Climate action 4 refugees

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Climate action 4 refugees

Music and sport come together to support refugees and displaced people affected by the growing climate crisis.

A South Sudanese refugee holding two tree seedlings.

FC Barcelona and its Foundation, together with its strategic partner Spotify, are launching a new limited edition t-shirt in collaboration with Coldplay. At Coldplay's request, for the first time, it will be a charity T-shirt, with proceeds from sales going to a joint UNHCR/ACNUR and Fundació Barça project in Uganda to combat the impacts of climate change.

The climate crisis is disproportionately affecting refugees and people displaced by conflict, as well as the communities that host them, who are increasingly finding themselves trapped in devastating conditions with nowhere to flee. For this reason, the collaboration between Spotify, Coldplay, FC Barcelona, the FC Barcelona Foundation and UNHCR will support the planting of trees in Ugandan settlements where refugees live, as well as in host communities, to promote reforestation in degraded environments that have been affected by extreme drought. This action will also support innovative schemes by young refugees to address both the plastic waste crisis and the need for sustainable building materials by collecting discarded plastics in their communities and transforming them into durable, eco-friendly tiles.

Since 2022, FC Barcelona, the FC Barcelona Foundation and UNHCR have recognised the power of sport to transform lives and work in partnership to provide sport for protection activities for people forced to flee their homes, including refugee children and young people in Colombia, Malaysia, Türkiye, El Salvador and Uganda.

In the specific case of Uganda, the country faces significant challenges from both climate change and displacement. Uganda is highly vulnerable to climate change, with erratic rainfall, frequent droughts, floods and seasonal forest fires. In addition, climate-related hazards further alter rainfall patterns, making agricultural planning difficult and increasing food insecurity.

In this context, Uganda hosts more than 1.7 million refugees from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Somalia. Once forced to flee, refugees and those displaced by conflict are more exposed to the impact of the climate crisis.

The combined effects of climate change and forced displacement strain resources, increase tensions and complicate efforts to provide adequate protection and assistance to both refugees and host communities.

UNHCR coordinates and promotes climate action for refugees, in collaboration with partners and the private sector, both to address the urgent needs of refugees and to support sustainable improvements that can strengthen essential services and reduce dependency on humanitarian aid, strengthening communities in the face of climate challenges and preparing them for the future.