UN North Macedonia launches Sustainable Living Challenge

Skopje |16 October 2024 – The United Nations (UN) family in North Macedonia invites all people living in the country to join a special seven-day Sustainable Living Challenge that seeks to raise awareness of the urgent need for greater sustainability, through practical and easy-to-implement actions.  

“By introducing small, conscious, impactful actions in their everyday lives, everyone can contribute to the creation of a more sustainable future, for us and for all future generations”, says Rita Columbia, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia. “It is vital for everyone to understand that no matter how small some changes might seem, they can have a massive impact, if everyone starts doing them.”  

All people living in the country can join the challenge by documenting their experiences in the next seven days, on the journey that will lead them through seven different areas of sustainable living, and by posting the experiences on their social media challenge with the #ITooHaveAGoal #ИЈасИмамЦел hashtags.  

The themes that will be covered in the Challenge organized in the run-up to UN Day (24 October 2024), include: 

- Day 1: Plastic Free Day – Spending a day without any single-use plastic. We are so accustomed to the plastic around us that we fail to even notice some of the things that can have detrimental effect on our environment. The challenge is – how hard it is to find and use more sustainable alternatives, for at least a day?  

- Day 2: Waste audit – On the second day, the challenge is simple - we invite everyone to look at their garbage! It may sound weird, but if we truly want to learn what our impact on our environment really is, this is the first place to go.  

- Day 3: Energy Saving – Smart, conscious use of energy is extremely important for reducing the negative impact of fossil fuels. We invite you all to be mindful about the energy (electricity, gas, petrol) that you spend during the day? The challenge here is to find the action that will bring the largest save. 

- Day 4: Water Conservation – This challenge is a call to save water, especially high-quality drinkable water, through small actions, such as fixing leaks and taking shorter showers.  

- Day 5: Sustainable Transport – On this day we seek to promote environmentally friendly transport options such as walking, cycling and public transport. Take a walk to your workplace and back, take a photo and share it with the #ITooHaveAGoal #ИЈасИмамЦел hashtags. 

- Day 6: Exploring Plant-Based Diets – Greater use of plant-based foods is not only good for the environment but for our health. The challenge here is to try to incorporate more plants in all meals of the day, at least for the day. Participants are encouraged to share some recipes with the #ITooHaveAGoal #ИЈасИмамЦел labels. 

- Day 7: Think Globally, Act Locally – On the last day of the Sustainable Living Challenge we call everyone to be mindful about their choices of products and services that they use. Supporting local businesses and initiatives that contribute to sustainable development is not only good for the economy, but for our environment as well. 

All interested participants are invited to document all their daily activities on social media using the hashtag #ITooHaveAGoal #ИЈасИмамЦел and to share how they are contributing to a more sustainable world, inspiring others with their actions.  

The challenge will culminate on 24 October 2024 with an event in Skopje City Park, where we can all jointly celebrate the importance of sustainability and mark UN Day together. UN Day marks the anniversary of the UN Charter, the foundational treaty of the United Nations, which came in force on 24 October 1945. This day is a reminder of the role the UN plays in addressing global challenges, fostering peace and promoting human rights, development and sustainability around the world.