UN Environment Brussels Office Connect #26 May 2018

Dear UN Environment friends,

Itâ€™s spring time in Brussels, a great moment to enjoy trees bursting into buds, and new green leaves covering our parks and forests. But it is not only the surroundings that are turning green â€“ so are our agendas!

It is with great pleasure that I am announcing three major green events happening in May and June in Brussels and its vicinity in which UN Environment is a key player. First of all we look forward to a great Green Week event in Utrecht where our Executive Director Erik Solheim will be present, and in Brussels where we expect fruitful exchanges on greening cities and the role of sustainable investments in accelerating this transition.

Moreover, for the European Development Days we will co-host a high level session on Putting Women and Girls at the Heart of Conservation and Climate Action â€“ and we have the pleasure of having Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Assistant Secretary-General (UN Development Programme) with us at this event on 5 June!

Last but not least, we will celebrate World Environment Day here in Brussels on 3 June at the Festival de lâ€™Environnement in the Parc du Cinquantenaire to showcase our Clean Seas Campaign as part of this yearâ€™s theme to #BeatPlasticPollution. The event is family-friendly with lots of activities for the youngest ones, so make sure to bring them along for a fun day in the Parc. On the same day, the Sonian forest will have its new Ecoduct inaugurated in Groenendaal - another great achievement to reconnect fragmented habitats!

Please note that for some of the above-mentioned events registration is required, so please do register as soon as possible.

I look forward to your involvement at these events.

Thierry Lucas
Head of UN Environment Brussels Office a.i.

UN Environment at EU Green Week 2018: Green Cities for a Greener Future

UN Environment is closely associated to the EU Green Week 2018 through a series of high level contributions.

On Monday 21 May, the EU Green Week will be launched in the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. This rapidly growing city faces many of the same issues as other cities in Europe - trying to keep the city healthy and an enjoyable place to stay, live and work, while at the same time address climate change, air pollution and other challenges. Utrecht might just have the answers you are looking for, so don't hesitate and join us for a conversation on the future of cities during this eventful day.
Our Executive Director, Erik Solheim, will talk about the importance of Green Cities at the opening event at 10:00 along with Karmenu Vella (European Environment Commissioner), Stientje van Veldhoven (Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management) and Jan van Zanen (Mayor of Utrecht). He will also be taking part throughout the day in the various activities and debates with young councillors organised in Utrecht on this occasion.

In addition, on Wednesday, 23 May, 2018 from 16:30 to 18:00 we are organising a high level session on Investing in a greener urban future. Towards sustainable housing and low-emission infrastructure together with Friends of Europe and UN Habitat at the EU Green Cities Summit Conference in Brussels. Join us for a discussion on the role of sustainable investments in accelerating the greening of cities. Read more about the session here and sign up for the EU Green Week here.

European Development Days: Putting Women and Girls at the Heart of Conservation and Climate Action

UN Environment will be participating again in this year's European Development Days through a high level panel debate on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, from 16:00 to 17:30 entitled 'Putting Women and Girls at the Heart of Conservation and Climate Action'.

Gender equality and womenâ€™s empowerment is a prerequisite to effective conservation, climate action, and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). International agreements on biodiversity (CBD), sustainable development (Agenda 2030) andâ€”most recentlyâ€”climate change (The Paris Agreement) present new opportunities for engaging women and accelerating equitable action. From Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) processes to biodiversity strategies and climate change gender action plans, governments, businesses, and civil society are now embracing gender-responsive solutions to address the worldâ€™s most pressing development challenges. This session will engage actors from across spheres to discuss specific approaches to more effective, equitable and resilient outcomes and is organised together the European Investment Bank, IUCN and UNDP.

Speakers will include Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Assistant Secretary-General (UNDP), Jonathan Taylor, Vice President (EIB), Lorena Aguilar, Global Director Governance and Rights (IUCN).

More on what we're doing at the EDDs here. To sign up for the EDDs, click here.

World Environment Day at the Festival de l'Environnement

To celebrate this year's World Environment Day in Brussels, come and join us at the Festival de l'Environnement in the Parc Cinquantenaire on Sunday 3 June.

This annual festival organized by the Environment and Energy Ministry of the Brussels Capital Region (IBGE) offers both fun and information, with organic and fair-trade food, street theater, games, concerts and special activities for children. The theme of this year's festival is Zero Waste and if you wish to learn more about our Clean Seas campaign and hear how you can replace your go-to single-use plastic tools with a healthier alternative, do make sure to visit our stand. Together with Volvo Ocean Race, UN Regional Information Centre and European Commission, we look forward to welcoming you for lots of fun and informative activities and exchanges for all ages.

To learn more about the festival, click here.