SDG 13 Climate Action

by Tale Weavers &
The Red Elephant Foundation

On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable TALE
Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, weavers
adopted by world leaders in September
2015 at an historic UN Summit, weaving tales, breaking stereotypes
officially came into force.

Over the next fifteen years, with these
new Goals that universally apply to all,
countries will mobilize efforts to end all
forms of poverty, fight inequalities and
tackle climate change, while ensuring
that no one is left behind.

Stories for Awareness is a collaboration
between The Red Elephant Foundation
and Tale Weavers to engage with
children and build awareness around the
17 Sustainable Development Goals.

This story throws light on SDG 13:
Climate Action.

Story: Viswanathan
Sridhar

Illustrations: Raghu
Ramachandran

Roy is an 8 year old kid living with his Grandfather in

an island that’s far away from a city.
Roy and his grandfather have started to develop a habit
of walking to the seashore in the mornings from their
home. When, one day Roy saw his grandfather staring
out to the sea.
“What are you doing Grandpa?” he asked.
“I’m watching the birds, Roy, they are trying to tell us
something,” said Grandpa.
Roy was surprised – birds don’t talk!

But Grandpa told Roy that birds are very wise. People
can learn a lot from the birds and other animals.



“Today these birds are showing us where the fish

are,” said Grandpa.
“Sometimes they can
tell us when a storm is
coming.”
“But the birds are all
leaving our island,
Grandpa,” said Roy
sadly.
“So are the fishes,
Roy,” said Grandpa.
“The birds and fish are
trying to tell us about
climate change.”

Roy didn’t know what climate change was and asked

his grandfather to explain.

Grandpa told Roy that the Earth’s temperature is
becoming hotter.

“My temperature gets hot when I am unwell,” said Roy.

“Yes!” said Grandpa, “the Earth is becoming unwell
too. There is less food for the birds and the fish. That is
why they are leaving our island.”

“What is making the Earth sick?” Roy asked.

“We are,” said Grandpa. “Smoke from our cars, buses
and factories are making the Earth too hot.”



“People are driving more cars and building more

factories. So the Earth is getting hotter and hotter.”

“Just like putting too many blankets on me!” said Roy.

Grandpa also said that trees and forests were important
in helping to keep the Earth cool. Trees take some of
the gases from smoke out of the air.

“But people are cutting down trees and forests to build
homes and factories,” said Grandpa.

“So there are fewer trees to keep the Earth cool.”

Priya & Riya, Roy’s best friends, joined them.

“There are no big fishes at all in the sea,” complained

Riya. “We have been there all morning and only caught
a few little ones.”

“And a lot of the coral is dead,” said Priya.

Grandpa explained to Priya and Riya that this was
because climate change had warmed the ocean too
much. The warmer ocean was killing the coral.

“When the coral dies, the fish and other animals have
nothing to eat and move away,” he said.

Roy told Priya and Riya all about climate change.

“Climate change sounds like it will cause us many
problems,” said Priya.



“We’ll have to leave the island then,” said Riya.

Nobody liked that idea. Where would they go? This
was the only home they knew. Everybody decided that
something had to be done!

The kids asked all their friends to help stop climate
change. Grandpa & few other older people joined them.

“We can’t stop climate
change by ourselves,
but people who live
in bigger cities and
bigger countries can
help by using their
cars less and buying
fewer things.”

“We could write

to children in other
countries and ask them
to help us,” said Riya.

Everyone liked the idea
and asked the elders’
guidance for writing
letters and emails
to children in other
countries.

“We could save water in

tanks and fix all our dripping
taps,” said Riya.
“Then, if there is no rain, we
still have enough.”

“We could turn off our

lights and tv when we are not
using them,” said Roy.

“We could plant some trees.

They help to cool down the earth,”
said Priya.

“If we keep the reefs healthy,

may be not all the corals will die
and then there will be more fish,”
said Maya.

“Let’s clean our beach and
take all the rubbish to the
dump site.”

The children have made their island home safe for their
animal friends and for themselves too.

What do we do to keep your island safe for
everyone?

The End

Tale Weavers is an initiative that

aims to engage with children and the
youth through stories that challenge
stereotypes and break the barriers in
creating a just society.
​
We welcome you to our world of stories
where simple conversations, colorful
illustrations, and powerful characters
help break the stereotypes and create
an inclusive learning space which is
free of bias - be it gender, religion, race,
nationality or ethnicity.

The Red Elephant Foundation is an

initiative that is built on the foundations
of story-telling, civilian peacebuilding
and activism for sensitisation on
all drivers of peace - gender, race,
nationality, colour and orientation.

The initiative is titled “Red Elephant”
to stand out as a vehicle that projects
stories that must never be forgotten:
stories that show you such courage that
you should never forget, and stories that
show the world such profound lessons
that the world should never forget. In
doing so, the initiative aims at creating
awareness and opening up channels
of communication towards creating
societies of tolerance, peacebuilding
and equality.