The Elders observe Earth Day 2020

Young climate activist
Image from The Elders
Clare Kelly
by Clare Kelly
21 April 2020

To observe Earth Day 2020, Mary Robinson – the first woman President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Chair of The Elders – has launched a new series, outlining the need for us to respond to global challenges in solidarity. 

In her special Earth Day message, Mary Robinson said: “In order to tackle the COVID-19 emergency and the existential threat of the climate crisis, it will take all of us.”

Over the next 10 weeks, The Elders will be sharing stories of courage, hope, inspiration and challenge as young leaders in the climate movement write as guest bloggers championed by, and in solidarity with, The Elders.

The first blog in the intergenerational series shares words from Theo Cullen-Mouze, a young climate activist from Ireland. Theo argues that the COVID-19 response shows the capacity of the world to collaborate, mobilise vast resources and take radical action in times of crisis. He calls for intersectional climate justice to ensure that we shape a liveable future for our planet. 

Image from The Elders
Image from The Elders

Theo’s blog features an introduction by Mary Robinson, who said: “I have met Theo on a couple of occasions, he is as engaging and articulate in person as he is in this blog written for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Theo once told me that he became so involved in climate action because he is alarmed by the evidence of climate change all around him. It is young people like him that have really raised the collective awareness of the acute intergenerational injustice of this climate emergency."

Follow The Elders’ intergenerational series here and keep up to date on their climate change activity here.