Why singer-songwriters are speaking out to help climate activists

Superstar singer-songwriters Billie Eilish and Ellie Goulding spoke out on behalf of climate activists on Friday in an effort to raise the voices of the people trying to save our planet.

Ms Eilish presented day one of Overheated on Friday, a six-day event that brings together environmental activists, musicians and designers, at the O2 arena in London during the UK and Ireland leg of her Happier Than Ever world tour.

Speaking briefly at the event which was jam-packed full of activists discussing topics ranging from plant-based diets, to the fashion industry and the intersection of climate, race and privilege, Ms Eilish said she was “proud” of all the “amazing activists” who “have been working tirelessly to protect our planet and try to save us.”

Overheated, which gets its name from a song on Ms Eilish’s 2021 Happier Than Ever album, features panel discussions, musical performances and viewings of a documentary featuring Ms Eilish, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Emily Eavis and others. Activists speaking live or virtually at the event on Friday included Vanessa Nakate, Mya-Rose Craig and Isaias Hernandez.

It was organised by Support and Feed, a group set up by Maggie Baird, Ms Eilish’s mother, which works for an equitable, plant-based food system to combat food insecurity and the climate crisis. Supported by Ms Eilish and her brother Finneas, the group is calling on people to commit to eating one fully plant-based meal a day for a month.

Ms Eilish is a committed advocate of climate and environmental action, inspired in part, according to her mother, by Sir David Attenborough. Her tour is aiming to “carbon positive” meaning it will offset more carbon than it produces, and the O2 arena agreed to go fully vegan, removing all animal products from the arena, during the Overheated event.

Also an animals-right activist, last year Ms Eilish designed her own vegan version of Nike’s Air Jordan trainers and agreed to wear an Oscar de la Renta dress to the Met Gala only if the brand stopped using fur.

Ms Goulding who is a United Nations Environment Programme goodwill ambassador and has long spoken out about the risks the planet faces from global heating was a keynote speaker at the event. She pledged to continue to do “everything in my power” to get young climate activists a seat at the top table.

“You don’t just inspire me, you also represent the most precious thing in my life, which is my one year old son, Arthur, I’m sure if he could he would thank you personally,” she said of youth activists.

Ms Goulding said young people needed to stand alongside climate activists as their allies and called on them to “step up” and “claim your place in this movement.”

“I promise there is a you-shaped hole in this global movement where you get to choose your future,” she said. “I really believe this global movement is already unstoppable - it’s already bigger and more impactful than any other youth based movement that has ever existed.”

The singer-song writer described young people who have pushed their way into the official climate processes and made the climate and nature crisis their priority as her “heroes,” and young people’s allies.

“Together, you’re the people I want representing me, you have the interests of this planet, at heart,” she said. “You are the most powerful kinship and global coming together this planet has ever seen.”

“I am really here for it,” she added.