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What is Show Your Stripes Day?

Show Your Stripes Day is a global moment to share our concern about how the climate is changing and the need for urgent action.

We ask everyone to share the famous “warming stripes”, a powerful visual representation of how temperatures have increased around the world since the industrial revolution.  Created by climate scientist Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading, each stripe represents one year. The colours transition from cool blues to warm reds to represent the increases in temperature seen throughout the past 150 years or more.

On 21 June we call on individuals, businesses, and cities around the world to highlight their local climate stripes and share the powerful message they convey.

Thank you to everyone who supported Show Your Stripes (SYS) Day 2024. Details of SYS Day 2025 will be added here in the future.

Why is it important?

Show Your Stripes Day provides a simple, yet impactful way to communicate the reality of climate change. By condensing decades of temperature data into a series of recognisable stripes, it makes understanding global warming accessible to all, from being able to recreate the stripes in schools, to sharing local stripes across social media.

The stripes have also been important for striking up global conversations. In the past, on this day, they have been displayed in a wide range of prominent public spaces, from Times Square, New York, to the While Cliffs of Dover, UK. By displaying the stripes in locations worldwide, people have been inspired to download and share the stripes online and help spread their message.

2023 was the warmest year on record globally.  Extreme weather events continue to be seen more frequently around the world. Never has the need to address climate change been more urgent.

How to get involved

Participating in Show Your Stripes Day is easy! Whether you are an individual, an organisation or a school looking to involve your pupils, there are accessible activities for all. By joining in, you’ll help increase awareness about climate change and demonstrate your commitment to taking action.

Resources

To download your local warming stripes for Show Your Stripes Day, follow these steps:

  • Visit the Show Your Stripes Website

  • Select Your Region

    Choose the appropriate version from the drop down menu for your location, or alternatively use the ‘Map’ tab to see an interactive world map where you can see all stripes available and quickly find the version closest to you.
     
  • Select the Best Option for You

    From the options menu (blue circular tab located on the image) you can either choose to download your chosen image, or share directly to Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) or Instagram. Share and Spread AwarenessShare the warming stripes graphic across social media, or your organisations internal media using the tags #ShowYourStripes and @UniofReading.

By downloading and sharing the warming stripes, you can help amplify the message of climate change awareness. Every share and every conversation adds up – so let’s make our stripes known and our voices heard this Show Your Stripes Day!

Get in touch

For all enquiries, please contact us at climatestripes@reading.ac.uk.

We're green in all sorts of ways
People & Planet University League
1st in the People & Planet University League 2023/24
The Times and Sunday Times, Good University Guide 2025, Sustainable University of the Year
The Times and Sunday Times, Good University Guide 2025, Sustainable University of the Year
The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education 2021
Queen's Anniversary Prize for climate research and action
London Higher
Winner of Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Leadership, London Higher Award 2024
Times Higher Education Awards 2023
Winner of Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership