UNRIC MAGAZINE June Edition 2009

World Environment Day, observed globally on 5 June, comes at a pivotal moment this year, as the UN system is gearing up for its "Seal the Deal" campaign aimed at promoting a successful outcome for the Copenhagen climate change conference this December. "Together, we must press governments to "Seal the Deal" for a new climate agreement," says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message on World Environment Day.
The Seal the Deal campaign seeks to encourage governments to successfully conclude a fair, balanced and effective agreement on climate change when they meet at COP 15 in Copenhagen from 7-18 December.

In Brussels, the CoolPlanet2009 initiative of UNRIC- the European branch of the global Seal the Deal campaign- and UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, mark World Environment Day with a series of initiatives.

• UNRIC and DG Environment of the European Commission host a screening of HOME, a new film by French photographer and environmentalist Yann-Arthus Bertrand. It will be shown in the Polack Room, Résidence Palace, Rue de la Loi 155, 1050 Brussels at 17.00 on 5 June.

• UNEP, in partnership with the Echo Festival, invites citizens of Brussels to a unique live cultural event celebrating creative, ecological and sustainable lifestyles in Parc Royal de Bruxelles from 11.00-15.00 on 5 June. Comic hero Gaston Lagaffe joins the festivities by launching a new book that demonstrates how to be 'Eco-Cool'. (see: http://www.echofestival.org/)

• UNRIC presents a new Wear-Seal-the-Deal concept in partnership with the Belgian designer Jean-Paul Knott, featuring downloadable Seal the Deal campaign tools based on a do-it-yourself philosophy.  It includes Seal the Deal postcards, pins and t-shirts.  Jean-Paul Knott explains every step of the production  in a 3 minute video clip called posted on the www.coolplanet2009 - website

• Opinion makers, environmentalists, artists and individuals throughout Europe will wear Seal the Deal pins on World Environment Day.

• A new 30 second video promoting the Seal the Deal campaign will feature on www.CoolPlanet2009.org. The video can be used by anyone wanting to help spread the word about the campaign.

CoolPlanet2009, the European branch of the Seal the Deal campaign

The CoolPlanet2009 website,(www.coolplanet2009.org) is the centerpiece of UNRIC´s European Information Campaign, geared at generating interest and involvement in the climate change issue in Europe. Its Wall of events is a market place for European ideas, innovations and projects.

The website went live at a Press Conference of the five Nordic Prime Ministers, at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland 27 February this year. CoolPlanet2009 is a part of the global Seal the Deal campaign which was presented at a press conference in Brussels 23 April by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.  "I have asked for the leadership of the European Union, to play the role of locomotive on the climate change issue," the Secretary-General said: "We count on the European Union's continued and committed support on this matter."

President Barroso promised the EU´s support: ""We have to Seal the Deal, this is indeed our priority now to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen and I want to tell that we are going to work hand in hand with the United Nations to make that a great success for the future of our planet."

CoolPlanet2009has joined forces with numerous so-called Cool Friends and Partners, such as Yann Arthus Bertrand and Good Planet, the Icelandic rock band Sigur Rós, Björk´s NGO Náttúra and the three chairwomen of Road to Copenhagen, Margot Wallström, Vice President of the European Union, Gro Harlem Brundtland, UN Special Envoy on Climate Change and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland.

The first concerned European citizen to join the campaign was the Icelandic artist Björk who participated in a press conference in Brussels 6 November 2008, where it was presented, along with the co-chairwomen of the Road to Copenhagen.

World Environment day:   Your Planet Needs You!

People around the world will unite for the planet on 5 June for World Environment Day 2009, with a strong call for environmental action just six months before the crucial United Nations climate change talks in Copenhagen.

This year's theme is 'Your Planet needs You! Unite to combat climate change' - a topic that reflects everyone's individual responsibility to protect the planet, as well as the urgency for nations to agree on a new climate change deal in December.

World Environment Day is truly a People's Day: it is the chance for everyone, young and old, with their community or with close friends, to show that they care for the planet.

This year's host is Mexico, reflecting the country's growing role in the fight against climate change - with its increasingly strong participation in global carbon markets, its massive tree planting campaigns and its natural resource management.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: "On this World Environment Day. I encourage all people to take concrete steps toward making the planet greener and cleaner. Switch off the lights. Take public transportation. Recycle. Plant a tree. Clean up your local park. Hold corporations responsible for their environmental practices. And urge your government representatives to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen."

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said: "I am delighted that Mexico and its people will be the 2009 global hosts of the annual United nations celebrations on 5 June under the theme 'Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change'. Mexico is among a group of nations showing real leadership on the challenges of our age - from climate change to bringing environmental goods and services into the mainstream of national and international economics."

World Environment Day is a truly global event, and as such it will be celebrated on every continent - from remote villages to sprawling capitals. Here are some of the highlights of this year's celebration.

Celebrations in Mexico

Mexico, the host country, will organize a series of events in Quintana Roo, in the Yucatan Province. Highlights include a conference on the Green Economy with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mexico's Environment Secretary Juan Elvira Quesada, and Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).