Can comics change the world? Ten Years to Save the World, one of a series of Creative Commissions supported by the British Council, aims to do just that.
Ten Years to Save the World is a collection of ten comics with one simple message: time is running out to take action on climate change.
The project is a collaboration between Filipino comics organisation Komiket, Lakes International Comic Art Festival in the UK and communications specialists Creative Concern.
It brings together ten leading artists from the UK and Philippines, as well as young people from both countries who shared their thoughts on climate change in online discussions.
The discussions confirmed what Paolo Herras, Komiket’s co-founder, already knew: that young people are passionate about the environment and impatient for business and policymakers to take meaningful action.
‘There’s been so many generations before us that didn’t care or didn’t care enough,’ he says. ‘But Gen Z will not accept the status quo.’
The anthology was published online and printed in soy ink on recyclable paper, in recognition of the publishing industry’s own role in the climate crisis. It was launched in the Philippines in September and later displayed in a public exhibition at MediaCityUK.
From critiques of government inaction and ‘greenwashing’ to reflections on the devastating impact of marine pollution, single-use plastics and deforestation, the anthology is a powerful example of the role comics can play in responding to global challenges.
Paolo believes storytelling can help us make sense of difficult topics and create shared understanding between people of different countries and cultures.
Above all, he hopes the anthology will inspire empathy and remind people of what’s at stake in the climate crisis.
‘Sometimes we forget that we are the stewards of this planet. The comics are a reminder that we are here to take care of it.’
Paolo Herras, Komiket
