Climate Live

Inspired by by Greta Thunberg 7.6 million people in 7,500 cities joined the global school strikes in September 2019. It was huge, but world leaders are still failing to act with the necessary urgency.  

I would love to access and benefit from the amazing resources Elevate Prize provides, to help the organisation I founded, Climate Live, reach its aims of engaging a larger global audience in the climate movement. The Elevate Prize expertise would help us dramatically amplify our message and mobilise more people: much faster. Legal, marketing and social media support would be invaluable.

Creating a worldwide series of grassroots concerts is a big idea, but doable. We are applying because we are looking for financial and business development support for our global events on October 16th in 48 countries across the world. We are seeking funds for national concert costs (prioritising countries where it is very difficult to raise funds), international operating costs and to employ two staff for the international team.

2021 is a critical year for climate action as governments will have to renew their Paris Agreement pledges at United Nations COP26 Climate Conference in November - there is no longer an option to wait

Having organised the youth climate strikes from the beginning, I realised the majority of young people are not engaging in the climate crisis. So, in Spring 2019, I founded Climate Live to harness the universal power of music to engage, educate and empower these youth. It has been incredible and humbling to see how this has developed into the wonderful global, interconnected, grassroots organisation Climate Live is today, with events being organised by youth in 48 countries! 

It was wonderful to see the Swedish Climate Live event on April 24th projecting our slogan ; “Can you hear us yet?’ on Parliament House where Greta Thunberg began her solo strikes. 

When Greta Thunberg visited Bristol, her only  strike in the UK, I spoke for the national movement in front of 35,000 people. In December 2020 I was named the UK Government’s Environment Agency's Inspirational Person of the Year 2020. 

My purpose is to drive climate justice and elevate the voices of those on the frontlines. Those who contribute least to climate change are feeling the worst effects and suffering right now: this is urgent! Climate change is not an issue for the future, for many it is their present nightmare.

To change everything, we need everyone. Climate Live aims to dramatically amplify the youth climate movement’s message by harnessing the power of music and its global fanbase to reach the majority not currently engaged in the movement. 

Climate Live is organising simultaneous concerts in over 40 countries. Activists, scientists, and those on the frontlines of ecological breakdown will take to the stage alongside some of the biggest musicians/influencers of the 21st century. Organised and led by the members of Fridays For Future youth climate groups who organise the school strikes, we're supported by NGOs and music/events professionals.

We aim to enlarge the global climate movement by engaging with more youth through music and its vast fanbase, educate people on the challenges faced by those on the frontlines of climate change and empower people to pressure world leaders to take action to combat the climate crisis.

We kicked things off with virtual concerts and actions around the world on April 24th, which will be followed by the main concerts on October 16th, in the lead up to COP26. After COP26 we will continue to educate and empower our newly engaged audience to catalyse change with innovative and exciting campaigns.

Scientists, experts and NGOs campaigned for decades about the looming climate crisis but it was the school strikes that captured attention and fired up global imagination: for the world to listen the climate message needs to be youthled. Climate LIve is the next step for the climate strikers.

We’re breaking the mould of benefit concerts and removing the restrictions of relying only on kudos events in huge arenas. MIrroring the model of the strikes, events will be both large and small: music can happen on the street or college campus.

Our goal is to turn up the volume and amplify MAPA (Most Affected People and Areas) youth voices - not hosting mega glamour concerts. Concerts will happen in Global South countries to platform diverse line ups and organizers.

Scalability is core to Climate Live. Just as the strike spark lit the fire that spread across the world we began with six countries. The April 24th 2021 launch events happened in 19 countries: there will be 48 on October 16th. 

Ours is a bottom up model led by grass root activists working with environmental NGOs, climate scientists and music industry professionals: not top down by businessmen jumping on the climate bandwagon.

The people behind Climate Live have an amazing track record. It is led by the young people who organise the climate strikes which were a massive success, mobilising 7.6 million people in September 2019. 

We recently held successful Climate Live launch events in 19 countries on April 24th which were covered by media including NME, Sky News, CBC News, Canal 4 and many more. 

We have inspirational influential supporters, including Greta Thunberg, Any Gabrielly, Maria Gretchen, Jack Harries, Declan McKenna, Glass Animals, Barenaked Ladies, AMIAYA and Milky Chance.

We appreciate we have experience organising large protests and the April 24th events but not organising large concerts. To ensure we are capable of achieving our planned impact, we have secured support from NGOs and music/events professionals. Our 25 NGO partners include Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, WaterAid, United Nations YOUNGO, 350.org, Music Declares Emergency, REVERB, Eco Resolution, Client Earth, Ecolibrium, Atmos, Climate Bye Bye Plastic and Vision 2025. 

Our advisors include Bob Ezrin (music producer), Stephen Godfroy (Rough Trade Director), Kurt Langer (Producer Tibetan Freedom Concerts), Chris Johnson (Shambala Co-Founder), Rob Da Bank (Bestival Co-Founder), Michael Green (Oxfam Festivals Director) and Steve Machat (Music and Film Producer).