Rediscover and Share #Your Nature on the World Environment Day

·                     Over 70 employees from 8 leading Bulgarian companies took part in the educational walks The Secrets of the City Gardens on the occasion of the World Environment Day, June 5;

·                     On the 5^th of June 2017, at 16:00 h in the Earth and ManNationalMuseumhave yet to be announced the winners in the competition for a short story on the topic of “Rediscover Your Nature”.

Both initiatives are a part of the fifth consecutive celebration of the World Environment Day, coordinated by the Bulgarian network of the UN Global Compact.

The Bulgarian network of the UN Global Compact celebrates the Day with two mutually complementary initiatives:

The Educational Walks The Secrets of the City Gardens, organized on Sunday in the capital city - at Borisova Gradina and Doctorska Gradina. D-r Momchil Panayotov and Chief Ass. Prof. Evgeni Tsavkov, dendrologists from the University of Forestry, shared little known historical facts and facts about the nature. Link to the event: here.

The competition for a short story on the topic of “Rediscover your nature” was looking for exciting stories about encounters with nature, about most emotional moments of exposure and return to nature and through it – to ourselves. The works of the employees of the participating companies were assessed by a jury that included Alexander Crastev, creator of the website “I read”, Ivan Mihalev, author of “101 Lay-bys”, and Ognyan Trayanov, chairman of the Bulgarian network of the UN Global Compact. The winners will be announced on the 5^th of June, at 16:00 in the Earth and Men National Museum.

Participants in the initiative to celebrate the World Environment Day 2017 are Aurubis, Ecopack, ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3, Overgas Inc., Solvay Sodi, CIBANK, Sopharma and TechnoLogica.

Radio Family is a partner.

The initiative is part of the Strategic plan “2015 +” of the Bulgarian network of the UN Global Compact regarding the work on the UN objectives for sustainable development.

About the World Environment Day

The World Environment Day is the most significant annual event for positive environmental actions and is celebrated each year on the 5^th of June. The host country this year, Canada, chose the topic and it will be the centre of the celebrations all around the world. The challenge is for everyone, everywhere. Since the beginning of 1972, citizens all over the world have been organizing thousands of events: cleaning the neighbourhood, campaigns against crimes related to wildlife, afforestation.

The topic “Rediscover Your Nature” draws attention to the huge benefits, from food safety and improved health to water resources which the clean environment donates to mankind. The topic concerns the relation between man and nature and challenges us to go out in the nature, to appreciate its beauty and importance, to find out how dependent and related we are to it and to pass on the message to protect the Earth we share. It invites us to consider that we are part of nature and how closely we depend on it. It challenges us to find fun and exciting ways to appreciate this vital relationship.

In the last few decades, the scientific progress, as well as the growing ecological problems such as global warming, help us grasp the numerous ways natural systems maintain our development and well-being.

For instance, world oceans, forests and soils serve as huge depositories of greenhouse gases like СО2 and methane; farmers and fishermen use natural resources above ground and under water to provide us food. Scientists develop medicines using genetic materials extracted from millions of species which create the amazing biodiversity on Earth.

Billions of people in the world spend each working day “connected to nature” and appreciate their dependence on water supplies and how nature provides their livelihood in the form of fertile soil. They are among the first ones to suffer when ecosystems are in danger, either due to pollution, climate change or over-exploitation.

Nature’s gifts are often difficult to estimate. Like clean air, they are often taken for granted, at least until they are exhausted. Still, economists develop ways to calculate the multi-trillion dollar value of many of the so called “ecosystem services/activities”, from insects pollinating fruit trees in orchards to recreation, health and spiritual benefits from mountain climbing.

More information about the initiative in Bulgaria and worldwide here and here.

About the Bulgarian Network of the UN Global Compact

The Bulgarian Network of the UN Global Compact, which operates as a part of the global network and was officially launched on the 6^th of May 2011 by H. E. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the UN, is an association of companies and NGOs in which we all believe that:

·         man’s mission is to be useful;

·         free labour is creativity;

·         only creating for others, you can create yourself, and

·         thus, you can be a role model to your children.

The Network in Bulgaria has a recognizable image and developed collective projects of public significance which have a positive impact on the sustainable development of business and society. The Network not only observes the Ten Principles of the Global Compact, with their help we strive for a change in the culture of our society applying them creatively to its needs.

We believe that responsible business is the main driving force for development of society.

For more information:

Darina Georgieva, Bulgarian network of the UN Global Compact, darinka.georgieva@unglobalcompact.bg, 0882 173 188

Marina Stefanova, Bulgarian network of the UN Global Compact, marina.stefanova@unglobalcompact.bg, 0888 637 654