Green Action Week Grantees Champion Sustainability Around The World
Every year the global campaign Green Action Week unites almost 30 of our Members who carry out diverse innovations and campaigns to promote sustainable consumption. Under this year’s ‘Sharing Community’ theme, 27 Consumers International Members have been awarded the Green Action Fund for their projects. These focus on how sharing and collaboration can bring equal and sustainable access to goods and services, benefiting both people and the planet.
Five Green Action Ambassadors have been nominated to champion the projects in their respective regions. They provide support to grantees and foster a vibrant community. We spoke to three of these ambassadors about why they are proud of their role and the importance of Green Action Week (GAW).
GREEN ACTION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Xandra Liza Casambre Bisenio, from the IBON Foundation, a non-profit research, education and advocacy institution based in the Philippines stresses that in these times of global crises, the words of visionary thinkers inspire us, underscoring the pressing need for both optimism and action.
Initiatives like GAW shine as beacons of hope. This year’s theme of "Sharing Community" spotlights the remarkable efforts of numerous organisations worldwide committed to promoting sustainable consumption and production practices.
In Southeast Asia, organisations like Consumers' Action in Penang (CAP), Ecowaste Coalition, IBON Foundation, Lembaga Konsumen Yogyakarta (YCI), and Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG) are addressing a spectrum of sustainability issues, rallying for action not only during GAW but also beyond.
Their initiatives encompass diverse approaches, from seed preservation and zero-waste initiatives to advocating for fairer food prices, the fundamental right to water, and sustainable farming practices. These endeavours represent tangible steps towards a more sustainable future and exemplify the indomitable human spirit in confronting trends that threaten consumer rights.
GREEN ACTION IN THE ASIA PACIFIC
Rinki Sharma, Projects Lead at Consumer Voice (India), describes taking on the role of ambassador as “a deeply fulfilling and humbling journey”.
Being a Green Action Ambassador comes with a mix of excitement and responsibility, as it involves representing the campaign's values and goals to a broader audience. The role offers a chance to inspire and create a meaningful impact, it instils a sense of pride and purpose, and provides me with a strong connection to the GAW campaign and its community, driving my passion to contribute and succeed in promoting its objectives.
Across the Asia Pacific region, numerous organisations are actively participating in Green Action Week, addressing issues specific to their local contexts in very different ways. In India alone, alongside my organisation, Consumer Voice, which is looking at resource conservation, we have Citizen Action and Civic Action Group (CAG) running educational activities in communities on harmful effects of plastics, the Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC) championing sustainable consumption through initiatives such as sharing pre-loved items besides promoting millets in the International Year of Millets and CUTS India homing in on challenges and solutions to single-use plastics.
In Fiji – a country deeply concerned about climate change impacts and rising sea levels – the Consumer Council of Fiji has been supporting communities through the clean energy transition. They, alongside other Members worldwide - Kenya, Mali and Cape Verde – have reached local communities to share how consumers can switch to clean energy sources and be more energy efficient. Finally, two other Members in the region – SEWA Nepal and The Network (Pakistan) have answering questions to challenging sustainability issues on fast fashion and locally sourced produce through community kitchen gardens. How we can address fast fashion through better textile recycling? How can simple initiatives such as kitchen gardens encourage locally source produce and better diets in Pakistan?
GREEN ACTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Fatima H. Abou Abbass, representing Consumers Lebanon, says GAW Ambassadors serve as crucial catalysts for inspiration and support, amplifying the influence of organisations taking part in GAW.
Effective communication with local associations is the cornerstone of success for a GAW Ambassador, necessitating the initiation and facilitation of organisations’ work within the GAW campaign. And throughout the MENA region, several organisations are committed to advancing sustainability through communication campaigns.
In Yemen, the Yemen Association for Consumer Protection (YACP) has stepped in to implement a community initiative aimed at reducing the consumption of single-use plastic bags by raising awareness of the dangers of excessive use and their role in protecting the environment from their harm, and their responsibility to use safe alternatives through. This has included a range of grassroots activities such as a public awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of plastic bags to a field campaign in markets and commercial centers with community participation, distributing 1,000 cloth shopping bags in commercial centres!
Whilst contrastly in Lebanon, the rallying cry of the campaign, ‘Let’s save food, lets save lives!’ marks the work of Consumers Lebanon with food industries, retailers and restaurants, linking them to associations and initiatives that support families in need and developing a sustainable sharing community in Beirut to prevent food waste.
Public communication campaigns are multifaceted strategies that shape the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of our community in various areas, including economics, pro-social initiatives, the environment and health. The core mission of our GAW campaign is to promote the sharing community and engage our target audience effectively in raising awareness about sustainability issues.
Support the #GreenActionWeek Campaign
Green Action Week is an annual global campaign running in the first week of October, to promote sustainable consumption. It is funded by the Green Action Fund, a grant scheme advancing sustainable development and reducing poverty. The fund is made available by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and is administered by Consumers International. Download our summary to learn more about each project implemented this year as part of GAW.
Join us in celebrating innovation and community by using #GreenActionWeek on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to share how you are marking the week.