Climate activists pledged Sunday to defend a tiny village in western Germany from being bulldozed for the expansion of a nearby coal mine that has become a battlegroundbetween the government and environmental campaigners. Hundreds of people were expected to take part in protest training and a subsequent demonstration in the hamlet of Luetzerath, which lies west of Cologne next to the vast Garzweiler coal mine. The open-cast mine, which provides a large share of the lignite — a soft, brownish coal — burned at nearby power plants, is scheduled to close by 2030 under a deal agreed last year between the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and utility company RWE. The company says it needs the coal to ensure Germany's energy security, which has come under strain following the cut in gas supplies from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. Also Read: Canadian polar bears near 'bear capital' dying at fast rate But environmental groups have blasted the agreement, saying it will still result in hundreds of millions of tons of coal being extracted and burned. They argue that this would release vast amounts of greenhouse gas and make it impossible for Germany to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris climate accord. Prominent campaigners have called on supporters to defend the village from destruction, citing the impact that climate change is already having on Germany and beyond. German news agency dpa reported that some activists have erected barricades and other defensive measures to prevent Luetzerath being razed. Last week, protesters briefly clashed with police at the site. Police have said no clearance will take place before Jan. 10.

Children and youth are leading the call for urgent climate action at the COP27 Climate Change Conference underway at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Among them is climate activist and UNICEF Bangladesh Youth Advocate Farzana Faruk Jhumu. As a member of the official UNICEF delegation to COP27, Farzana moderated the event “At the frontline: Children and adolescent led action for climate change”. As part of the COP27 Youth and Future Generations Day on 10 November, the event celebrated youth power and participation at the global climate change conference. Read more: COP27: Developed countries keen to fund vulnerable countries, says Hasan Mahmud “We had enough of your promises and we need these words to be put into action now,” said Farzana Faruk Jhumu in a passionate statement. “This is our time. I am calling on children and young people to join us in speaking up and to act to tackle the climate crisis with whatever resources they have,” she added. Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite being among the lowest per-capita greenhouse gas emitting countries in the world. One in three children in the Bangladesh – nearly 20 million children – are already affected by climate change every day. Without urgent action, virtually every child in the country will be harmed by extreme weather, floods, river erosion, sea level rise, and other environmental shocks driven by climate change. Children are at ever-greater risk of being pushed into exploitive child labour, child marriage and trafficking. Read more: Adapting to climate change is the main focus of COP27: Info Minister “Children are at the forefront of an emergency that is not of their making. It is high time we recognize climate change as a child rights crisis. As Farzana Faruk Jhumu and youth from across the globe raise their voices at COP27, UNICEF stands with them in their appeal for urgent and meaningful action,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh. As world leaders debate on climate policy and action at COP27, UNICEF urges them to protect children against the impacts of climate change, reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and give children and young people the space to be part of solutions.

The year was 2018, when Mahbub Sumon decided to do his bit for the environment. Along with his three friends, this young climate activist from Bangladesh founded Shalbrikhkho, a Bangladeshi startup that aims at helping people reuse, reduce and recycle daily-use products. Two of Mahbub's projects -- BONKAGOJ and plastic from potatoes (POLKA) -- have already caught the attention of thousands across social media platforms. Mahbub opened up about his work in an interview with UNB. Q. What motivated you to work on renewable energy and eco-friendly alternatives? While doing some basic research on the alternative power sector and renewable energy prospects, I figured out climate change as the biggest crisis for the human race. For environmental sustainability, I soon started working on a couple of ideas like natural agriculture for cities and alternative sources of energy. Soon I focussed on developing eco-friendly alternatives to various plastic products. I experimented with permaculture using BONKAGOJ and succeeded. The principle was -- since paper is made from trees, we can use that paper to grow a tree again. I also developed POLKA (plastics from potatoes) as an alternative to polyethene. I am also experimenting with different innovative projects in the renewable energy sector and alternative eco-friendly lifestyle changes. Read Jute: The Greenest Alternative to Plastic Bags Q. What is BONKAGOJ? BONKAGOJ, a biodegradable product, is made from recycled paper and embedded with different plant seeds. It's a handmade paper that can be used like any other ordinary paper. But after its use, if anyone puts the paper in a soggy pot, a flower garden will sprout from it within weeks. Worldwide billions of trees are chopped down every year, many for producing paper. Single-use paper and paper products pollute cities. So, I harped on the idea of turning waste papers into a flower garden to save the environment. Read BUILD explores producing paper pulp from whole jute plant

Scores of people demonstrated in the Indian cities of Bengaluru and Mumbai on Monday after a climate activist was arrested for circulating a document on social media supporting months of massive protests by farmers.