Joshua's Activism Is Fueled by Their Love for the Earth

At just 15 years old, Joshua Villalobos discovered the power of collective action while travelling across their home province in the Philippines. Seeing communities living in tune with their surroundings inspired a lifelong commitment to climate justice. “My activism is fueled by everything that I love,” they explain, “clean air and water, communities living in harmony with the planet, and the preservation of the pristine beauty of the Earth.” When plans emerged for a coal-fired power plant in their province, Joshua and other young people mobilized communities, worked alongside different sectors of society, and successfully campaigned for a provincial coal ban. An achievement that even helped pave the way for the Philippines’ national moratorium on new coal plants!

That victory showed Joshua that lasting climate action must put people first. Today, they work with policymakers to turn clean energy commitments into reality while supporting communities to ensure the energy transition benefits those who have long been left behind. They also stand alongside Indigenous and other marginalized peoples defending their lands and campaign against false climate solutions.

Beyond their advocacy work, Joshua is deeply committed to strengthening youth-led movements and therefore leads NICE (Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment). Together with other grassroots activists, they advocate for greater investment in young people through training, funding, and access to decision-making - a true collective effort! However, Joshua believes that passion alone is not enough. "One of the constant advice I often provide to fellow youth activists is to study! I remember a quote from Eli Pope talking to Olivia Pope in the tv series Scandal where Eli told Olivia "You need to be twice as good to get half of what they have." and in our unequal and unjust society, that is true for young people, especially young people from the margins."

Joshua's work always revolves around the core idea of people power and building the social movement in defense of the people and the planet, where localised struggles are inseparable from global ones. Through Oxfam's Make Rich Polluters Pay campaign and the Bonn Climate Camp, they have connected with climate advocates from around the world, gaining new strategies, networks, and opportunities to bring the voices of frontline communities in the Philippines to international decision-making spaces. “Climate justice is not only a tagline,” Joshua emphasizes. “It must be a global aspiration, and it will start when the people, institutions, and countries who have caused the climate crisis pay for the damages and help pay to address it.”

As a queer climate activist, Joshua sees no separation between fighting for equality and fighting for the planet. “Being queer and being a climate justice activist is one and the same in dreaming and struggling for a fair, equal, and beautiful world.” Through their leadership and always together with other activists, they continue to inspire young people to organize, and believe that their voices can shape a more just future for both people and the planet.