From encouraging her millions of fans to sign up for World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour, to collaborating with jewelry designer Daisy London on a bracelet that funds environmental initiatives, Ellie Goulding is a champion for climate change. When given a suggested song list, she took the opportunity to ask if she could sing about something related to climate change instead. 

That’s why Ellie was awarded a 2017 Global Leadership Award on behalf of the United Nations Foundation. “When Ellie Goulding uses her voice, people listen,” says Kathy Calvin, President and CEO of United Nations Foundation. “She is using her platform to raise awareness about the need to safeguard our planet and meet the Sustainable Development Goals.”

In this interview with Vice Impact, Ellie reveals how her passion for protecting the planet stems deep from childhood and how she plans to use her platform to advance climate action.

Photo: Goulding receiving the Global Leadership Award. (Photo via Diane Bondareff/ UN Foundation)