The UN and ‘Angry Bird’ Red Are on a Mission to ‘Go Green’

Drive less, walk more, save water and save energy ‘Angry Birds’ style.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday named Red, the starring animated character in the soon-to-be-released The Angry Birds Movie as an honorary UN ambassador to encourage young people to go “green” and step up action to tackle climate change.

The UN chief told a launch event attended by hundreds of young people in the General Assembly hall that “the Angry Birds have entertained millions of people around the world — and now they are part of making the world a better place.”

We are proud to give Red a reason to go Green. There is no better way to mark the International Day of Happiness than to have our animated ambassador raise awareness about the importance of addressing climate change to create a safer, more sustainable and happier future for all.

Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General, United Nations

The campaign, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the UN Development Program and UN Foundation, asks people around the world to make the Angry Birds happy by taking actions to combat climate change such as recycling, taking public transportation and conserving water.

Participants are asked to share their photos and commitments on social media platforms using the common hashtag #AngryBirdsHappyPlanet.

As part of his ambassadorial duties, the UN said Red will go on a “virtual world tour” starting 21 March to highlight various ways to combat climate change.

The tour will take him to Paris, where countries adopted a historic agreement to tackle climate change in December. It will end on 22 April at UN headquarters in New York when many world leaders are expected to sign the agreement.