NASSAU, BAHAMAS- On Earth Day, the global conversation often turns to biodiversity loss, climate change, sustainability, and the future of the planet. But in The Bahamas, that future is already here, and so is a new generation, ready not only to inherit the future but to shape it. One of these changemakers is 25-year-old Bahamas Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Youth Ambassador Shante Hanna, whose current focus spans three critical areas: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Motivated by early exposure to knowledge of climate risks and vulnerabilities, she has spent the last five years deeply involved in advocacy and community engagement. Through her role on the Advocacy and Community Engagement subcommittee of the Climate Change and Health of the Caribbean Community of Practice (CCHCCOP), she participates in grassroots efforts to educate vulnerable groups—including outdoor workers, students, athletes, and farmers—about the growing risks. She contributes to strengthening research and data on climate impacts across the Caribbean.
Over the past year, her work has taken on an international dimension. She represented The Bahamas at the United Nations under the Young Americas’ Business Trust (YABT) and at the hemispheric forum of the Organization of American States (OAS), “Just transition, Green and Blue Jobs in the Americas,” thus contributing meaningfully to global discussions on sustainable development.
Across all platforms, Hanna consistently highlights the unique vulnerabilities of island nations while advocating for practical people-based solutions that require people to understand, in her words, “the connection between climate action and public health.”
This perspective is especially critical in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like The Bahamas, which are highly vulnerable to sea level rise, stronger hurricanes, warming oceans, crop failure, and increasing heat-related health impacts.
Whether speaking with students and families about reducing single-use plastics or encouraging outdoor activities that promote both health and environmental protection, Hanna is helping to reshape how the next generation understands its role in sustainability. Her message is simple: “Everyday choices matter, and the small actions of the multitude can scale into meaningful change.”
Hanna’s work points to a broader international paradigm shift—one in which younger people are not only advocating for change but actively helping to design the systems and solutions needed for a sustainable future.
“We are all accountable for how we treat the natural world around us,” Hanna says. “If we take care of the environment now, the environment will take care of us in the future. We must always be planning now and thinking ahead.”
Her message resonates strongly on Earth Day, serving as a reminder that climate action is not just a policy issue, but a generational responsibility. The success of national and global sustainability efforts will depend largely on whether young people are given the tools, platforms, and opportunities to lead.
