THE YOUNG MINDS SHAPING TOMORROW.

Before they were partners in the Forces for Change initiative, British Vogue and BMW have both been steadfast supporters of One Young World. Set up to identify, promote and connect the most promising talent from around the globe, One Young World aims to drive social impact through providing the means and motivation to enable them to flourish.

Each year, the One Young World Summit brings together the best young minds from more than 190 countries for four days of speeches, panels, networking and workshops featuring political, business and humanitarian leaders such as Justin Trudeau, Archbishop Demond Tutu and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

In the Duchess’ words, it’s “the best think tank imaginable”, helping up-and-coming visionaries to accelerate existing initiatives.

BMW holds a worldwide selection process to identify around 35 promising individuals under the age of 35 to attend the event, supporting them in their pioneering visions for the future. As official partners of the Forces for Change initiative, British Vogue and BMW are shining a light on some of these outstanding individuals and their amazing ideas.

At the London Summit, three BMW delegates – Lena Kupijai, Julia Graf and Anna Goldhofer – presented their ingenious Polycycle concept. By using repurposed plastic waste to create vehicle floor mats, while also recycling old mats for a completely closed-loop system, this new Polycycle concept will reduce carbon monoxide by 90% within this specific area of production and make a huge impact on the sustainability of BMW vehicles.

Another ambitious initiative, Luke Gibson and Victoria Turner created Two Degrees – a unique deck shoe company that has carefully thought through its end-to-end product lifecycle and features rubber outsoles made from recycled tyres. Plus, each pair sold protects 1,000 sq ft of endangered rainforest, through an offsetting partnership with World Land Trust.

At the One Young World 2019, British Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, proposed in his speech that the keys to a better tomorrow are boldness, tenacity and innovation. “Be brave. Don’t let obstacles deter you. Be courageous and fight for things that mean something to you,” he encouraged his audience, describing the evolution of his career in fashion and his determination to highlight diversity and inclusion “across the board” in all that he does. “To see a new generation of young people like yourselves who are redefining your identities is powerful. Be forces for change in the world.” One Young World’s vision is a clarion call for hope, and for enacting the changes we vitally need for a more positive future for everyone.