“Our planet, our home. Let’s make it clean” campaign will empower citizens to bring about environmental change

A new campaign – “Our Planet, Our Home. Let’s Make It Clean!” – funded by the European Union and developed by the UN Environment Programme was launched in the Republic of Moldova. The campaign aims to present young Moldovans with solutions for living more sustainably while improving their health and saving money.

The campaign is aligned with the World Clean Up Day 2022 initiative, marked this year on September 17 as well as policies under development in the Republic of Moldova. The World Cleanup Day 2022 unites millions of volunteers, governments and organisations in 191 countries, to tackle the global waste problem and build up the new and sustainable world. This year, the Republic of Moldova will also join this initiative. Moldovan officials, representatives of diplomatic missions, civic activists, and young people will organize major clean-up actions in their localities, thus raising awareness on waste challenge and supporting the global climate movement. In addition, the campaign “Our Planet, Our Home. Let’s Make It Clean!” also resonates with the messages of World Car Free Day, marked on September 22.

In the Republic of Moldova improved waste management and sustainable mobility have been identified as areas that people can support to minimize environmental degradation while improving their health, wellbeing and also saving money. Indeed, each person generates an estimated 310 kg of waste in Moldova each year, while road transport is responsible for 98% of greenhouse gases from the transportation sector, and contributes greatly to ambient air pollution – a major driver of respiratory diseases.

The products we buy and consume, the food we eat, the homes we live in, how we move around, what we do for leisure and how we handle our waste all have an impact on the planet. Globally, household consumption accounts for around 2/3 of greenhouse gases emissions. Governments and businesses have a crucial role in driving sustainability, but our everyday choices are also very important.

Within the campaign, short animations as well as sets of cards for social media will be developed and shared via social and traditional media. All materials produced within the campaign will be available in Romanian, Russian and English and will become accessible on a dedicated page on the EU4Moldova website as well as on social media as the campaign is rolled out.

Context

The European Union support provided to the Republic of Moldova aims to improve the quality of life of the Moldovan citizens in a tangible and visible way. The Government of Moldova has made its commitment to ensure the cooperation with the EU, which became Moldova’s largest donor and one of the most reliable development partners.

EU4Environment Green Economy, funded by the European Union, works with Eastern Partner countries to deliver policy and legislative changes, make planning and investment greener, stimulate the uptake of innovative technologies, adopt new business models, and create green jobs.

The United Nations Environment Programme has been the global authority that sets the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

Media contact

Alex Leshchynskyy, Programme Management Officer, UNEP (English, Russian) alex.leshchynskyy@un.org

Boris Le Montagner, Consultant, UNEP (English) boris.lemontagner@un.org

Victor Gotișan, Senior Media Relations and Analysis Expert, ‘StratCom’ project (Romanian) victor@commwithus.eu