What is Spark ClimAct?
Climate change perpetuates inequality. The people who contribute the least to the climate crisis are being hit hardest by its consequences and have fewer resources to recover and adapt. This is an injustice, and the reason we stand with the people who fight for climate justice.
Spark ClimAct is working for climate justice through a diverse consortium of 20 organizations in 13 European countries. Together this partnership is raising awareness of climate justice issues, and training and facilitating EU citizens, particularly youth, to build and mobilize public support for ambitious climate justice action and development policies.
Spark The Project
By the end of 2023, Spark ClimAct has mobilized over 2.5 million people to take climate action, has trained more than 60,000 people to educate and mobilize others on climate justice, engaged with more than 570,000 people at events such as festivals, concerts and film screenings, and reached over 53 million people across Europe through online and offline campaigns.
Spark ClimAct partners work with national-level initiatives, and also together at pan-European level through joint campaigns that leverage the collective amplification and influencing power of the consortium.
SPARK is supported and maintained with the financial partnership of the European Union, through the EC-DEAR (Development Education and Awareness Raising) and implemented by several partners across Europe.
Make polluters pay
In 2023 Spark ClimAct led the Make Rich Polluters Pay campaign in multiple countries ahead of COP28. The campaign was spearheaded by international activists Marinel Ubaldo, Hilda Nakabuye, Pavel Martiarena and Lagi Seru, who shared their stories of climate change impacts and called for sufficient climate finance to address loss & damage and adaptation. The petition gathered over 500,000 signatures by the time COP28 was held and to date has over 700,000 signatures.
Youth's ticket to the future
Spark ClimAct organised 'The Ticket to the Future', a unique climate justice knowledge & learning experience for youth, as part of the ‘’Make Rich Polluters Pay’ campaign. Across three days and over two train journeys from Paris and Madrid to Barcelona, more than 130 young climate activists from Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia Pacific came together to share strategies and experiences in the fight for climate justice. Joining the trip were well known international activists, including Marinel Ubaldo, Hilda Nakabuye, Pavel Martiarena, Anita Soina, Issa Garba, Maria Serra and many others.
Ticket To The Future
Standing behind climate activist
We supported Kenyan climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti’s Open letter on Loss and Damage financing. The open letter gathered over 133,000 signatures, Elizabeth met with MEPs and victims of climate change in Europe, gained strong media attention and travelled to COP27 where the letter was handed in to the COP27 President. A historic Agreement for a Loss and Damage fund from all nations was secured at COP27, which was an unexpected and major campaign success.
Mobilizing the Power of People in 2022
With our partner Climate Outreach, we have conducted two-year research into the attitudes and perceptions of youth to climate justice. This report which gathered data from 6000 show that when a climate justice analysis is presented to young adults in Europe, the views of those who are concerned about climate change align with many aspects of that analysis. However, there are gaps in their understanding, as well as resistance to some climate justice principles. See report - ‘Communicating Climate Justice with Young Adults in Europe.
Contact us
For more information, please contact Emma Boles - Communications Lead ClimAct - emma.boles@oxfamnovib.nl
Youth Activism for Climate Justice – COP26
A group of youth ambassadors travelled with our partners to COP26 where we engaged them in a program of training and engagement.
Rail to COP26
Youth activists travelled by rail from Europe with the ClimAct project to Glasgow. During the train journey they heard from inspirational climate campaigners and received campaign training. Upon arrival there was an Activist Welcome Workshop which was an information exchange and networking opportunity. Many shared their experiences via social media, and to the World Climate March campaign with some extra help from ‘Tony Chocolonely’ chocolate bars supporting the campaign with a QR code on the wrapper.
Loss & Damage Op-Ed Workshop
Together sixty young activists from different countries working online and offline, with editorial support, wrote an Op-Ed called ‘The kids will be alright (if they are not lost and damaged by COP26)’. They crafted a piece that highlights the material and psychological impacts of climate change and the critical need for loss and damage financing. This was published on Global Youth Day in the CAN Eco-Bulletin, which is read by negotiators and policy makers at COP26. It was also published on The Energy Mix and Oxfam’s Medium.
Young Activists address MEPs
ClimAct arranged an exchange between young activists and MEPs at Civic House in Glasgow for youth activists to engage directly with members of the European Parliament, set out their views and asked questions. The MEPs in attendance were: Malin Bjork –Sweden; Silvia Modig –Finland; Manuel Bompard –France; Manon Aubry –France; Cornelia Hernst –Germany; Sira Rego –Spain; Joao Pimenta–Portugal; and Anja Hazekamp –Netherlands.
Voices of Eco-Feminism
This inspiring discussion with a live and online audience explored the experiences and challenges of gender transformative climate activism, with Nadiah Dzulfakar, Co-founder of Klima Action Malaysia, Ineza Umuhoza Grace, community focused climate activism Rwanda, and Gabriela Franco Prieto, peace building and climate action Colombia.
World Climate March
On November 6th 2021 on the Global Day of Action, ClimAct activists with the World Climate March campaign took to the streets of Glasgow and other European cities. Using pedi-cabs, bikes and screens to project images, climate activists both physically and virtually joined hundreds of thousands of people in cities around the world demanding climate justice. Tens of thousands of people in more than 40 countries signed up and joined the march, and images and messages from these activities were projected around Glasgow during the COP.
