Exeter alumnus appointed Executive Director of Climate Cardinals, raising awareness of climate crisis globally
In 2022/23, Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa spent a year at Exeter as part of WEPO, Exeter’s exchange program with the prestigious Williams College in Massachusetts. Now, at 23, he has been appointed the first full-time Executive Director of Climate Cardinals, one of the world’s largest youth-led climate organisations.
Founded by Sophia Kianni, Climate Cardinals aims to raise awareness of the climate crisis by translating climate education into over 100 languages. Kianni founded the organisation after a trip to the Middle East, where she realised her Iranian relatives knew very little about climate change due to a lack of accessible information. The vast majority of climate information is in English, or sometimes in Spanish or Chinese; this means that for approximately 75% of people globally, this information remains inaccessible.
Climate Cardinals makes use of 16,000 volunteers, with an average age of around 16, to translate for globally recognised groups such as UNESCO, UNICEF, Yale, and the Italian Ministry of the Environment. The organisation has also been featured in The New York Times, CNN, TIME, and The Washington Post. In 2023, Climate Cardinals partnered with Google to bring AI-powered translations to the platform.
As Founding Partnerships Director and, later, Vice President and Executive Director, Hikaru has been instrumental in these achievements. He is credited with establishing the translation programme and securing Climate Cardinals’ partnership with Google, amongst over 30 other partnerships. Kianni says: “I have consulted Hikaru as part of my decision-making processes since the beginning of Climate Cardinals when he joined my founding team.” However, Hikaru didn’t just help set the programme up; he has also played a key role in securing its future, having fundraised over half a million USD and mentored 30 Directors. He says: “I’m excited to lead this organisation in our aim to become one of the first youth-led and justice-focused environmental legacy organisations.”
Hikaru was also involved in progressing Exeter’s future as a more environmentally sustainable institution. Sustainability is a core value of Exeter’s overarching strategic plan and, during Hikaru’s time as a member of the College’s Green Impact Team, Exeter achieved the UN’s Green Impact Gold Award. He also contributed to Exeter’s impact as a charitable organisation as JCR Charities Officer and on the ExVac team.
Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa at Exeter College, celebrating the Gold Green Impact Award. Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa is first on the left.
Hikaru’s achievements with Climate Cardinals coincided with his success as a full-time university student. His work also complemented his degree—History and Environmental Studies with a focus on the global indigenous rights movement. Volunteering with Climate Cardinals offers students the opportunity to supplement their studies, whether in climate science, modern languages, or something entirely unrelated, building their translation skills, developing experience of writing in a second language, and improving their awareness of the latest climate information.
Exeter College congratulates Hikaru on his new role and wishes him luck in his commitment to growing Climate Cardinals as an institution. He says: “I’m so proud of our team and how far we have come, and I’m super excited to continue to work with Sophia Kianni as President of Climate Cardinals and our growing full-time team.”
Find out more about Climate Cardinals here, and read about Exeter’s commitment to sustainability here.
