News & stories from the field.

Our message for the day was three short promises: Our land. Our future. Our action. Healthy soils, trees and water sources are the first line of defence against heat, drought and flooding — and they are something every school and community can help protect.

We invited our volunteers, partner schools and Youth Climate Ambassadors to take one practical step: plant or adopt a tree, clear a drain, cut single-use plastic, or start a climate conversation at home.

Join the conversation with #WorldEnvironmentDay, #WED2026, #ClimateJustice and #ACAI — and explore simple actions in our Climate Hub.

Instead of buying ready-made furniture from a city supplier, we commissioned a local carpenter to build shelves on site. Over a week, pupils watched the reading corner take shape — sanded, assembled and fitted to the classroom wall.

The shelves now hold storybooks, dictionaries and reference titles, along with our first climate and nature books. Teachers have introduced a weekly reading period and a "share the books with your classmates" rule that pupils enforce themselves.

Building locally cost less, supported a local livelihood and created real ownership. It is a model we will repeat in every Green Schools partner.

Held in a community hall, the dialogue opened with a simple question: "How has the weather changed since you were a child?" Elders described shorter rainy seasons and hotter afternoons; young people spoke about crops failing and flooding on the road to school.

In small groups, participants ranked the problems they most wanted to tackle. Three priorities emerged: planting shade trees around the school, better waste disposal to keep drains clear, and climate lessons for young people who are out of school.

Several participants have since joined our Youth Climate Ambassadors programme to lead those projects.

Public institutions manage large areas of land and serve thousands of people. That makes them powerful partners for climate action. During a courtesy visit, ACAI representatives discussed opportunities for tree planting on institutional grounds, better waste management and environmental skills sessions.

The conversation was warm and practical. Both sides agreed to continue discussions on a small pilot that could show how institutions can lead by example on climate-smart practices.

When a harvest fails, families cut costs. School supplies are often among the first things to go — and a child without a pen or exercise book quickly falls behind, or stops attending altogether.

That is why our learning kits are part of our climate work, not separate from it. Education is one of the strongest predictors of how well a household adapts to climate change. Keeping children learning through hard seasons protects their future resilience.

Small items — a pen, a pencil, a sharpener — can keep a learner in the classroom long enough to become the person who helps their community adapt.

"Women and girls often carry the heaviest load when climate changes — walking further for water, managing households through food shortages, and leaving school when money runs short.

But they also hold deep knowledge about land, seeds, water and community. When young women are trained and trusted as leaders, whole communities adapt better.

That is why at least half of our Youth Climate Ambassadors are young women, and why we design sessions at times and places where girls can safely take part."

Ghana's coastline stretches about 550 km, and roughly two-thirds of it is affected by erosion and flooding. Rising seas, stronger waves and the loss of protective mangroves are driving the change.

The impacts reach far inland: fish supplies that feed families across the country, roads and markets that connect regions, and cultural heritage sites along the shore.

Large engineering projects have a role, but so do communities. Protecting mangroves, avoiding sand mining and planning settlements away from high-risk zones are low-cost actions that work best when local people lead them. Learn more in our Climate Hub.