Extraordinary activist shares 4 must-have ingredients for change: 'Cynicism is unrealistic'
Luisa Neubauer stands at the forefront of Germany's youth-led push for a cooler future.
As the lead organizer of Fridays for Future Germany, she transforms scientific findings into steps people can actually take, bringing hundreds of thousands to the streets for more than five years.
Her path to becoming a leading voice began at university. Feeling frustrated by how climate science was taught, she found it "disrespectful to highlight problems without providing young people with the tools to take action," according to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. After meeting Greta Thunberg at a United Nations conference in 2018, she helped launch the movement in Germany.
Now a John F. Kennedy Memorial Policy Fellow at Harvard and author of three bestselling books, Neubauer tackles a core problem in environmental advocacy: making complex science accessible and actionable.
She won a landmark court case ("Neubauer vs. Germany") that forced the German government to strengthen its climate laws in 2021 and is currently suing them again for stronger action.
By focusing on practical steps over statistics, she connects with communities through shared experiences rather than technical data.
"When asked about how to communicate climate change with people from diverse backgrounds, Luisa notes the importance of not relying on the statistics, but on experiences and feelings," per the Yale program. Her approach makes saving the planet feel personal and possible for everyone.
Named to Time Magazine's "100 Next" list in 2022, Neubauer believes that effective climate campaigns need four key ingredients: "hope, anger, something concrete to do," and, importantly, "bring snacks," per Yale. This simple formula helps ordinary people feel they can make a difference.
Born in Hamburg in 1996, Neubauer is completing her master's degree in geography while hosting the award-winning podcast "1.5 Degrees." She stresses that stepping into environmental action might feel uncomfortable at first, but she told the Yale audience that's exactly the point: "We will not solve the climate crisis inside our comfort zone."
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"We need a million very normal people doing one thing rather than superheroes," Neubauer stated, making it clear that everyday actions add up to meaningful change. Her most powerful message offered a refreshing perspective on our future: "Cynicism is unrealistic. Hope isn't."
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