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How are these young solutionists making a difference?
“I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way,” Whitney Houston sings in the first lines of her hit song ‘Greatest Love of All’. The words have been repeated so much over the years that they may have lost their meaning, but the sentiment still rings true. And perhaps the idea has never resonated as much as it does nowadays, particularly when it comes to young people’s ability and willingness to tackle one of the world’s greatest challenges: climate change.
The worst effects of global warming are still yet to be felt, and it will be the lives of younger generations that will be most impacted in the long term. It’s unsurprising, then, that young people are championing climate action in a way that older generations have been slow or entirely unwilling to embrace.
Today, 12th August, is the United Nations’ International Youth Day, an occasion designed to celebrate the achievements of young people worldwide and encourage further youth engagement. UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlights that “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires a seismic shift – which can only happen if we empower young people and work with them as equals.“
Countless young people across the globe are stepping up to the plate when it comes to tackling our world’s biggest problems. Take a look at our top five.
Inspiring young innovators and entrepreneurs
Runway fashion made from river waste
The Mekong River, which flows through Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Wanting to do something about it, Alyssa Erin Kardos Loera created ReMade in Cambodia, along with co-founder Jamie Raine. The organisation seeks to turn clothes discarded in Cambodia’s rivers into new, runway-ready garments, with the help of talented young designers. After being named a runner-up for the Iris Project‘s Stem Prize last year, Loera (now 25) has been shortlisted for this year’s Iris Prize on behalf of ReMade in Cambodia. Read more
An at-home wind turbine design
Wanting to bring wind power to the home, UK engineer Joe Garrett developed the AuraGen – a vertical axis turbine for homes and commercial buildings. The turbine is omni-directional, which means it works no matter which way the wind is blowing, and the tech is tailored to work most effectively on pitched roofs. The idea for the AuraGen came to Garrett as a teenager when he worked on scaffolding and rooftops with his dad. In 2022, Garrett received recognition as a winner of Innovate UK’s Young Innovators Awards. Read more
A student-led clean water initiative
In Indonesia, teenager Dipta Wirata set up a non-profit, youth-based initiative called Liquify, which develops innovative water solutions and raises awareness among young people of the global water crisis. Liquify also builds gravity filters and water catchment systems and provides training on how to maintain these systems. Last year, when Wirata was just 17, he won the Iris Prize and a grant of $15,000, which is helping the project install 20 catchment systems and recharge wells across schools and village community centres, as well as 50 gravity ultrafiltration filters for farmers. Read more
Doing laundry with shower water
Wanting to cut down on water waste, Lylo Products developed a device that allows users to wash their laundry with used, filtered shower water. Water is collected in a removable water tank that is placed on the floor of a shower like a mat. As the user showers, this tank fills up and is then reattached to the device’s base. The machine then filters the water and uses it to wash dirty clothes. The company was a winner at the 2022 UK Young Innovator Awards when the co-founder and lead designer Joanna Power was 23. Read more
Protecting rivers from plastic
Indonesia-based NGO Sungai Watch was founded as a youth-led community river clean-up organisation with a mission to protect waterways. Sungai Watch uses simple barriers to strain the rubbish out of rivers before it can reach the sea, while still allowing marine life to pass through. This rubbish is then collected daily and weekly by volunteers, who also help wash, sort, and shred the waste and prepare it for recycling. The organisation’s co-founder Sam Bencheghib won the 2022 Iris Prize. Read more
The Iris Project has released its shortlist for this year’s prize. You can discover more impressive young changemakers making a difference on their website – and stay tuned for the winners’ announcements.
Words: Matilda Cox
