Plant-for-the-Planet
Encyclopedia
Plant-for-the-Planet is a children’s initiative that aims to raise awareness amongst children and adults about the issues of climate change
and global
justice. The Initiative also works to plant trees, and considers this to be both a practical and symbolic action in efforts to reduce the effect of climate change.
, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kenya
who had worked to plant over 30 million trees across Africa as part of her 'Green Belt Movement'. At the end of Felix's presentation he shared the idea that the children of the world could plant 1 million trees in every country on Earth. On the 28th of March 2007 the first tree was planted in Felix’s school, thus marking the official launch of Plant-for-the-Planet. Students in Bavaria and across Germany also got involved and continued to plant trees under the initiatives name. After one year 150,000 trees had already been planted and in 2008 Felix was able to reach a larger audience after he was elected to the UNEP children’s board during the International UNEP Children’s Conference in Norway.
and climate protection. They also consider each tree to be an action for social justice. This organisation sees that it is most often the developing countries that suffer the most from the effects of climate change, despite the fact that they have most often done the least to cause it. It is for this reason Plant-for-the-Planet considers each tree to also be a symbol for climate justice. By the start of 2011 there were children participating in more than 93 countries. As this organisation has grown so has its main goal. As of 2011 the children aim to plant a total of 1,000 billion trees around the world.
is a patron of the organisation. The AVINA Foundation
, the Club of Rome
and the Global Marshall Plan all offer administrative support to the organisation. Develey, Ernst & Young, Hess Natur and Toyota also provide financial support.
In February 2010 a Plant-for-the-Planet Children’s Foundation was established. The function of this foundation is to facilitate cooperation with partners in order to coordinate and support the work and activities of the children. This foundation is also intended to relieve the Global Marshall plan, who were previously acting as secretariat.
, Wangari Maathai
, Peter Maffay
, Gisele Bündchen
, Hans Küng
, Mary Robinson
, Princess Haya of Jordan, Gesine Schwan
, Achim Steiner
, Oliver Kalkofe
, Felipe from Spain
and many more.
On the 8th of October 2010 the “Stop Talking. Start Planting.” campaign received an EFFIE in the category of Social National/International. Awards are given to charitable organisations and initiatives each year for the use of effective social marketing and communication campaigns.
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and global
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
justice. The Initiative also works to plant trees, and considers this to be both a practical and symbolic action in efforts to reduce the effect of climate change.
Origin
The idea for Plant-for-the-Planet was first developed in Germany in 2007 by a nine year old boy called Felix Finkbeiner. It was when Felix’s teacher set the assignment to prepare a school report about the issue of climate change, that Felix was first inspired. While conducting his research he came across the story of Wangari MaathaiWangari Maathai
Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya...
, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
who had worked to plant over 30 million trees across Africa as part of her 'Green Belt Movement'. At the end of Felix's presentation he shared the idea that the children of the world could plant 1 million trees in every country on Earth. On the 28th of March 2007 the first tree was planted in Felix’s school, thus marking the official launch of Plant-for-the-Planet. Students in Bavaria and across Germany also got involved and continued to plant trees under the initiatives name. After one year 150,000 trees had already been planted and in 2008 Felix was able to reach a larger audience after he was elected to the UNEP children’s board during the International UNEP Children’s Conference in Norway.
Development
Since its creation in 2007 the organisation effectively developed into a worldwide movement. In August 2009 when Felix spoke at the UNEP Tunza Children and Youth Conference in Daejeon, South Korea. Here he promoted Plant-for-the-Planet and was able to gain support from children all around the world, who also promised to plant the 1 million trees in their own countries. Participants from Plant-for-the-Planet see each tree as a contribution towards environmentalEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
and climate protection. They also consider each tree to be an action for social justice. This organisation sees that it is most often the developing countries that suffer the most from the effects of climate change, despite the fact that they have most often done the least to cause it. It is for this reason Plant-for-the-Planet considers each tree to also be a symbol for climate justice. By the start of 2011 there were children participating in more than 93 countries. As this organisation has grown so has its main goal. As of 2011 the children aim to plant a total of 1,000 billion trees around the world.
