UNEP has co-organised a high-level event in Vienna exploring the political processes for and discussing the challenges in involving youths in the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda.

The event featured speakers including Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Andrä Rupprechter, Austrian Minister of the Environment, while a video message was delivered by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcoming the 160 meeting participants.

Among the participants were youth organisation representatives, who shared their expectations for how they could actively get involved in implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). A tree planting ceremony took place in SDG Alley representing this commitment for future generations.

A UNEP video spot on ‘Agenda 2030 & Alpine Space’ on youths and the SDGs, as well as a performance of the ‘We love the SDGs’ song performed by Alan AtKisson were very well received as part of the warm event atmosphere.

The event was held on 3 June and organized and hosted by the Austrian Ministry of the Environment and the European Commission in partnership with the European Sustainable Development Week initiative and UNEP in Europe.

Enviro Day back at Sarajevo Film Festival

Following on from last year’s collaboration, the Sarajevo Film Festival will meanwhile feature a day devoted to films on the environment. The announcement was made on World Environment Day and will see films screened on air quality, climate change and the environment as part of the August festival.

A social media campaign was launched on and around the day on UNEP’s work in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a press briefing held and tailored press release also issued as part of the awareness-raising day.

For more information on WED in Vienna please write to matthias.jurek@unvienna.org and for further details on celebrations in Sarajevo contact amina.omicevic@unep.org