Environmental Aspects of the 2030 Agenda - National Youth Forum

On June 5, the National Youth Forum on "Environmental Aspects of the 2030 Agenda" was held at the Baku Congress Center, organized jointly by the IDEA Public Union, the Azerbaijan Delegation to the UN, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and the Azerbaijan Youth Fund.

The main objective of the event, organized on World Environment Day, was to raise awareness among young people about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially their environmental aspects, and to increase their role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda by encouraging them to become SDG ambassadors. The forum was part of the "Green Week" series of events dedicated to World Environment Day.

Leyla Aliyeva, vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA Public Union, Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Edward Karwardine, deputy resident coordinator of the UN in Azerbaijan, participated in the forum.

After the opening speeches, the UN Secretary-General's video address on the occasion of World Environment Day was shown. Later, panel discussions on various environmental topics were held. Alashiya Gordes, a climate change specialist from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Maltam Bayraktar, an energy sustainability specialist from the World Resources Institute (WRI), along with other foreign and local experts from international organizations focused on environmental protection and sustainable development, were specially invited to the event to share their experience with the young audience.

The first panel, titled "Climate Change: The Role of Youth in Adaptation and Mitigation," discussed the negative effects of climate change on the supply of abundant food and clean water, the health of ecosystems, environmental security, and the well-being of young people and future generations.

The second panel, "Biodiversity Protection: What is Its Importance for Azerbaijan?" focused on the importance of efforts to protect flora and fauna and the situation of endangered species in Azerbaijan.

During the final panel, titled "Sustainable Energy: Transforming People, the Economy, and the Planet," the discussion focused on accelerating the transition to a more affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy system by investing in renewable energy, prioritizing energy conservation, and deploying clean energy-based technology and infrastructure. The role of the private sector in this transition was also discussed.