Goal of the Month for June: SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
In June, the UN Department of Global Communications highlights Sustainable Development Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production - as the Goal of the Month.
Did you know that 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute and then discarded? One-third of all food produced is lost, wasted, or spoiled? Or that the fashion industry is the second highest user of water worldwide and the meat industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the world’s biggest oil companies?
As we highlight Goal 12, we look at key initiatives launched by the United Nations System to help people reduce their ecological footprint, ahead of World Environment Day (5 June), World Oceans Day (8 June) and Sustainable Gastronomy Day (18 June).
World Environment Day
According to UN Environment (UNEP), understanding the different types of pollution, and how it affects our health and environment can help us take steps towards improving the air around us.
This World Environment Day, the UN agency is issuing a call for action, asking people to claim the Day by doing something to take care of the Earth. Learn more about the campaign and join us in promoting the Day with digital media assets from UNEP.
"The environment is facing unprecedented perils, caused by human activity," says the UN Secretary-General in his video message for the Day, stressing the need to "tax pollution, not people." Read what UNEP's leaders are saying about waste and pollution.
Join the UN Climate Action Campaign
From the food we eat, to the clothes we wear, each of us has the power to confront the climate challenge. To inspire behaviour change, the United Nations launched a global call to individual action, called ActNow, ahead of Secretary-General António Guterres’ Climate Action Summit (23 September 2019). The campaign uses a chatbot to recommend everyday actions to reduce our carbon footprints.
As part of the campaign, people will be invited to join a sustainable food challenge on 18 June. Participants can cook up dishes that are not only delicious but also good for the planet and good for us. Leading chefs from MAD community, SDG2 Advocacy Huband Kitchen Connection will spearhead the challenge showcasing their culinary creativity on the UN’s global platforms. Look out for more information on our website.
Public-private Clean Energy Partnerships in East Africa
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly said that it is time to end the fallacy that subsidizing fossil fuels is a way to improve people’s lives, and has called for the private sector to support the climate agenda.
As an example of how business can support the UN’s climate agenda, Portugal-based utility company EDP (Energias de Portugal) has partnered with the UN- backed Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) initiative to fund sustainable and clean energy projects in east Africa, notably in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi.
UN News looks at how clean energy has the potential to play a significant role in kick-starting sustainable development in the world’s emerging economies. Read the story here.
Climate Justice
“Climate change is a noble cause and you should have an open system for anybody who has the same motive as you to join,” says Deon Shekuza, a climate activist from Namibia,t alking to Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and current Chair of the Elders. Watch a preview of their conversation and read about their discussions on climate justice, school strikes and why young people are taking matters into their own hands.
Launch of the World Population Prospects
Where is the population growing the fastest? When can countries expect their population to decline? On 18 June, the United Nations will launch its biennial report on the latest demographic trends, the World Population Prospects 2019, presenting population estimates from 1950 to the present for 235 countries and areas as well as population projections to the year
4 June 2019
