The Government of Italy and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have announced that the global celebrations of World Environment Day 2015 will take place in Italy at Expo Milano. The event’s slogan “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care,” chosen by public vote, is a challenge to all to re-imagine one's dreams or aspirations for a quality life that is de-linked from conspicuous consumption. UNEP chose sustainable consumption and lifestyles as the theme of this year's WED to highlight the urgent necessity of shifting to new patterns of natural resource use.

The UN will celebrate three International Days at Expo Milano 2015. One of these will be World Environment Day on 5 June, which will support and complement the Expo theme of “Feeding the Planet - Energy for Life,” showcasing state-of-the-art technology, ideas and solutions that can help guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone while respecting the planet and its equilibrium.

For more information: http://www.unep.org/wed

UNEP Vienna, together with GRASP, GRID-Arendal and UNIS, will organize two public events for World Environment Day. The theme for both will focus on “Human-wildlife conflicts in mountain regions.” Local organization of the event will be led by UNEP Vienna as part of a collaboration between ROE, GRASP and ROA, while communication support will be provided by DCPI together with UNIS Vienna.

The events will feature the launch of a photo exhibition, whereby exceptional pictures of great apes will represent the often very difficult relationship between humans and wildlife. The exhibition will be organized on World Environment Day, 5 June, from 1 to 2pm in the Rotunda at the Vienna International Center and will remain open until 30 June. The event will also feature the European launch of the newly produced African Mountain Atlas, to be published by UNEP at the forthcoming AMCEN meeting.

The second event will take place on Monday 8 June at the UNIS CineONU Event in Vienna’s TopKino and will feature the screening of the highly acclaimed documentary “Virunga.” The film focuses on the conservation work of rangers in Virunga National Park and the activity of a British oil company which began exploring for oil in the park despite it being a world heritage site, meaning extractive activities are not allowed. The national park stretches from the Virunga Mountains in the South to the Rwenzori Mountains in the North and lies within the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

For more information: filippo.montalbetti@unvienna.org

World Environment Day 2015 will be celebrated in the UN House in Sarajevo on June 5. UNEP’s Sarajevo office has decided that WED 2015 will also serve to launch Sarajevo’s Summer for the Environment through a press conference and joint UN release, followed by a visit to the protected areas in the Sarajevo Canton.

UNEP’s production of a short film on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s biological and landscape diversity was a great success – both in-country and globally. Following this, UNEP's Sarajevo office will continue awareness-raising activities on nature conservation and present the exceptional values nature holds in Bosnia and Herzegovina through art at the most important cultural event in the region – the Sarajevo Film Festival.

The concept for Stage II of Sarajevo Summer for the Environment, which is held in cooperation with the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), has two main components:

• EnviroDay (PriroDan) – Dedication of the whole day to the environment in the framework of the festival’s 2015 Programme
• “Greening the Festival” – Generate SFF operation to be more energy efficiency-oriented, while at the same time bringing innovativeness to the festival.

The resulting partnership network between the SFF and UNEP shall bring together a wide variety of actors - not only decision-makers but the general public as well, showing that everyone that can make a difference.

For more information: amina.omicevic@unep.org

World Environment Day in Brussels will be celebrated at the Parc du Cinquantenaire on 7 June, with the Fete de l’Environnement organised by the Brussels Region under the overall theme of climate. As in previous years, are expected some 20.000 visitors to come to this family-friendly animated information village set up in the heart of the European Institutions area.

UNEP has organised an information stand for the United Nations, in which - together with the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC), UNESCO and FAO - will be provided information on climate change and the upcoming COP21, as well as on sustainable consumption, the global theme of World Environment Day. An infographic has been produced by UNRIC in collaboration with UNEP and UNFCCC that will inform the public of everyday actions they can take to live in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. This feature includes a demonstration of vertical urban gardening and awareness-raising games on sustainable consumption and energy efficiency.

World Environment Day will also be promoted at Green Week (2-5 June) and the European Development Days (3-4 June) taking place in Brussels, as well as at a dedicated CineONU screening on 8 June, where UNEP Brussels will show a documentary relating to climate change.

For more information: alexa.froger@unep.org