Search

Education and raising awareness regarding need to protect the environment

With the support of the City of Sombor, the Environmental Ambassadors of Sustainable Development Environment realized workshops in primary schools in suburban settlements. These activities were a continuation of the cooperation that began in 2013, when the first workshops were organized during the summer camp on Golija Mt., for high school students.
Based on previous experience and taking into account the interest of students and teachers, as well as their engagement during the workshops on sustainable development and environmental protection, preparation and implementation of workshops covered several topics, such as water, biodiversity, waste, adapted to primary school students.

The Great Plant Hunt: Eco-Schools Toyota Biodiversity Educational Project

The project is a joint initiative of Toyota Motor Europe and the Foundation for Environmental Education, with focus on biodiversity, especially on plants and their associated species. The campaign was officially launched in November 2015. In Year 1, it was run in ten countries throughout Europe. In Year 2, which started in September 2016, the number of countries increased to 15, including Serbia and EASD participation (participating countries are Serbia, Belgium-Flanders, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain). The campaign includes educational aspects, based on FEE Educational Principles, and practical activities based on resources developed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew with funding from the Welcome Trust.

The campaign aims to educate students about biodiversity, its importance and encourage them to take positive action.

Objectives are:
– Develop young people as advocates for conservation
– Promotion of local biodiversity actions
– Develop science based resources in line with the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) principles to allow teachers to promote biodiversity education activity
– Promote critical thinking by “go and see” study approach (learn by doing)
– Consistent with Convention on Biological Diversity/Green Corridor
– Help meet EU/UN targets for biodiversity education

More about implementation actions in Serbia  (in Serbian) and  also at (in Serbian).

On June 26, 2020 project is finished.

 

 

 

EASD selected by GEF Secretariat for ECW Eastern Europe meeting in Sarajevo, September 2013, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

EASD representative  participated on GEF Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) for the constituencies of Eastern Europe (Sarajevo September 5-6, 2013).

GEF Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) for the constituencies of Eastern Europe comprising the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine. The GEF Eastern Europe Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) is a component of the GEF Country Support Programme. The ECW will bring together GEF focal points, focal points from the main Conventions (Biodiversity, Desertification, Climate Change and POPs), representatives from civil society and representatives from GEF agencies. The purpose of the meeting is to keep these stakeholders abreast of GEF strategies, policies and procedures and to encourage coordination. There will be an opportunity to interact with staff from the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Agencies to discuss priority issues and share lessons and experiences from the development and implementation of GEF projects and their integration within national policy frameworks. The ECW is  an opportunity to discuss priority issues and share lessons and experiences from the development and implementation of GEF projects and their integration within national policy frameworks.

Documents and more details related to Meeting at organizers web site.

 

Participation at UNEP Global Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum, Global Ministerial Environment Forum and High-Level Gender Forum

Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development  participated at the “Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF-14)”, and “The First Universal Session of the Governing Council/ Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC-27/GMEF),” Nairobi, 16-22 February 2013.  Ministers meeting for the first time under universal membership of 193 member states- again as a result of the decisions taken and adopted last year at Rio+20 and the UN General Assembly later in the year- adopted a welter of other decisions relating to the way UNEP will operate and work as the global platform for environmental policy-making and action over the coming years and decades.  Governments called for  the transformation of the existing Governing Council into a UN  Environment Assembly of UNEP and to build stronger links between UNEP’s science-based Global Environment Outlook process and its ministerial meetings – further implementing the call  by member states at Rio + 20to strengthen the science-policy interface. 

Among the wealth of other decisions taken at the first Universal Membership of the UNEP Governing Council were: 1.  A UNEP-led consortium will host and coordinate the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) which will be the implementing arm of the Technology Mechanism of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 2. The CTCN will work on leap-frogging the technical and financial hurdles to the even greater take-up of clean and renewable energies to low carbon tranportation and energy efficient buildings, 3. Full operationalization of a decade-long initiative to decouple economic growth from unsustainable use of natural resources and pollution generation-the 10 Year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP for SCP), 4. The UNEP-hosted initiative will assist countries in areas from sustainable public procurement, lifestyles and education to sustainable buildings and construction and sustainable tourism, including ecotourism – again bringing from outcome to implementation other key aspects of the Rio+20 Future We Want, 5. Governments also decided to convene in October this year an intergovernmental diplomatic conference to formally adopt the Minamata Convention on Mercury that was agreed  in January in Geneva under a UNEP-facilitated negotiation-again a further implementation of the Rio+20 outcome document.

Over 1300 participants from 147 countries, including 80 ministers, representatives of UN agencies, international organizations, academia, NGOs, business and industry, and women and youth organizations attended the first Universal Session of the GC following the decision of the United Nations General Assembly to strengthen and upgrade UNEP, as called for in the Rio+20 outcome document. Delegates adopted 13 decisions, on inter alia:

–       the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES);

–       coordination across the UN system, including the Environment Management Group (EMG);

–       oceans;

–       sustainable consumption and production;

–       the green economy in the context of sustainable development;

–       advancing justice, governance and law;

–       state of the environment; and

–       chemicals and wastes.

The GC adopted a decision on institutional arrangements that, inter alia, invites the UN General Assembly to rename UNEP’s governing body “UN Environment Assembly,” and provides that the body “will ensure” the active participation of all relevant stakeholders and explore new mechanisms to promote transparency and effective engagement of civil society in its work and that of its subsidiary bodiesinter alia, by: developing by 2014 a process for stakeholder accreditation and participation that builds on the existing rules of procedure and takes into account the inclusive modalities of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and other relevant UN bodies.

The day before the Governing Council got underway, the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment (NWMLE) and UNEP hosted the second High-Level Gender Forum. Prof Andjelka Mihajlov participates, by invitation to “Gender Forum” as a member of the “Network of Environmental Women Ministers and Leaders”, as the former Minister for Protection of Natural Resources and Environment.  The forum participants called upon ministers and environmental leaders to have dedicated officials for coordination of related gender and environment programmes and agreed to send a consolidated proposal on gender actions to be forwarded for consideration by UN Secretary General’s High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post 2015 Development Agenda. The women ministers also requested nations to support the ratification of the Minamata convention on Mercury, which opens for signing in October.

More about meetings at  www.unep.org .  Moments from EASD participation are in Galleries of pictures. These activities are foreseen as the important international cooperation activities.

Prior to this, organisation participate at Rio+20 Conference.

Summer Eco-School

 “Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development”, in cooperation with City of Sombor administration – Department of Public Services and Utilities organised Summer Eco-School in UNESCO Biosphere Reservate Golija (MAB – UNESCO) – Studenica (27-31 August 2012). Participated students from Sombor attending different faculties. Lectures and educative workshops include concept of protection of natural and cultural heritage within biosphere reservate, biodiversity and sustainable use of plant resources,  Sustainable tourism and possibilities for development of rural areas, Ecological footprint, as well as walking tours (“Learning by Walking”). Ecological footprint is developed through support by UNESCO, and represents educational signal and courses.

Summer Eco-School

Environmental Education for students from Sombor

“Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development”, in cooperation with City of Sombor administration – Department of Public Services and Utilities organised Summer Eco-School  “2012 Golija Summer Eco-School” in UNESCO Biosphere Reservate Golija – Studenica (27-31 August 2012). Participated students from Sombor atending diferent faculties. Lectures and educative workshops include concept of protection of natural and cultural heratage within biosphere reservate, biodiversity and sustainable use of plant resources,  Sustainable tourism and possibilities for development of rural areas, Ecologycal footprint, as well as walking tours (“Learning by Walking”).

In December 2013, 3 workshops were held for preschool children in Sombor.