Lana Condor Is Tackling Climate Change with Positivity (Exclusive)

“Knowledge is power, and I think the more people that can understand the positive things that we can do to help with the impending ‘not great thing’ … the better,” says Lana Condor.

By the “not great thing,” Condor, who is best known for starring in the To All the Boys film series, is referring to, well, the mounting climate crisis. But even with her acute awareness of environmental issues, the actress’s Lara Jean Covey-like sense of optimism is powerful enough to eclipse any feelings of climate doom.

Condor has harnessed that positivity to highlight environmental causes on a number of occasions, including hosting the premiere of the docuseries Green Works at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City on Sept. 18, 2024.

The docuseries, produced by 3M, tells the stories of five people from around the world fighting the climate crisis in different ways, like sustainability educator Estefanía Pihen González, who visits communities to teach young people about sustainable living and green jobs, creating a “network of people who are wanting to do good,” as Condor puts it.

“I don't think that a lot of people know just how much they can have a positive effect,” Condor tells Green Matters. “I think we underestimate ourselves sometimes as humans.”

We spoke exclusively with the actress and advocate to learn more about her passion for protecting the environment — read on for our Green Routine Q&A with Lana Condor!

GREEN MATTERS: What inspired you to want to highlight the Green Works docuseries?

LANA CONDOR: For as long as I can remember, I have always had a very strong interest and desire to learn more about how I can do more and be better for the environment. Over the past 10 years, I've gotten some really amazing experiences. I recently went to Singapore, where I got to learn from Prince William, which is a crazy thing to say, but I got to learn about his conservation efforts.

And I've been able to travel with the Obamas to Vietnam to learn about better ways that we can sustain the community, and bring green practices into those regions. So over the years, I’ve done a lot of these really amazing, exciting things, and I'm the most passionate when I'm doing something for the greater good, and it just became a natural fit with 3M and our partnership together.

GM: You visited the Maasai Mara for an Our Planet video diary in 2019, and you were very emotional. What was the main lesson you took from that experience?

LC: When you're out there and you see so much natural beauty — and I felt the same way when I was in the jungles in Vietnam — I was so happy. But then I had this thought: “Oh my God, if I'm so lucky to have kids in the future, what if they don't get to see this? What if it's going to be all gone?” And it scared the s--t out of me. I went home and I thought to myself: “OK, what can I do? How can I preserve the world for future generations?”

GM: Are there any ways you’ve noticed environmental sustainability when working on film sets?

LC: I did this movie with Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron called Alita. And they are very, very passionate about the environment. And so they made it mandatory that there will never be plastic water bottles or water cups of any sort on the production. And so if you wanted to drink, you would have to bring your own reusable tumbler, which they provided for us. And I thought that was really cool, because it really did show that it starts from the top, and it trickles down.

GM: What's your advice for people who want to get involved with climate advocacy?

LC: You can go to 3m.com/greenworks, that's a great way to start. There's a lot of information, you can watch the docuseries, and you can learn to help build community.