Young People are Fighting for a Safe Climate Future

Much of the climate progress we’ve secured in the last few years has been spurred by the urgent calls to action from young people who are already living with the consequences of decisions that were made by older generations. For this episode, we spoke with one person who has been at the forefront of youth climate organizing and activism. Alexia Leclercq is the winner of WWF’s 2022 Conservation Leadership Award, which is given out annually to recognize exceptional young leaders in the environmental space. Alexia is a grassroots organizer, educator, scholar, and artist who recently received a graduate degree from Harvard University. They co-founded the Colorado River Conservancy in 2020 to protect the stretch of that river that runs along their hometown of East Austin, Texas. And they co-lead Start:Empowerment, a non-profit that aims to bolster climate justice education. In this episode Alexia talks about what motivated them to become involved in the climate movement (1:48), the importance of organizing as a tool to build “people power” (9:20), and their advice for the next generation of climate leaders (17:45).

LINKS:

2022 Conservation Leadership Award Announcement: Alexia Leclercq

WWF Magazine: “Activist Alexia Leclercq is changing how—and what—students learn about climate change”

Alexia Leclercq homepage

2023 Conservation Leadership Award Announcement: Charitie Ropati