YCAT Germany Spotlight
As YCAT expands its efforts to fight climate change, the international branches continue to be a crucial element in fulfilling its goals. One of the newest branches, YCAT Germany, has officially begun its operations. Led by regional leader Louise Borghs, the branch is actively recruiting members and establishing its standards of environmental activism. Borghs, who is co-editor of the main organization’s newsletter, discovered YCAT through TikTok and joined the team to help advocate for the future. Her enthusiasm and determination soon led her to the position of German regional leader to lead the fight against climate change in Europe.
Borghs hopes to gather trustworthy, knowledgeable individuals who are in sync with Germany’s values and delegate them to director roles geared towards communications, social media, and event planning. Addressing climate change in Germany, or any other country is vastly different due to the varying social, environmental, and political landscapes. In Germany, activists like Borghs have observed awareness amongst the public as a result of increased floods, heavy rains, and other serious climate events but a lack of education on the best way to combat these issues. According to Borghs, “There has been an awakening, and we want to instrumentalize that where [the Germans] are right now . . . We want to catch them and get them on board.” YCAT Germany strives to increase awareness about how to build a sustainable lifestyle while also starting the conversation about intersectionality.
Most recently, the branch participated in a local climate festival to promote its work and mission. Borghs stated: “We have been to a climate festival here in Essen, which is the biggest event we have done. I am very proud of that. We had a stand, and it was to promote YCAT Germany.” Besides the climate festival, the branch has been working with local environmental organizations and clubs to build connections and organize future events.
Borghs’s next focus is for the German branch to become more active on social media and organize events. While she could not give away too much of the next project, she did use two words to describe it: books and kids. In the future, Borghs hopes to see the branch flourishing and well-connected all over Germany, potentially expanding it to neighboring European nations. YCAT Germany looks to create a legacy of innovation and inspiration, fostering new education and activism on various platforms.
