In pictures: The spirit of Green Action Week
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, by 2050 we will need almost three planets to provide the natural resources needed to sustain our lifestyles. We urgently need a dramatic shift in our consumption patterns to prevent biodiversity and climate crisis.
This shift will require consumers all over the world to make major changes to their lives. We can’t ask them to bear this burden alone. Engaging people at community-level and encouraging cross-sector action will be crucial.
This problem is exacerbated in lower- and middle-income countries. Not only will the impacts of climate change be far greater, but support to consumers is more limited, and sustainable alternatives are less affordable and widely available. And with an increasing number of people unable to afford a healthy diet or meet basic needs, the difficult truth is that sustainability is often just not a priority.
That’s why we are proud to coordinate Green Action Week. Taking place this week, this annual global week of action aims to promote sustainable consumption and reduce poverty in low- and middle-income countries. Through community-led approaches, our Members deliver innovative and diverse campaigns to support and empower consumers as they transition to more sustainable ways of living. Their initiatives reach consumers who may be shut out of sustainable lifestyles due to income or other vulnerabilities. They recognise the barriers people are facing and focus on interventions that make tangible improvements in their lives.
The pictures shared here capture the spirit and momentum of this year’s campaign.
The Yemen Association for Consumer Protection lead specialised training sessions with local farmers to promote safe disposal of pesticides.
A wall of paintings is unveiled at Aap-Le No Otlo – a dedicated day of community, sharing, and sustainability organised by Consumer Education and Research Centre (India). The paintings speak to the importance of everyday choices like recycling, eating plant-based meals, and using reuseable items. They aim to teach young consumers that small actions can make a real difference.
Consumer Voice (India) lead workshops with women in Jahangirpuri to provide essential training on proper disposal of e-waste as well as tricks for giving single-use plastics a second life.
At Consumer Education and Research Centre (India)'s sustainability fair, junior eco-warriors from Sheth Amulakh Vidhyalay steal the show with a beautiful dance performance spreading the message of environmental conservation!
TheNetwork for Consumer Protection (Pakistan) educate students at NUST university on legislation to end the sale and use of single-use plastic .
Consumer Council of Fiji speak on national radio about the growing challenge of electronic waste and what consumers can do to reduce their e-waste footprint. To complement this message, they hosted a series of Community Repair Cafes, where skilled volunteers showed community members how to mend broken electronics.