Imagine5

As we wake up to the day after and try and digest what has just happened, we must remind ourselves that climate change shouldn’t be a political issue. It is a human issue. One that affects all races, genders, ages and regions. One that needs solving. There is no giving up. Temperature graphic: Neil Kaye/ESA White House photo: rene-deand/Unsplash

Humans will have to call on all their ingenuity to get through the climate crisis. The good news is, many of the mind-boggling inventions we’ll need… were invented a long time ago. Here’s to the underappreciated brilliance of stuff we already have. Like… free will! Words: Robert Langkjær-Bain Illustrations: Lily Kong

The European Union managed to reduce its planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions by 8% in 2023. Aside from the dip seen at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s the biggest annual fall in decades. It means that pollution levels are now 37% below what they were in 1990, says the European Environment Agency (EEA). The fall has come as Europe gets more of its energy from the sun and wind, and less from dirty sources like coal. Renewables have gone from providing 10% of Europe’s energy in 2005 to 24% in 2023. But even so, countries still need to step up the pace if they’re going to meet the target of cutting emissions by 55% (compared with 1990) by 2030. The measures that are already underway or planned won’t be enough on their own, warns the EEA. The horrendous effects of climate change in Europe are becoming ever more clear, with more than 200 people killed in devastating floods in Spain just this week. The EEA’s executive director Leena Ylä-Mononen said: “The impact of climate change is accelerating. This leaves us no choice but to strengthen our resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Follow Imagine5 for more positive climate news! Thomas Richter / Unsplash

 “My biggest hope for young people is that you ask for mentorship, that you ask for support,” says ocean activist Bodhi Patil. What gives you energy to take action?

“All art, all music, all anything… is from nature,” says AURORA in this beautiful interview with Imagine5, where they reflect on how she is weaving nature sounds into her music in her collaboration with #SoundsRight, and how crediting nature as an artist can change the way we value her. 🌳 Find the full interview in the comment section below. Sounds Right is a global music initiative by Museum for the United Nations - UN Live in partnership with EarthPercent and AKQA alongside several key partners to recognise NATURE as an official artist and to raise funds for her conservation. Learn more about the initiative and the partner ecosystem at: soundsright.earth

Music fans have helped to raise thousands for wildlife and biodiversity projects in Colombia – by listening to the sounds of birdsong, forests and waterfalls. Since nature was officially recognized as an artist on streaming platforms six months ago, it has been able to earn real royalties. More than seven million listeners have racked up more than 65 million streams of a selection of songs by the likes of David Bowie, London Grammar and Aurora, that incorporate sounds sampled in the wild, as well as tracks composed purely of ambient nature sounds. At the UN COP16 Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, the organizers of the Sounds Right project revealed the specific causes that will benefit from the $225,000 raised so far from both royalties and donations. Most of the money will be split between Reserva Natural La Planada, a 3,200 hectare reserve in the Colombian Andes run by Indigenous communities, and Fundación Projecto Titi, which protects forests that are home to the iconic cotton-top tamarin monkeys. Smaller amounts will go to projects working with farming communities to protect nature, and raising ecological awareness among children and young people. Several new tracks were also released that include nature as a featured artist, including Lykke Li’s Highway to Your Heart, which features the sound of crickets, summer winds and birdsong, recorded at the singer’s garden and in downtown LA. Sounds Right also announced a competition for young musicians in the UK to submit tracks featuring sounds from the natural world. The winner will receive a £500 (€600) grant, a remix by a renowned producer, and the chance to release their track on nature’s streaming profile. The Sounds Right project is the brainchild of Museum for the United Nations - UN Live, an organization that taps into culture to pursue the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Image: Nicolas Pratlong / Unsplash

Humans will have to call on all their ingenuity to get through the climate crisis. The good news is, many of the mind-boggling inventions we’ll need… were invented a long time ago. Here’s to the underappreciated brilliance of stuff we already have. Like… sweaters! Words: Robert Langkjær-Bain Illustrations: Lily Kong

In our latest partnership, we collaborated with James Beard award-winning chef Sophia Roe to host our Imagine5 original series, In the Kitchen. Eating locally and seasonally, while making vegetables the stars of ours plates is one of the most impactful ways to reduce our environmental footprint, and the best way to turn consumers onto plant-based cooking is to make absolutely delicious food. Partnering with the creative and talented Sophia on a plant-based dish for our next episode of In the Kitchen led to a drool-worthy outcome: Braised cabbage with ginger. See below for a sneak peek and see the full episode at our website.

For singer-songwriter AURORA, hope isn't something you wait to happen to you. In an interview with Imagine5, AURORA talks about how she ended up duetting with nature as part of the Sounds Right project, her heartbreak at what humans have done to the Earth and how, for her, hope comes through action. "I don't just have hope. And I don't just act. I act because then I will have hope. I don't like either without the other, much." For the full interview head to the comments ✍️: Liz Hynes 📸: Boe Marion

Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA has always woven nature sounds into her music. She is now one of the first artists to share streaming royalties with nature causes, in recognition of its contribution. It’s part of the Sounds Right campaign by Museum for the United Nations - UN Live. In an interview with Imagine5, AURORA talks about how it is duetting with nature, her heartbreak at what humans have done to the Earth, and where she finds hope. Interview: Liz Hynes Photos: Boe Marion Head to our website for the full interview