Ellie Goulding has an "affinity for the natural world".
The 33-year-old pop star became a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador in 2018, and Ellie thinks her interest in environmental issues stems from her upbringing in rural Britain.
She said: "I grew up in the countryside, in the middle of nowhere, so I have an affinity for the natural world. So I’ve always been really concerned about it.
"And through the UN, I’ve managed to speak to climate scientists, experts, who were very, very worried. And I’ve learned so much and it means I can pass that knowledge on to my fans and to younger people, the people that follow me, and use my platform for something good."
Ellie also explained how she joined forces with the UN in the first instance.
She told CNN: "I was approached by the UN a few years back because I was posting a lot of content about the environment, about how concerned I was about plastic pollution, about climate change, about the fact that my country, the UK, I didn’t think, was doing enough to counteract."
Meanwhile, Ellie recently claimed that musicians risk becoming "invisible" if they don’t engage with social media.
The singer – who has 6.8 million followers on Twitter and 14.4 million followers on Instagram – recognises the importance of social media platforms, even though the feedback she receives can be hurtful.
She said: "If you’re an artist and you’re not on social media, you’re essentially invisible."
Similarly, Ellie also revealed she’s often faced situations where she felt compelled to perform – even though she thought she shouldn’t.
On one occasion, Ellie was simply "unable to deliver" a live performance to her usual standard and was set to withdraw from a radio show.
But, she was warned: "We’ll never work with you again … You either do this or you’re blacklisted.’
"So then you’re like, ‘I’ll have to do it, but it’s at the risk of completely shutting down.’"
Ellie Goulding: I have an affinity for the natural world
