Climate Change Reality: Fmr U.S. vice president honours Nigerian female environmentalist

Gloria Bulus — Nigeria's climate change activist, Gloria Kasang Bulus.

EDDY OCHIGBO, Kaduna

Former U.S. Vice President, Al Gore has presented the Alfredo Sirkis Memorial Green Ring Award to Nigeria’s climate change activist, Gloria Kasang Bulus at the 44th Climate Reality Leadership Corps Global Training, a virtual event, aimed at training environmentalists with practical skills and knowledge to build an equitable and inclusive movement for climate action and justice.

NATIONAL ACCORD gathered the award targets Climate Reality Leaders, who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their roles as climate communicators and activists.

Kasang Bulus, the first African woman to be honored in this category, who has been leading efforts to educate various communities in Nigeria about the frightening global climate crisis, has also worked to build support for critical solutions, and mentored hundreds of trainees towards sustaining what has come to be known as the ‘climate reality’ campaign.

Previously called the Green Ring Award, the Alfredo Sirkis Memorial Green Ring Award was recently renamed to honor the life and legacy of former Brazil Branch Director and climate champion Alfredo Sirkis, who passed away earlier this year. His family honored his request that he is laid rest wearing his ‘climate green reality’ ring.

Declared Gore, while announcing the rewards to recipients: “Gloria, Nana, Ximena, and Tim, exemplify the purpose and heart of what it means to be a Climate Reality Leader. Their tireless dedication to educating and mobilizing people around urgent climate action is exactly the kind of inclusive, community-based leadership we need to solve the climate crisis and create a better future for ourselves and future generations.”

Bulus trained as a Climate Reality Leader in Washington State in 2017. She lives in Kaduna, Nigeria and directs Bridge that Gap, an NGO working on the climate crisis, and a variety of other humanitarian issues, bordering the education of women and children.

The Climate Reality Leadership Corps Global Training is the 44th edition and the first to be held entirely in a virtual format. In response to COVID-19, Climate Reality moved programming online to ensure that climate activists around the world can participate in the movement for climate solutions safely and effectively. More than 10,000 people signed up for the virtual training, which included educational panel discussions, keynotes, and presentations from world-class scientists, NGO and business leaders, and grassroots organizers.

Upon completion of the program, participants joined a network of more than 21,000 Climate Reality Leaders from 154 countries around the world. These activists work together to build public awareness of global climate challenges, share the good news about the practical solutions in our hands today, and strengthen public support for leaders at all levels of society, who are committed to climate action.

Founded by Nobel Laureate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project is working to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every sector of society.