Frequently Asked Questions

About the opportunity for change

What’s the issue?

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We are living in a climate emergency of increasingly extreme weather events that devastate lives and destroy biodiversity as floods, droughts and cyclones batter the earth. People in the world’s poorest countries, particularly women and young people, are being hit hardest by a crisis they did the least to cause. 

Through EarthWalk 2021, we are joining activists, young people, women farmers, scientists, and many others to demand that governments take urgent action to protect and support vulnerable communities, and shift away from dirty energy, industrial agriculture and economic systems that are causing this devastating crisis. 

What are you asking world leaders to do?

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When it comes to addressing climate change, it’s time for rich countries to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk. This year’s global climate negotiations at COP26 are the last chance for world leaders to decide what our future will look like. We want our leaders to take action and come up with real climate solutions that are sustainable, just and work for people and the planet.

How will my participation help?

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Individual actions won’t solve the crises we’re facing today. We need to work together.
Your steps will help us to achieve our goal of walking around the Earth’s circumference. Collectively, our walks will call attention to the climate injustices and demand real solutions from world leaders. It is our opportunity to have our voices heard loud and clear - we demand global solutions to global problems!

Which countries are taking part in the walk?

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Women, young people, informal workers, farmers - people from all walks of life from - Jordan, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Greece, Haiti, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Palestine, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, The Gambia, Uganda, UK, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe - are all taking part in EarthWalk 2021. Join us!

About taking part in the EarthWalk

What do I need to do?

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Taking part is easy. All you need to do is click on the register button on our website, create a profile and start walking. You can walk, run, or move at your own pace, in your own way and there’s no minimum distance you have to complete. Record the distance you complete and we’ll add this to our global total.

How far do I need to walk?

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Together, we aim to complete a journey around the Earth (40,000 km) but individually there is no minimum or maximum limit that you have to walk.

Walking’s not my thing, can I still support?

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If walking’s not your thing, don’t worry - you can still support by inviting others to take part. It’s about raising our voices together!

You can also contribute kilometres by wheelchair or with a walking aid.

Running your kms is also great, if that’s your preference. Or even swimming, spinning, or riding a bike.

Can groups take part?

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If you’d like to participate as a group, that’s absolutely fine. We strongly recommend that when you walk, your group adheres to all current social distancing and Covid-19 safety guidelines in place in your country.

For teams or families, we’ll record your individual distances for our totaliser.

When do I need to complete my walk by?

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Together, we aim to complete a journey around the Earth (40,000 km) by the time we get to the climate talks at COP in Glasgow.

How do I record the distance I’ve walked?

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You can log your kilometres by connecting your fitness app to your profile or log your kilometres manually. If you choose to log your kilometres manually, you can use our downloadable kilometres tracker on the resources page.

How do I link my profile page to my fitness tracker?

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  1. Download the Fitbit or Strava app and set up your account.
  2. Log in to your account and select ‘My Fitness Activity’
  3. Under the heading ‘Connect your preferred Fitness app’, click your chosen app and follow the instructions to connect your account.
  4. When you begin walking, select ‘start your workout’ in the app. Once you end your walk, save your workout and your distance will be published to the tally on your page the following day.

I’m worried about Covid-19, can I still take part?

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If you’re worried about Covid-19, you can still take part by walking in your own home or garden. We strongly recommend that when you walk, you adhere to all current social distancing and Covid-19 safety guidelines in place in your country.

Can I also donate to ActionAid?

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Of course. You can make a donation via one of our country offices. Check if there is any office where you are here: https://actionaid.org/donate or write to us at earthwalk@actionaid.org 

About ActionAid International

What does ActionAid International do?

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ActionAid is a global movement of people fighting for women’s rights, social justice and an end to poverty. ActionAid has registered non-profit member organisations in over 40 countries around the world. 

How else can I support your work?

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If you’d like to support our work you can donate via our website.

You can also follow our work on social media:

What has ActionAid done to help during Covid-19?

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ActionAiders in over 40 countries around the world mobilised quickly to support those most at risk from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our local teams have already reached five million people across 40 countries with women-led responses including basic essentials like food, water and soap, as well as funding for critical services for women and girls.

Our public health messages have been seen and heard by an additional five million people through radio broadcasts, local language poster campaigns and door-to-door leafleting, and have played an essential role in preventing misinformation and stopping the spread of the disease.

Funds raised by the EarthWalk will go to ActionAid's Covid-19 fundraising appeal to help support those in the most vulnerable communities to stop the spread of the virus and save lives. You can donate, here