Partner News

The 9th competitive CMS VATAVARAN - Asia’s largest Environment and Wildlife Film Festival is scheduled for November 2-6, 2017 in New Delhi, India. 

The theme of this edition is “Conservation4Water” with the purpose to invite films and create forums on the inter-connectedness of climate change and water, water struggles in a world dealing with global warming, climate variability, food and health insecurity, biodiversity loss, and environmental damage. The festival and forum will comprise of various programmes with eminent organisations including government, civil societies, corporate, media, institutes, and schools.

Films produced on or after January 01, 2015 are accepted in 13 categories for 21 awards in both national and international sections. All nominated and awarded films will get an added benefit of having their films screened in different parts of India in the travelling editions of CMS VATAVARAN, besides occasions of special screenings in important national and international environmental forums.

Entry guidelines are available on CMS VATAVARAN'S website and the deadline for submitting a film entry is March 22, 2017

GreenWave – a US-based vertical ocean farming solution – has won the Sustainia Award. GreenWave’s revolutionary technology allows ocean farmers to produce 30 tons of sea vegetables and 250,000 shell­fish per acre in a year while restoring ocean ecosystems. Sustainia handed over the Sustainia Award to Bren on Wednesday February 8, at Sustainia’s big Sustainia Living event at the Royal Danish Opera House in Copenhagen. 

One of the Film4Climate Global Video Competition winning entries "Three Seconds" (1st Prize Short Film) was showcased at this Sustainia event.

Fed up with the unsustainable practices of the fishing industry, fisherman Bren Smith founded GreenWave just three and a half years ago on Long Island, New York, U.S. GreenWave relies on a new innovative system, which enables sea­weed, scal­lops and mus­sels to grow on float­ing ropes, stacked above oyster and clam cages be­low. The system provides food, fertilizer, animal feed and sustainable biofuels, making ocean farmers the stewards of their local waters. Bren Smith now has 15 farms in development in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California.

GreenWave represents a readily scalable and replicable solution, which takes a triple bottom line approach – one that builds a blue-green economy, acts on climate change, and provides better food options – while addressing the global goals, making it a clear recipient for the Sustainia Award.

- Bren Smith, Executive Director and CEO of GreenWave

- Fereshteh Forough, Founder and CEO of Code to Inspire

NEW YORK - The first edition of the Youth Solutions Report, which identifies 50 youth-led projects aiming to solve the world’s toughest problems, was released today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

The report, produced by the youth initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Youth) identifies and celebrates youth-led projects and ground-breaking ideas to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It reflects a growing interest in supporting and scaling innovative solutions to address problems such as poverty, inequality, clean and affordable energy, access to healthcare and education, e-participation and waste.

The report highlights the work of youth-led organisations, such as Liter of Light who bring over 750,000 affordable solar lights to 15 countries; the talented team behind BenBen who operate a Blockchain-based land registry that facilitates secure land transactions to encourage investments and transparent land resource management; FinFighters who run a citizen shark science program to collect genetic data and information from Moroccan fishing ports and market; and the group running the SHAPE project using mobile technology to promote citizens’ e-participation in their city’s public life.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, UN Secretary General’s Adviser on the SDGs, and Minister Karen Ellemann, Danish Minister for Equal Opportunities, launched the report during a two-day forum on youth and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The report was produced in partnership with Ashoka, Sustainia, the Resolution Project and Panorama (joint initiative of IUCN and the German government) and has been reviewed by a panel of experts, comprising leading figures from business, civil society and academia. 

Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, has supported the initiative. “SDSN Youth and its Youth Solutions Report are excellent examples of initiatives crucial for helping young people realize the full potential of their abilities, innovations and solutions.”

“Today we have the largest generation of youth in history - a powerful force for change. 84 percent of millennials are convinced they have a duty to make the world a better place, and many already are, through socially aware businesses and youth-led campaigns in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.” Mr. Polman said.

Max Thabiso Edkins, Climate Change Expert on the Connect4Climate program of the World Bank Group, highlights that "this generation is the first generation to live with the impacts of climate change and it is the generation that will build a sustainable, low-carbon and resilient future."

"The Youth Solutions Report shows that young people are already building that future. At the Connect4Climate program of the World Bank Group we believe in the power of youth to change the world." Mr. Edkins emphasized.

Siamak Sam Loni, Global Coordinator of SDSN Youth, says that young people must be seen as key stakeholders in the sustainable development debate and that there is a pressing need to acknowledge their essential role in achieving the SDGs.

“Young people are already contributing to the implementation of the SDGs but they face common challenges that prevent them from realizing the full potential of their ideas and solutions, including the lack of visibility, limited access to finance, and the lack of training and technical support. The Youth Solutions Report will help investors, donors and supporters better understand the multi-faceted role of young people in sustainable development and give them additional opportunities to showcase and scale their work.” Mr. Loni said.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was launched at UN Headquarters in September 2015 and adopted by 193 member countries of the UN. The SDGs, which are relevant to all countries, aim to achieve social inclusion, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.

For more information on the Youth Solutions Report visit: www.youthsolutions.report

For media enquiries and interview requests, please contact: solutions@sdsnyouth.org