Last year, Challenge Europe Advocates set out to use the tradition of the Christmas gift in a way that has a positive effect on the local community in Budapest.

We are already into February and as the air gets warmer and the snow disappears, for most of us, the memory of Christmas 2009 soon fades. However, last year, Challenge Europe Climate Advocates decided to give gifts that would not only last a long time, but which would also contribute to building a safer and stronger community.

Mindful of the bitter cold that sweeps through the streets of Budapest during the festive season, the advocates raised money for sleeping bags to give to the homeless to make the cold they battle every day less life threatening. They were met with enthusiasm and grace, as – for something so habitual to us as a warm night – this gesture will help to deflect the winter’s worst from this vulnerable group.

On a lighter note, the advocates also decided to adopt a 10 year old penguin at the Hungarian zoo. This means that they contribute money towards maintaining a better living environment but they also become responsible for more general care and attention and will attend parents’ days organised by the zoo. This will keep them up to date about how their new charge is doing. The penguin’s name is Phillip – just perfect for a 10 year old mother of several – and shows the advocates’ openness on many issues like transcending gender expectancies for example. Incidentally, Philip is on her way to becoming somewhat infamous, a rumour of her prolific fertility has spread like wild-fire and has resulted in her becoming quite the popular bird, despite early reservations and confusion over her name!

Would you like to take part in a project considering climate change by becoming a Climate Advocate?
The British Council wants to help younger generation to make a real and tangible difference before it is too late.

Challenge Europe campaign aspires to make a definite and lasting impact on the climate change debate and is ambitious in its aim to accelerate change to a low carbon future. The philosophy of the campaign is simple: to create momentum through collaboration, innovations, energy, drive passion, understanding and knowledge-sharing. 

In the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Finland, France, Northern Ireland / Ireland, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey we are now looking for 15-20 young influencers from all walks of life to become Climate Advocates. Over the year each country team will work collaboratively to identify the key areas where they think they can make a real difference and to develop three concrete ideas to reduce carbon use.

If you are passionate about climate issues, get in touch with your your local country project manager and find out more details about how to get involved.

On April 17th 2010, a Slovene environmentalist group, Environmentalists Without Borders, is organizing the biggest volunteer-based environmental project in the history of Slovenia: Let’s Clean Slovenia in a Day!
The aim of the project is to remove 20,000 tonnes of municipal and bulk waste from the environment by bringing together 200,000 Slovene inhabitants on the day of the clean-up action. To make this possible, organizers are inviting each and every Slovenian citizen to participate through municipalities, schools, waste manegement companies, governmental and non-governmental organisations, companies and the media. The project’s coordinator, Climate Advocate Petra Matos said: “To ensure that the effects of the project are felt long after the clean-up action, we will strive to raise environmental awareness as well as work to improve the relevant legal regulation in Slovenia.”
The ‘Let’s Clean Slovenia in a Day’ project was inspired by the Estonian clean-up action, Let's Do It 2008, in which 50,000 volunteers removed 10,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste form the environment in only five hours. Normally, the government would need three years and more than 22 million Euros to achieve this, whereas they achieved it in one day and for fifty times less money. Watch the Estonian example of good practice in this video, it will astonish you.