Sustainable Lifestyles in Action

Date: 17 October 2023

Time: 14:00-17:00 GMT+6 / 10:00-13:00 CET

Where: Online. Register here.

Theme: Sustainable Lifestyles in Action

Region: Europe & Central Asia

UNEP is actively working to create a healthy planet and prosperity for all by promoting sustainable lifestyles and consumption. Creating a sustainable lifestyle means rethinking our ways of living, how we buy and how we organize our everyday lives. By reducing consumption and waste, reusing and recycling, we can contribute to the growth of the circular economy and minimize our carbon footprint.

Youth are essential to building a more sustainable future. They are the changemakers and innovators who will lead us towards a more equitable and resilient world. When young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills to live sustainably, they can have a ripple effect on their communities and beyond.

GO4SDGs, a UNEP initiative, is at the forefront of accelerating action towards sustainable lifestyles for youth in Central Asia and the Caucasus through multi-stakeholder partnerships and initiatives.

In 2022, GO4SDGs partnered with Kazakh-German University (DKU) to launch pilot activities that promote sustainable lifestyles on campuses. These activities included implementing "green nudges" and developing research projects to help universities facilitate positive change by influencing behavioral patterns and decision-making. The pilot activities led to the establishment of the Sustainable Lifestyles Universities Network (SLUN), which was officially launched during the Sustainable Lifestyles Festival last summer.

In 2023-2024, SLUN plans to expand its geographical scope to the countries of Eastern Europe (specifically, the Caucasus) and engage interested universities and youth in sustainable 1.5-degree lifestyles activities.

To support this expansion, the Kazakh-German University (DKU) and UNEP GO4SDGs are launching a series of webinars on sustainable lifestyles through the lenses of low-carbon and circular economy. These webinars will contribute to the 2030 Agenda and accelerate actions to combat climate change.

OBJECTIVES

• Build the capacity of target groups and interested stakeholders to apply green nudges on campus.
• Introduce participants to sustainable lifestyles on campus through best practices exchange, including from the Central Asian sub-region.
• Identify champion universities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to lead the implementation of sustainable lifestyles, in line with the SLUN Activity Plan until 2025.