In November 2023, a parliamentary reception brought together representatives from the United Nations, industry leaders, NGOs, and policymakers working in water conservation to discuss how collaboration with the science, media, and entertainment industries can inform, inspire, and empower a generation of water conservationists.
The UK Water Week network reception, held on June 5th to celebrate UN World Environment Day, invited over 180 stakeholders who participated in the consultation to discuss how UK Water Week can be developed as a blueprint for global replication.
Water Week has been developed in alignment with the UN Water Strategy in support of the UN Water Action Decade.
Wastebuster is an accredited UK-based NGO of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) acting as Secretariat for UK Water Week. The campaign has been developed by Wastebuster in association with Products of Change and with the support of The Wombles Community Charity.
The United Nations Water Action Decade is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness and promoting action to address water-related challenges. It spans from 2018 to 2028 and encourages collaboration among governments, organisations, and communities to achieve sustainable water management goals.
The initiative aims to bolster the efforts of the UN Water Action Decade by bringing together representatives from the United Nations, NGOs, industry leaders, policymakers and organisations from the film, media, and entertainment industry to inform, inspire and empower children and young people to take action around global water challenges.
Caroline Petit, Deputy Director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) said, “We have the roadmap with the Sustainable Development Goals. So let us take action and protect, sustainably manage and ensure equitable access to water for all. Progress depends on our actions, not on our words.”
Over 180 organisations were invited to take part in the Water Week consultation, to help inform the UK Water Week delivery strategy. Katy Newnham, director of Wastebuster, an environmental education charity, is coordinating a roadmap for the initiative. She said, “Coming together in this ground-breaking collective impact initiative demonstrates the values of UN Sustainable Development Goal 17 - Partnerships for the Goals. It presents an extraordinary opportunity for multiple stakeholders to come together to maximise the power of collective impact and help inspire the next generation of water conservationists.”
By mapping and signposting to programmes and activities being delivered by NGOs, industry, and government to tackle water pollution both in the UK and worldwide, Water Week will help children and young people, understand how they can play an active role in being part of the solutions, through practical action.
To find out more about joining the Water Action Partnership, and for updates about the organisations already committed, email Claire Poulson claire@wastebuster.co.uk.
Water Week are working together with the media and entertainment industry to inform, inspire and empower children through storytelling on global water challenges, with a focus on water pollution.
Storytelling can be a powerful tool for social change, connecting facts with emotion, fostering empathy, and inspiring action.
“Water Week aims to harness the power of entertainment for social change and inspire a generation to be water conservationists.” said Katy Newnham, Wastebuster.
Through storytelling, complex issues can become relatable and comprehensible. For this reason, Water Week aims to curate some of the most compelling and engaging content from all forms of entertainment, featuring narrative exploring the topics of care for the environment, water pollution and conservation.
Documentaries, inspirational talks, natural history and feature films, factual programming, cartoons, games and music will be curated thematically as stimulus resources on the platform, linking to education content that will help children and young people explore the topics further.
The Wombles are one of the founding partners of Water Week and have been telling environmental themed stories since 1968. Great Uncle Bulgaria sums it up well “We believe the art of storytelling is a powerful tool to empower, educate and bring together local communities for the power of good. It is obvious that water is important to us all, so let's ensure we protect it.” #Wombleswanted
Cartoon Network Climate Champions has launched a cross-platform EMEA wide campaign to inform, inspire and empower children and young people around global water issues. This is in collaboration with Wastebuster, a UK based not-for-profit organization which is running a new global Water Week initiative to bring science, sustainability and storytelling, together with the entertainment industry.
Water Week is being delivered in alignment with goals of the UN-Water 2030 Strategy as part of the United Nations Water Action Decade UNSDG 17 – a global initiative launched in 2018 as a means of encouraging collaboration among governments, organisations, and communities to raise awareness and promote action to achieve sustainable water management goals. Cartoon Network Climate Champions will empower kids with the knowledge of how small steps in their daily lives to improve waterways and collectively help accept water-related challenges.
Cartoon Network Climate Champions Celebrates the Importance of Water In Partnership with Wastebuster and the Goals of the UN Water 2030 Strategy.
Cartoon Network Climate Champions has specifically curated water-themed challenges, trivia, quizzes and climate content on the campaign website and app, and is sharing these with Wastebuster for their website and educational resource packs with the goal to create a global, world class STEAM education programme in schools. Highlighting content created by the entertainment industry, broadcasters, NGOs and academics including films, documentaries, clips, shorts and music alongside engaging scientific presentations, papers, tools and studies, Wastebuster will use Cartoon Network Climate Champions water content to help engage kids in the solutions that can be undertaken to conserve water, and tackle water-related climate issues.
This unified approach to educate through programmes and activities offered by the entertainment industry, NGOs, governments and schools will help inform children about water and encourage them to take positive action. Cartoon Network along with other National and international broadcasters, will use social media and news platforms to amplify messaging around the initiative, giving children and young people a voice. Using the full Cartoon Network ecosystem to deliver campaign reach, the initiative will inform, entertain and provide opportunities for kids across EMEA to actively get involved through challenges, interactive content, and gaming.
