFuels last week calling in @potus to declare a climate emergency and #endfossilfuels @vanessanakate1 is world renowned Ugandan youth climate justice activist and @unicef Goodwill Ambassador. Inspired by Greta Thunberg, she was Uganda’s first youth climate striker, and went on to found the @riseupmovement1 - a movement of young people protesting for climate action across Africa. In 2020, Vanessa received global attention after being cropped out of a press photo, taken with other white climate activists, at the World Economic Forum. She now campaigns internationally to highlight the impacts of climate change already playing out on the continent. Vanessa is the author of ‘A Bigger Picture’. ➡️ bit.ly/EndFossilFuelsNow