No Planet B – The Generation of Tomorrow Saving Today

The former UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon once said “There can be no Plan B because there is no planet B,” the future of the home that we call earth is literally in hands of the future - our younger generation. The young will inherit the earth and not only are they aware of that but they are trying to save it. Bright, motivated and mature beyond his years is Sonam Rinchen, a 15-year-old who is leading the way in environmental awareness and advocacy in Bhutan. The 10th grader from Motithang Higher Secondary School became WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Bhutan’s first ever Youth Ambassador.  While he is making strides to inspire his fellow peers with environmental conservation, he is also an avid coder and the first and youngest person from Bhutan to make programming tutorials on YouTube. Born with different backgrounds but with the same passion, Rinchen is inspired by Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish environmental activist,

“Greta showed me that age doesn’t matter in the fight for the environment and the youth can make a powerful impact.”

In January of 2020, Rinchen’s love for nature bloomed when he attended Our Living Planet Camp, a 6-day environmental education camp organized by WWF Bhutan. First of its kind, the Our Living Planet Camp was a fun, innovative way to allow young participants to experience and appreciate nature. The Camp was conceived with the hopes to motivate them to be environmentally conscious and understand the importance of sustainability. From this moving experience Rinchen was able to interact with other passionate peers and his love for nature was nurtured.

“It was an eye-opening experience for me, it helped me realize how our behaviors are affecting our planet. During the camp and while working on the projects after, I got the opportunity to bond with nature and my passion for working for the environment grew.” Rinchen shared. 

The platform highlighted his great potential to inspire his fellow generation and Rinchen was selected as WWF Bhutan’s first Youth Ambassador. For the next two years Rinchen will support WWF Bhutan in engaging the youth of the country in environmental advocacy through his volunteer group Youth for Environment.  The Youth Ambassador will be a beacon for others and will lead and inspire youth-driven environmental stewardship in Bhutan.

“I look forward to motivating the younger population to actively engage in activities that promote and conserve nature. I want to represent them in various forums and promote environmental awareness. Down the line, I would like to see our youth continue to be influential in our everyday behavior and practices that are more environmentally friendly, so we can continue our country’s conservation legacy.” Rinchen said enthusiastically. 

In the face of a global pandemic and uncertainty this young ambassador has already begun planting seeds of change through the ‘Youth for Environment’ initiative. The Youth for Environment is a collective of like-minded youngsters bonded by their shared love of the environment and dedication to protect it. The initiative encourages youth to experience nature through cleaning campaigns and bird watching but the virus posed an obstacle for their activities. Adapting swiftly to the current climate the group moved their attention to spreading awareness online through informative webinars. Rinchen keeps himself inspired on the journey to environmental sustainability through documentaries and social media. The internet has expanded his network allowing Rinchen to see other youth emboldened with his same passion,

“Knowing that I am not alone in this fight and knowing that there are millions of young people around the world like me who are fighting by my side really motivates me,” said Rinchen smiling. 

With humility and a vision that knows no bounds, Rinchen is excited to continue his journey in protecting the planet and is hoping to spread the initiative nation-wide. He understands that it is now that we must act and come together to protect the planet, we call home,

“We are all in this together and we can come through this only if we work together. No matter how young you are, you will always have ways to contribute. So let us all do our best to save this beautiful planet of ours” said Rinchen.