MAY 2023 NEWSLETTER
“Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished.”
– Lao Tzu
Largest Youth-led Movement Against Plastic Pollution: Next Phase Launched
Last month, UNEP launched the next phase of Tide Turners, the world’s largest youth-led movement against the plastic crisis, with the United Kingdom announcing £1.6 million of funding for the next three years. The event, which saw the participation of UNEP Champion of the Earth, Afroz Shah, and UNEP’s Goodwill Ambassador, Dia Mirza, was held in New Delhi (with virtual access) on April 20th. The event celebrated the achievements of the young environmental champions of the Tide Turners programme and set the path for the next three years to mobilize action and combat plastic pollution around the world. Learn more here.
My Sustainable Living Challenge
‘My Sustainable Living Challenge’ is an online gamified learning platform that promotes learning and behavior change through action. It is a journey in an immersive environment where you can learn about sustainability, systems change, the impact of your lifestyle, and how to make better choices. Sign up here!
Be a part of the Challenge!
You are invited to join the 2023 Global Edition of ‘My Sustainable Living Challenge’. On World Environment Day on June 5th, 1,000 participants from all regions of the world will complete the challenge in all the available languages (French, Russian, English and Spanish). You can nominate people in your network to be a part of this unique opportunity and test the game yourself to realize how useful it can be to foster education for sustainability.
Announcing the 2023 International Green Gown Awards Finalists
The International Green Gown Awards reward the outstanding sustainability projects and initiatives led by institutions and their individual staff and students, across tertiary education worldwide.
Following a whirlwind of applications from around the world and the first judging stage, we are pleased to announce this year’s Finalists for the 2023 International Green Gown Awards. It is brilliant to be able to platform institutions from across the Higher Education and Further Education sectors, large and small, whose sustainability action is creating a lasting impact and positive change. Moreover, we were delighted to see a 64% increase in the number of Finalists since 2022! Congratulations to this year’s 92 Finalists, who represent 25 countries!
Winners will be announced at the virtual awards ceremony which will take place on July 17th at 13:30 EST, as part of the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Book your place now!
Stay in touch with the International Green Gowns by connecting on LinkedIn, Twitter, and via the website.
Launch of Net Zero on Campus: Guide and Online Toolkit
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) recognizes that as colleges and universities across the world continue to commit to reach net-zero emissions, it is crucial that lessons and resources are shared to support campus decarbonization efforts worldwide. That’s why SDSN, Monash University’s Energy Institute, and Climateworks Centre, in collaboration with an advisory panel composed of experts from various universities worldwide, developed the Net Zero on Campus Initiative. It consists of a “how-to” guide and an accompanying online toolkit of resources for colleges and universities to advance campus climate action around the world.
The guide and online toolkit serve as timely resources that build on frameworks and tools developed by universities at the forefront of taking climate action. The initiative aims to equip colleges and universities with the knowledge and tools they need to accelerate their climate action plans, while creating new communities of practice among them.
WBG Youth Summit 2023: From the Ground Up – Local Solutions to Drive Global Impact
The 2023 World Bank Group Youth Summit is the largest worldwide annual gathering of youth (aged 18-35) hosted by the World Bank Group to engage with each other globally on the most pressing topics facing our generation. Taking place on May 25-26, 2023, the Summit’s mission is to: 1) Empower youth to explore innovative ideas that tackle development challenges; 2) Provide youth with the tools to build and engage in impactful projects; and 3) Promote dialogue between youth, the WBG, and other key stakeholders globally.
The Summit involves various activities each year:
- A pitch competition where youth propose innovative ventures related to the Summit’s theme;
- Regional events of different formats to engage youth and discuss pressing issues in their regions;
- A two-day hybrid event held at the WBG HQ and virtually to invite youth delegates to participate in a variety of sessions.