Save the Children and Haldor Topsoe help children in Mali fight the impacts of climate change

• Topsoe and Save the Children will through education protect 18.000 children of Mali from the consequences of climate change. The project is called The Green School Project.
• Topsoe will back the partnership with 1 million DKK per year for the next three years. Half of the amount will go to the children in Mali and the other half goes to Save the Children’s emergency fund.

Photo: Seyba Keita / Save the Children

Mali is strongly exposed to the consequences of climate change as extreme weather events become more frequent and forceful leading to lack of water, destruction of crops, malnutrition, hygiene issues, and desertification.

The children of Mali are disproportionately affected as they are vulnerable to the health consequences of the climate and environmental crisis making them extra exposed. Children born in Mali could be facing up to 10 times as many crop failures as their grandparents a new report from Save the Children just revealed.

Now, Topsoe and Save the Children launch The Green School Project. The project supports 18.000 children in schools to actively engage in initiatives and actions which prevent or mitigate effects of climate change and conflict.

“With Haldor Topsoe as our partner it’s possible to increase an important focus on school children when talking about challenges concerning climate change in Mali. The focus is a part of the important humanitarian aid-programme under the Danish International Development Agency (Danida) focusing on climate change and school children,” Jakob Eilsøe Mikkelsen, Area Representative for Africa, Save the Children, says.

For Topsoe, the partnership serves two purposes:
“We actively engage in mitigating climate change both in the way we conduct our business, but also by supporting public organizations and NGO’s. Therefore, we are proud to be a part of this project that will positively influence the daily life of vulnerable children in Mali who are already affected by climate change,” says Stinne Hjulmann, Sustainability Specialist at Topsoe.

The Green School Project is a pilot project in Mali and is expected to be spread throughout the country and to other countries in the Sahel region.

Topsoe aims to empower the next generation in attaining the possibility to create a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable future for themselves, their families, and society at large through partnerships. Read more in Topsoe’s sustainability report.

About The Green School Project
The project aims to:

• Increase knowledge about climate change among 18.000 children and their local community
• Increase skills to mitigate and prevent climate change
• Enable children to become change agents in their local environment
• Enable schools and the school system in the Mopti region of Mali to be greener
• Inspire other projects, NGOs, and children and youth to be mindful about natural resources.

About Save the Children’s Emergency Fund
Besides being a partner in The Green School Project, Haldor Topsoe will continue to support Save the Children’s Emergency Fund, which allows Save the Children to respond within hours to disasters around the world to reach children immediately with life-saving assistance. Since the launch of the Emergency Fund in 2006, crises are more frequent, last longer and affect more people. Today, there are twice as many natural disasters as 20 years ago. Climate change plays an essential role. The Emergency Fund has made it possible for Save the Children to reach more than 11 million people around the world.

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About Save the Children
Save the Children is an international humanitarian organization championing the rights and interests of children worldwide, putting the most vulnerable children first. With 25,000 dedicated staff across 122 countries, including Denmark, they respond to major emergencies, deliver innovative development programmes, and ensure children's voices are heard through our campaigning to build a better future for and with children.

About Haldor Topsoe
Haldor Topsoe is a global leader in supply of catalysts, technology, and services to the chemical and refining industries. Topsoe aims to be the global leader within carbon emission reduction technologies by 2024. By perfecting chemistry for a better world, we enable our customers to succeed in the transition towards renewable energy. Topsoe is headquartered in Denmark and serves customers around the globe. In 2020, our revenue was approximately DKK 6.2 billion, and we employ around 2,100 employees. www.topsoe.com

More information
Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68
Mail: ulfr@topsoe.com