About

Our mission is to promote climate literacy by building an extensive lexicon of word definitions written by experts on the frontlines.

We are curating a just database of words, books and stories, centering frontline voices and pioneers on climate discourse.

ACHIEVEMENTS

60 Word Entries

400 Words Identified

600 Frontline Experts

1100 Climate Books

8 Author Interviews

800+ Live Audience Members

In the US, our work has been used in local government, read as the opening for a speech at the UN, and featured in classrooms at schools and universities.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Alexandra Climent
Ayisha Siddiqa
Anne Therese Gennari
Willow Defebaugh
Sage Lenier
Whitney McGuire
Saoirse Exton
Daphne Frias
Alexia Leclercq
Fatima Zahrae Tarib
Jes Vesconte
Catalina Santelices
Pamela EA

WHY WE EXIST

Words are the fundamental carriers of meaning in language, and climate literacy is worryingly low. We are living in one of the most definitive decades in human history and the climate conversation has been evolving at an accelerating pace in recent years. There is a narrow window for action and, without the right words, the right solutions will not be found in time.

A 2023 survey found:

Less than 5% of American respondents are considered highly climate literate
Only 15% of respondents in Germany, France, Italy, UK and USA prove to be climate literate

Increased climate literacy correlates directly with increased climate action. The same survey found those with high climate literacy are more than three times as likely to make an active effort to tackle climate change.

We believe knowledge is power and taking informed action is contagious. We also believe we have the resources and ideas we need to meet global climate targets.

Allianz Climate Literacy Survey 2023

WHAT WE DO

We invite authors, scientists, Indigenous leaders, policy-makers, explorers and designers to select a word that is central to their climate work and define it in their own voice. We support each definition with factual information, photographic evidence, literature and resources for further learning.