#Art4Climate is a joint initiative of UNFCCC secretariat and Julie’s Bicycle on the work of artists who make the issue of climate change more accessible and understandable by featuring it in their work. Young people in Portugal are being educated about the risks of climate change and the opportunities of climate action with the help of comic art.
Bruno Pinto is the writer of “Special Report: Adaptation to Climate Change in Portugal”, a publication developed as part of the award-winning project ClimAdaPT.Local. He says the book is a great resource to teach about climate change in classrooms, as well as a way to reach young people who otherwise might not see this global issue as something that affects them personally.
The book tells the story of a TV reporter who is working on a story about climate change in Portugal. The protagonist embarks on a trip around the country, where she meets with academics, climate change experts and government employees to get a complete overview of what climate change entails.
The project is not the first time that comics are deployed to build awareness about climate change. In 2015, to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21), UNICEF launched Comics Uniting Nations, a comic series targeted at younger audiences.
“The successful implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement depends very much upon the actions of citizens, NGOs and other organizations and their ability to work with governments. Media such as comic books are important to raise awareness about the issue of climate change and to stimulate the involvement of citizens”, says author Bruno Pinto.
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