How Everything Began The History of Plant-for-the-Planet

FELIX EXPLAINS: HOW EVERYTHING BEGAN… 2 „Without my teacher, this childrens initiative probably wouldn´t exist. Back in 2007, it was her who first thought it was high time for us children to start thinking about the climate crisis“

A PRESENTATION WITH CONSEQUENCES Felix gave his presentation in front of the class, called „The End of the Polar Bears“ He told his class that trees help make greenhouse gases harmless

4 At the end of his presentation, he told his classmates, he had been inspired by Wangari Maathai, who planted 30 millions trees at Africa : „Let us plant a million trees in every country on earth“ 2007 A PRESENTATION WITH CONSEQUENCES

SO THE END OF THE POLAR BEARS WAS (JUST) THE BEGINNING… 5. Pretty soon Felix was travelling to other schools, explaining what the climate crisis is and talking about his tree-planting idea At this time Felix was just 9 years old

6 On 28 March 2007 they planted their first tree in front of Felix´s school Other schools begann to follow Reporters wanted to know more about their idea SO THE END OF THE POLAR BEARS WAS (JUST) THE BEGINNING…

THE IDEA OF PLANT-FOR-THE-PLANET GOES AROUND THE WORLD 7 In just one year Felix was able to announce at a press conference that they had already planted 50,000 trees In july of 2008 Felix traveled to Norway in order to give a presentation about climate justice to over 700 children from 105 countires at the children´s conference of the UNEP There Felix became a member of the Youth Board of the UNEP Felix promised the head of UNEP, that children will plant 1 million trees in every country

P LANT - FOR - THE - PLANET IS A MESSAGE THAT NEEDS AMBASSADORS At the end of October 2008, a group of students was invited to the first “academy“ in a meeting house in Sonnenberg, Germany Around the world more and more academies taken place This are events for children from children

MORE CHILDREN-MORE TREES At the international UNEP children and youth conference at South Korea 800 children passed a statement for the climate summit at Kopenhagen At the end of the event, Felix asked, who wants to plant alltough 1 million trees in his or her country It took only few minutes- many children wanted to spread the idea of Plant-of-the Planet The international movement started in 56 countries

S TOP TALKING – S TART P LANTING An international campaign was started to spread the idea of Plant-for-the-Planet

11 A FTER 3 YEARS …. One million tree have been planted in Petersberg, close to Bonn The children conviced the politician of the importance of a world agreement for a climate equity for the future of the children The Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation was established

T HE BIG STAGE : F ELIX SPEAKS IN FRONT OF THE UN Felix claimed, that it is time to stop talking and to do something again the climate change Since march 2011 Plant-for-the-Planet democratic structure with a children and youth commitee UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) commit the “Billion Tree Campaign” to the pupil initiative; The children take controll about the official global counter of tree

13 T ODAY More then 100,000 children from all over the world, from the ages of 7-15 are getting involved with the project More then 13 billion trees are planted in 193 countries More then 10,000 international media reports, press conferences, presentations have been made for the cause The student initiative is now a global children and youth initiative