The United Nations encourages young people to take action on climate change and make the Angry Birds happy on the International Day of Happiness

18 March, New York – The United Nations today announced a campaign to encourage young people to step up their actions to address climate change and ensure a sustainable and happier future for all.

The campaign is launched in partnership with the Angry Birds – the globally renowned mobile game characters – to make a direct link between tackling climate change and people’s happiness and well-being on the occasion of the International Day of Happiness.

“The Angry Birds have entertained millions of people around the world – and now they are part of making the world a better place,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who appointed Red of the Angry Birds as an Honorary Ambassador for Green at a launch event at UN Headquarters in New York.

“We are proud to give Red a reason to go Green. There is no better way to mark the International Day of Happiness than to have our animated ambassador raise awareness about the importance of addressing climate change to create a safer, more sustainable and happier future for all,” Mr. Ban said.

The campaign, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the UN Development Programme and UN Foundation, asks the general public across the world to make the Angry Birds happy by taking actions on climate change and sharing their photos and commitments on social media platforms using the common hashtag #AngryBirdsHappyPlanet. By recycling, taking public transportation and conserving water, for example, individuals can share tips on how they can live sustainably and happily in their everyday lives.

As part of his ambassadorial duties, Red will go on a “virtual world tour” starting on 21 March, highlighting various ways to take climate action. His tour will take him to Paris, where countries adopted an historic agreement to address climate change in December, and will end in New York, where world leaders will sign the Paris Agreement at UN Headquarters on 22 April.

During the launch event, the voice actors from the upcoming Angry Bird movie, Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, and Maya Rudolph, and producers John Cohen and Catherine Winder gave hundreds of students gathered in the iconic UN General Assembly Hall a sneak preview of the #AngryBirdsHappyPlanet campaign materials, including public service announcements created to support the campaign. They also asked the young audience for their support to the campaign by doing their part to make a difference on climate change.

For more information, please go to: http://angrybirdshappyplanet.com

Links to campaign/event materials:

1. Photography from the event: http://bit.ly/1SVPLJI

2. General Audience – Campaign materials: http://bit.ly/255kTLQ

3. Broadcast Outlets – Campaign materials:

– PSAs in English: http://bit.ly/22lYdYA

– PSAs in different languages/formats: http://bit.ly/1RnEw7y

– Domestic EPK.tv (login required):  http://bit.ly/1Mq9fzo

– International EPK.tv (login required):  http://bit.ly/1MbOEnJ

– PSA YouTube links: http://youtu.be/wqAiRU51-Wc and http://youtu.be/euyyyl4yOK0

About the International Day of Happiness

Celebrated annually on 20 March, the International Day of Happiness is an important observance to acknowledge that happiness and well-being are universal goals and aspirations in the lives of all people around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives. The Day this year focuses on the relationship between having a healthy planet and our happiness.

About the Paris Agreement

To address climate change, countries adopted the Paris Climate Agreement in December 2015. In the agreement, all countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and given the grave risks, to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Paris Agreement is closely related to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 13, and provides a roadmap for climate actions that will reduce emissions and build climate resilience.

To keep the global spotlight focused on climate change and build on the strong political momentum from Paris, the Secretary-General has invited all Heads of State and Government to participate in the signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement at United Nations Headquarters on 22 April.

About the Sustainable Development Goals

On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — 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.

The Goals build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals and aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. The new Goals are unique in that they call for action by all countries, poor, rich and middle-income to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and addresses a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.

Media contacts

UN Department of Public Information

Florencia Soto Nino: T: +1 (917) 367-4833 | E: sotonino@un.org

Ariel Alexovich: T: +1 (917) 367-6512 | E: alexovich@un.org