ABOUT THE Project
The Sustainable Lifestyles Action Academy is a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme, and Hot or Cool Institute, under the auspices of the GO4SDGs. The project supports young leaders to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience they need as catalysts for sustainable living. Using a blend of virtual learning and in-person group experience, the Sustainable Lifestyles Action Academy offers both cutting-edge science and practical training.
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Why youth?
Young people are increasingly active in finding solutions to unsustainability crises – including changing lifestyles – in order to secure a better future. Yet there has been limited organised support to provide them with the scientific underpinnings and empirical evidence needed to identify high impact actions and to design effective strategies for engagement. This project inspires and guides youth action for both individual and systems change that enables sustainable lifestyles.
In collaboration with global experts, the Sustainable Lifestyles Action Academy will cover themes from carbon budgets and consumer culture to climate anxiety and communicating for change. Starting with case studies of young change-makers from around the world, participants will become experts in using their own story to create change and explore their unique contribution towards making 1.5-degree equitable lifestyles a reality.
The course
Besides being grounded in the theoretical aspects of each topic, the course is an opportunity for the participants to get their hands on the science and to practically engage with their communities and environments to enable change beyond the individual.
Action is put at the centre of this academy by bringing case studies and real–life examples linked to the topics of each course module to the cutting edge. Some features of the SLAA include:
- Storytelling as an entry point to change and case-studies as inspiration and practical guides;
- Expert lectures on scientific issues and potential for positive change;
- Individual and group action exercises, exploring potential impacts in different global contexts;
- Facilitated online platform for interactive activities and network building;
The course development is underway in consultation with experts from academia and practice. The pilot will be a 7-week training in Latin America and Africa in autumn 2021.
Project Partners
