Guess what, One Direction lovers? You have a new reason to coo over your favorite boy band. Earlier this week, band members Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan released a YouTube video as part of the action/2015, which launched in January to raise awareness about global issues, including climate change.
In the video, above, the group implores fans to put pressure on global leaders who will come together for the United Nations Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference to discuss global poverty, inequality, and sustainability.
According to Think Progress, the One Direction guys aren’t the only big names calling the world to action.
The campaign already boasts a full lineup of celebrity supporters, from Matt Damon to Malala Yousafzai.
Celebrities that take up social causes can use their influence to make an issue more visible, but that’s not the only way celebrities can shape a particular cause, according to Declan Fahy, an associate professor at American University’s School of Communication. In a 2014 interview with Yale Climate Connections, Fahy explained that celebrities can “personify ideas and social issues” and “put a recognizable, individual face on a complex, systemic phenomenon like climate change,” which can “make the issue connect with audiences, engaging them on the issue, and potentially mobilizing them to take action.”
And the British band (and, er, Irish – sorry, Niall) have already inspired nearly 23,000 responses from their fans on their website.
For those that want to get involved, there are currently two actions available: one that asks fans to show how they would “celebrate” and another that asks what their ideal future world would look like. On Friday, July 10, another action is scheduled to drop (the anticipation is almost too much to bear).
I’m sure there are plenty of Directioners shivering with anticipation as they await the upcoming video. In the meantime, 1D supporters can continue adding to the conversation through the #Action1D hashtag on social media channels. Check out some of their fans’ videos, below.
