Top environmental climate videos inspiring the world to go green

Aug 30 2023

animation of a gorilla and lion in a beautiful bright forest

As concerns over environmental degradation and climate change continue to escalate, video campaigns have proven to be a dynamic medium for igniting global consciousness and inspiring collective action. There are many ways to portray climate change in the form of video, from live action to animation, we will have a look out our top 6 environmental climate video campaigns inspiring the world to go green.  

Greenpeace: Plastic. Is. EVERYWHERE

This is my favorite one out of them all! Created by Greenpeace, this frame-by-frame animation covers almost anything that the public should know and realise about PLASTIC. Jumping straight into the problem that ‘plastic is everywhere’ and ‘in us’ helps the viewer feel effected by the crisis personally, as it is often that we forget while we are in our own bubbles that there are so many people out there who do not care. 

Viva! Eating The Earth

We produced the illustration and animation for vegan charity Viva! to show people how people’s eating habits are destroying wildlife — and what they can do about it. The thought-provoking animation, How YOU Can Save Wildlife, is part of Eating the Earth: a revolutionary environmental campaign that reveals the negatives of eating meat and dairy through an illustration of a gorilla in the jungle and how it’s natural habitat is slowly disappearing with every bite we take. 

UN Climate Change: #COP26

This great video for COP26 gives you goosebumps as you watch each disaster unfold across different countries in the world. From forest fires to hurricanes, people crying to people dying, it is a powerful emotive video. Once we are shown the disasters, we are reminded of the beauties of the world, and how we should appreciate nature through visuals of wildlife and nature. This film was shown at the opening ceremony of the World Leaders Summit highlighting ‘even on our warming planet there are still reasons for hope’. 

Vox: What people get wrong about climate change

In this video, produced by Vox, we’re presented with people’s views on climate change. A timeline of climate change is explained in the video, as well as the role that agriculture and humanity play in it. As a result, we learn that the earth is not in danger; it’s the ability to restore itself. Because of the current climate system, civilization as a whole is at risk. Featuring muted colors and real footage and infographics combined, the video’s art style is appealing. As a myth-buster we are shown that it is not only about the planet but more about us. 

WWF: Your Plastic Diet

To highlight the amount of plastic people are consuming, WWF made a campaign using plastic household objects. According to WWF research, people consume about 2,000 small pieces of plastic every week – equivalent to five grams per week, 21 grams per month, according to advertising agency Grey’s campaign. The WWF estimates that a credit card is equivalent to five grams of plastic. This is a great way to help people relate to the topic individually, even those who do not care need to understand the magnitude of the problem. You can also take an online test to determine their likely plastic intake based on their individual diets on www.yourplasticdiet.com

The Story of Stuff Project: The Story of Plastic

This lovely ‘Story of Plastic’ is a very informative video animation illustrating the beginning of the plastic cycle till from extraction to the end with disposal. To drive positive change, it is essential to advocate for policies for a zero-waste future. I especially like the demonstration of trying to empty a bathtub with a tablespoon as the water is running! 

In a world grappling with the pressing challenges of environmental change these videos play a vital role to address the issue and help people take action. Each of these remarkable campaigns touches on the problem from a different angle, with the same purpose of impacting change.  

Ezo Yildiz

Ezo is a Digital Marketing Assistant at Skylark Media.