Tree Planting
Through this organisation tree planting activities or “parties” are organised by students and children themselves. i.e. the students need to find foresters and environmental organisation to supply seedlings, and show them how, where, and when to plant. The funding needed to plant trees comes from individual and corporate donations. Plant-for-the-Planet promises to plant one tree for every Euro donated. The organisation also has a system of independent auditors to guarantee that the correct number of trees have been planted. Trees are generally planted by partner organisations in southern countries, for example "Trees for People" in Namibia)Plant for the Plant Academies
Plant-for-the-Planet also offers educational training days that they call Academies. In these Academies, children who have already been trained in previous Academies, give speeches to a new group of children to teach them about the climate crisis and train them as “Ambassadors for Climate Justice”. Through group work and presentations the children are taught about climate justice and they also learn how to prepare and present these ideas to others in a confident and exciting way. As Ambassadors for Climate Justice, these children then have the knowledge and tools to further educate their friends, schools and families about Plant-for-the-Planet. Children also learn how to organise a tree planting event and following an Academy can start their own tree planting activities. A Plant-for-the-Planet Academy typically runs over the course of 1 day and participation is free.Partners
The children of Plant-for-the-Planet do have support from adults: Professor Klaus TöpferKlaus Töpfer
Klaus Töpfer is a German politician and environmental politics expert. From 1998 to 2006 he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme ....
is a patron of the organisation. The AVINA Foundation
AVINA Foundation
-Overview:It was founded in 1994 by Stephan Schmidheiny. Its Chairman is Brizio Biondi-Morra and its CEO is Sean McKaughan. It has offices in Buenos Aires in Argentina, Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Santiago in Chile, Bogota in Colombia, Cuenca in Ecuador, Asuncion...
, the Club of Rome
Club of Rome
The Club of Rome is a global think tank that deals with a variety of international political issues. Founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy, the CoR describes itself as "a group of world citizens, sharing a common concern for the future of humanity." It consists of current and...
and the Global Marshall Plan all offer administrative support to the organisation. Develey, Ernst & Young, Hess Natur and Toyota also provide financial support.
In February 2010 a Plant-for-the-Planet Children’s Foundation was established. The function of this foundation is to facilitate cooperation with partners in order to coordinate and support the work and activities of the children. This foundation is also intended to relieve the Global Marshall plan, who were previously acting as secretariat.
The Campaign “Stop Talking. Start Planting.”
On the 21st of September 2009, during the UN General Assembly in New York, the global campaign "Stop Talking. Start Planting." was first initiated. The purpose of this campaign was to raise awareness amongst children and adults about climate change and to encourage affirmative action. To summarise the slogan, the campaign posters show Ambassadors for Climate Justice holding their hands in front of the mouths of prominent community members. Celebrities who have supported this campaign include Prince Albert II of MonacoAlbert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and the American actress Grace Kelly...
, Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya...
, Peter Maffay
Peter Maffay
Peter Alexander Makkay better known as Peter Maffay is a German musician.- Biography :Born in Brasov, Romania, the son of a German , he was 14 when his family relocated to his parents' Germany in 1963. In the same year, he started his first band, The Dukes...
, Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success...
, Hans Küng
Hans Küng
Hans Küng is a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and prolific author. Since 1995 he has been President of the Foundation for a Global Ethic . Küng is "a Catholic priest in good standing", but the Vatican has rescinded his authority to teach Catholic theology...
, Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
, Princess Haya of Jordan, Gesine Schwan
Gesine Schwan
Gesine Schwan is a German political science professor and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The party has nominated her twice as a candidate for the federal presidential elections. On 23 May 2004, she was defeated by the Christian Democrat and former president Horst Köhler...
, Achim Steiner
Achim Steiner
Achim Steiner is a German expert in environmental politics. From 2001 to 2006 he was Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources...
, Oliver Kalkofe
Oliver Kalkofe
Oliver Kalkofe is a German satirist, columnist, book author and actor.- Career :Kalkofe grew up in Langenhagen-Engelbostel near Hanover and in Peine...
, Felipe from Spain
Felipe, Prince of Asturias
Felipe, Prince of Asturias de Borbón y de Grecia; born 30 January 1968), is the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain....
and many more.
On the 8th of October 2010 the “Stop Talking. Start Planting.” campaign received an EFFIE in the category of Social National/International. Awards are given to charitable organisations and initiatives each year for the use of effective social marketing and communication campaigns.