"New Climate Journal: Ned Remington’s Initiative for a Sustainable Future"

Can you give us a brief overview of your project and how it addresses SDG 13?

The New Climate Journal is a forum for predominantly young writers to share stories that raise awareness of underreported aspects of the climate emergency. Starting only a couple of months ago, I am already working with around 30 writers from several countries and across all continents. I give writers as much support as they need, but also the independence to focus on the environmental issues they are post passionate about. I am also working hard to give a voice to young people from marginalised communities.

What inspired you to tackle climate change as part of your project?

In 2024, elections took place in many countries across the world, and I was involved in campaigning the the general election in my country, the UK. I was very concerned, however, by the lack of awareness among political candidates and the voting public about the scale of the climate emergency we all face. I was also particularly troubled by the popularity of climate change denial, particularly in the USA. I wanted to create a project that would raise awareness of climate impacts, including through giving a voice to those most badly affected by climate change, whilst also educating our readers on climate solutions.

What specific goals did your project aim to achieve in relation to combating climate change?

We wanted to bring greater media attention to the negative impacts of climate change, to pressure governments to take more decisive action. This involves giving a platform to a wide variety of young writers from different backgrounds.

How did your project contribute to raising awareness about climate change or reducing its impacts?

We have been able increase our audience through our website and social media, which means we are able to educate more people about a wide range of climate topics. I have also worked extensively with a variety of writers whose work we have published, hopefully giving them the confidence to continue speaking up about the climate emergency.

Did your project focus on any particular aspect of climate change (e.g., mitigation, adaptation, education)? If so, could you explain this focus?

We cover any aspect of the climate crisis that our writers are passionate about, but our overall aim is to challenge how the general public learn about climate change, and change the way the media report on it- as I believe this is the main barrier at the moment to more ambitious climate policies, especially in Europe and North America.

What were some of the challenges you faced while implementing your project, particularly in addressing climate change, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge I faced was when we first launched, building up a team of volunteers so we could publish articles regularly. I began by asking friends in the climate space to help me out, before using social platforms like LinkedIn to advertise for volunteer writers.

Another key challenge that continues to be challenging is growing our social media presence in order to educate more people- however we are hoping to develop a dedicated team of social media volunteers to work on this.

Can you share any specific outcomes or impacts your project had in relation to SDG 13?

We have raised awareness of the climate crisis and raised marginalised youth voices.

Did your project involve collaboration with other students, organizations, or community members? If yes, how did this collaboration enhance your project's effectiveness in combating climate change?

Did your project involve collaboration with other students, organizations, or community members? If yes, how did this collaboration enhance your project's effectiveness in combating climate change?

We work with students from a range of schools and universities across the world, often encouraging our writers to spread the word and suggest volunteering for us to their friends and classmates.

What were some key lessons you learned from working on this project related to SDG 13?

I have learnt the vital importance of hearing first-hand perspectives of climate impacts in order to encourage more ambitious climate policy: we must educate political leaders and the public before we expect them to make better decisions.’

Looking ahead, how do you plan to continue your efforts to combat climate change beyond the scope of your project, and what role do you see yourself playing in future climate action initiatives?

We hope to partner with other youth education and journalism initiatives to lead climate education projects across the world, and we hope to stay in touch with our writers during their journalistic careers.