UNGA president advocates for sustainability in daily life
United Nations (UN) General Assembly President Dennis Francis (R) speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 9, 2024. Francis on Tuesday unveiled the details of the UN body's first-ever Sustainability Week at a press conference, highlighting the importance of pursuing a more sustainable lifestyle. (Xinhua/Xie E)
UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Tuesday unveiled the details of the UN body's first-ever Sustainability Week at a press conference, highlighting the importance of pursuing a more sustainable lifestyle.
"Sustainability Week initiative is essentially designed to galvanize momentum around sustainability in a way that helps to supercharge implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," said Francis.
Scheduled for April 15 to 19, the event is structured to include high-level discussions and practical solutions for sustainable living, focusing on critical sectors including tourism, infrastructure, energy and transport.
"Sustainability Week is about promoting a realistic transition to a more sustainable manner of living," said the UNGA chief, noting small changes can lead to significant strides in sustainability.
"For example, many of us when we're brushing our teeth, tend to open the tap and let it run. Not a good idea. You can be brushing your teeth, turn the tap off, because in the three minutes that the tap is running, you may have wasted 15 gallons of water that next week you won't have," Francis said.
"So, sustainability is all about promoting and sensitizing the population about how we can make a contribution to preserving the ecosystems on the planet, and ensuring that we do not exceed limits," he added.
The UNGA president also underscored the importance of rethinking daily lifestyles and resource usage to contribute to preserving global ecosystems and avoiding exceeding planetary limits.
Taking single-use plastic as an example, Francis urged the public to make a shift towards more sustainable choices.
"Where does it go? Could you end up eating it? Because that's a possibility, considering the plastic ends up in the ocean, potentially outweighing fish by 2050," he said.
Setting an example during his interview with Xinhua on Friday, the UNGA president made sure there were no plastic bottles in sight. "Small gestures are significant," he added.
"Choose sustainability, for the longevity of this planet, and for an inclusive, fairer, more stable future," Francis said. ■
United Nations (UN) General Assembly President Dennis Francis speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 9, 2024. Francis on Tuesday unveiled the details of the UN body's first-ever Sustainability Week at a press conference, highlighting the importance of pursuing a more sustainable lifestyle. (Xinhua/Xie E)