Water is a highly relevant subject to Cartoon Network audiences and is one of the most universal climate subjects that impacts every kid in one way or another. Cartoon Network has created dedicated water themed Climate Champions challenges on its microsite and app such as, "The Great Shower Race" – which encourages reducing shower times to 5 minutes to save water. Challenges like "Beach Clean", "Clean Your Local Environment" and "Waterways Wonders", encourages families to help clean up their local waterways (that could be a stream, river, or coastline) and clean up litter in local areas so that it doesn't end up in storm drains which connect to waterways. Challenges that can be done at home include, "Be Drain Safe" - encouraging kids not to dispose oils, food and wet wipes down drains and use compost or bins instead, and "Stop the drip" – encouraging kids to go around the home to check taps and hoses to make sure they’re not leaking.
Cartoon Network is expanding the Climate Champions water initiative by integrating it into Cartoon Network Game On! on Roblox, ensuring that messaging about tackling climate change reaches kids during their playtime. Being where kids love to spend time is critical to driving deeper engagement and Cartoon Network will be seeding water-friendly behaviours through its gaming experience on the popular kids gaming platform. Cartoon Network GameOn! will add new Climate Champions water themed in-game missions such as "Rain Catcher" – where players can help Craig place rain collectors around the park, "Bottle Hero" – where players can help Robin pass out reusable water bottles, and "Cap Collector" – where players can help Darwin collect bottle caps.
Warner Bros Discovery, VP Brand, Comms and Digital Content Strategy, Monika Oomen says: "Water, often taken for granted, is one of our most precious elements yet we don’t always appreciate its significance. We want to use Cartoon Network’s Climate Champions to raise awareness and inspire kids to cherish every drop. Kids are the key to safeguarding the planet and we want to use our channels to motivate and ultimately enable kids to act."
She continues: "Our partnership with Wastebuster during Water Week aims to empower young change-makers, through practical guidance, and equip kids with the tools to protect our planet. This collaboration with Wastebuster elevates our campaign because it is a fusion of storytelling and climate education. By weaving narratives, we inspire the next generation to care for our world."
Founder and Director of Wastebuster, Katy Newnham says: "We believe in the power of entertainment for social change. Wastebuster are delighted to work in partnership with Cartoon Network’s Climate Champions for Water Week to give children the confidence, motivation and tools to become the next generation of water conservationists. By capturing children’s imaginations with relatable characters, compelling stories, fun facts and simple water action challenges, children can be inspired to adopt pro-active, responsible water behaviours."
She continues: "The partnership demonstrates a collaborative new way of delivering education for sustainable development, in support of the United Nations Water Action Decade."
Children can influence and encourage their families to adopt more responsible consumer behaviours. By motivating children with values-based education, we can foster communities that are committed to conserving water and preventing water pollution through simple, everyday actions.
We look forward to working together with Cartoon Network’s Climate Champions to create positive change worldwide and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, whilst giving children a fun, exciting, and engaging experience with their favourite characters."
On-Air promos on Cartoon Network will help support the Climate Champions water initiative during the month of June and celebrate the planet whilst showcasing water in all shapes and forms. On social media Cartoon Network has created water related videos, climate content clips and compilations that feature water, on TikTok and YouTube, that are fun and encourage kids to accept water related challenges.
Cartoon Network’s Climate Champions is an award-winning initiative designed to empower and inspire kids aged 6-11 to take meaningful steps in their daily lives towards environmental change. By making environmental action tangible and achievable, the Microsite and app fosters a sense of community among kids worldwide. It not only educates but also connects children with others who share their passion for making a positive impact on the planet. Water Week brings together representatives from the United Nations, Entertainment, not-for-profit, policy, academia, and industry leaders to unlock the power of collective impact. Through this collaboration with Wastebuster, Cartoon Network Climate Champions inspires and equips the next generation of water conservationists.
If your organisation would like to get in touch to discuss the opportunity further, please contact us.
Water Week will provide young people with opportunities to make a tangible difference and measure their impact in combatting water pollution, in the hopes to reach and inspire the next generation of water conservationists. By empowering children and young people to take ownership of environmental challenges, these initiatives nurture a sense of agency, responsibility, and stewardship that can shape lifelong attitudes and behaviours.
Water Week will mobilise children and young people to pledge to take action to reduce water pollution and report on what they have done, so their impact can be recorded and shared. These actions will be carried out throughout the year. The overall impact in terms of reducing water pollution will be measured and celebrated during Water Week 2025. Young people will be trained to be ‘Water Week reporters’ and a summit event will take place where young people can pose questions on water to a panel of cross-sector representatives. National and international broadcasters, social media and news platforms will be invited to amplify messaging around the initiative, giving children and young people a voice.
As the guardians of tomorrow's world, young people have a crucial role to play in addressing the urgent challenges of water pollution. By empowering them with opportunities to make a difference and measure impact, Water Week will not only foster environmental stewardship but also sow the seeds of a more sustainable future for generations to come. By harnessing the passion and creativity of children and young people, Water Week will take a significant step towards safeguarding the planet's most precious resource: water.
To find out more about joining the Water Action Partnership, and for updates about the organisations already committed, email Claire Poulson claire@wastebuster.co.uk.
