Andrew Augustus Simmons is an environmental activist from

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sometimes known simply as Saint Vincent or SVG, is an island country in the eastern Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies, at the south ...

. He was awarded the 1989

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the Declaration of the United Nati ...

Global 500 Roll of Honour The Global 500 Roll of Honour was an award given from 1987 to 2003 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The award recognized the environmental achievements of individuals and organizations around the world. A successor system of UNE ...

and the 1994

Goldman Environmental Prize The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists. History Awardees are named from each of the world's six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, an ...

Early life and education

Simmons is from Enhams, Saint Vincent. He originally trained in education. He completed a master's degree in economic development. In 2019 Simmons earned his doctoral degree at

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...

. His PhD considered the impact of climate change on young people and how communities can build resilience to mitigate its effects.

Activism and career

Simmons launched the ''JEMS Progressive Community Organization'' in 1978. At the time he was a teacher and the only employed teenager in his community. He formed the environmental movement after Caribbean residents started to exploit the King's Hill Forest Reserve in response to increasing unemployment. Prior to 1972, 95% of the island were employed, but after the

1973 oil crisis In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after Eg ...

hit and fuel costs increased the agricultural estates closed down. The King's Hill Forest Reserve was established in 1791, and is one of the oldest

forest reserve Forest reserve(s) may refer to: * Nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importan ...

s in the Western hemisphere. It is of particular significance to Simmons as the Caribbean economy relies heavily on agriculture and tourism. To explain the importance of the reserve to the local community Simmons used festivals, plays and music. JEMS started a literacy programme and offered training to women in electrical wiring and construction. In 1989 Simmons was included in the

. He helped to initiate several projects relating to clean water and conservation, including teaching children at a local daycare centre and leading them on clean up campaigns. In the early nineties Simmons launched the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN). The CYEN has continued to develop, teaching young people from

to be more vocal advocates for the protection of their islands. Together Simmons and the CYEN have monitored the changing environment of the Caribbean, with an increase in hurricanes, more intense rainy seasons and bleaching of coral reefs. CYEN have gone on to hold annual congresses; which have become the largest and most consistent young environmental conventions in the Caribbean. In 2008 Simmons became the first person to be inducted into the CYEN Hall of Fame. He has worked with the

on similar initiatives, encouraging young people all around the world to be more environmentally conscious. He has said that he focussed on young people because "the future of the earth itself is on the side of the children". In 2016 he hosted a workshop to empower local communities to strengthen their resilience to climate change. For this workshop Simmons worked with Otis Joslyn, technical director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. Simmons moved to London in 1997 where he worked as the deputy director of Youth Affairs at the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Office. He was awarded the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmons, Andrew Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Alumni of De Montfort University Men in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines North American environmentalists Goldman Environmental Prize awardees