On September 19-20, 2024, the International Sustainable Lifestyles Festival was held in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The event is a joint project of the Kazakh-German University (DKU), thirty Central Asian and South Caucasus universities within Sustainable Lifestyles University Network (SLUN) and United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). The festival brought together 75 academicians, university administrative staff, experts, students and non-governmental organizations from Central Asia and South Caucasus and worldwide to explore and discuss the innovative strategies for implementing sustainable lifestyles on university campuses and beyond. The Festival was also aimed at advancing the implementation of “green nudges” on campus and facilitating the intensified networking in the region.
Framework
The Annual Sustainable Lifestyles Festival is part of one of the focus areas of the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Initiative (GO4SDGs), which is to empower youth to embrace sustainable lifestyles to accelerate the progress to meet the 2030 Agenda. Moreover, efforts on lifestyles are now also contributing to the implementation of the UNEA 6 resolution on Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles (UNEP/EA.6/Res.8), which recognizes the potential of behavior change to support more sustainable lifestyles and acknowledges the importance of citizen education, skill building, and behavior change towards sustainable lifestyles to achieve the SDGs.
Festival’ Agenda
The program of the Festival consisted of five sessions, each of which covered various aspects of sustainable lifestyles, starting from understanding the definitions and ending the effective implementation and detailed planning. Session I. set the framework of further discussion, providing definitions, models and examples of such terms as green nudges, circular economy, sustainability. It also gave general information on what has and is being done in the region. Session II. gave a vision and approaches to sustainable lifestyles. The session was unique in that it included the historical overview of ecocentric approach of Central Asian nomads as well as role of women in sustainable lifestyles promotion.
The next three remaining sessions were devoted to the existing sustainable lifestyles practice and needs of the universities of Central Asia and South Caucasus. The practices were presented by the university representatives – heads of international development and sustainability departments. The most creative format of best sustainable lifestyles practices were the videos that were presented to all conference participants for voting. The final two sessions led to the generation of the list of creative ideas on the role of green nudges and specific action steps that can be undertaken to strengthen SLUN – Sustainable Lifestyles University Network and green nudges promotion in the region.
Key points
- The event was opened by Ms. Aidai Kurmanova, Head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Sub-regional Office Central Asia. In her speech she emphasized the threats and volumes of plastic pollution and the key role of universities in promoting sustainable lifestyles aimed at reducing and eliminating this waste pollution.
- Ms. Madina Ibrasheva, GO4SDGs Regional Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia presented the concept of “green nudges” – the key topic of the Festival. The Little Book on Green Nudges developed by UNEP, GRID-Arendal and Behavioral Insights is aimed to reduce the impact of university campuses on the environment by changing the behavior patterns. From September 2020 more than 130 university campuses worldwide committed to put in practice the green nudges to influence behavior of thousands of faculty and students. The unique features and benefits of green nudges are: 1) they help people to live their lives according to their values, 2) they can be more effective than simple awareness raising activities, 3) they are more economically effective, 4) they are needed now and are working immediately.
- The priority areas of promoting sustainable lifestyles on campuses of Central Asia and South Caucasus according to the survey of 260 stakeholders registered to this Festival were presented by Ms. Mariya Genina, Manager of sustainable universities' & green business' projects, DKU. According to the survey the main three thematic priorities are: waste reduction and recycling, water-saving technologies and sustainable transport.
- The schools of thought on circular economy were presented by Mr. Baurzhan Nassimullin, UNEP Regional Project Manager. According to the survey in the U.S. 99% of purchased goods are thrown away within 6 months. This is the current economic model worldwide – “buy-use-through away”. The alternative model is “Cradle to Cradle (C2C)” that considers all materials – biological and technical – as useful in industrial and commercial processes. The Performance Economy model is based on fiscal and monetary incentives to support service companies to prolong the products lifespan and upgrading. The approach of biomimicry was also briefly introduced.
- Dr. Mikael Höök, Senior Lecturer, Director of Centre for Environment and Development Studies (CEMUS), Uppsala University (Sweden) gave an overview of sustainability skills and challenges for the future, providing the case of Uppsala University Sustainability Centre, which has been successful and absolutely university-driven organization since 1992.
- The vision and approaches to sustainable lifestyles in Central Asia were discussed from various aspects by the diverse group of speakers at Session II moderated by Ms. Adriana Zacarias Farah, Head and Global Coordinator GO4SDGs, UNEP. The key messages from her presentation included: a) UNEA-6 Resolution goals; b) Need, role and definition of sustainable lifestyles; c) Factors shaping our lifestyles and consumer behavior.
- It is important to mention the key definition - “Sustainable lifestyles are the ways of living, social behaviors and choices, that minimize environmental degradation (use of natural resources, CO2 emissions, waste and pollution, while supporting equitable socio-economic development and better quality of life for all.”
- The historical ecocentric vision on infrastructure, food and habits of Central Asian nomads was presented by Mr. Rustam Muzafarov, Vice Chairman of the National Committee for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The presentation showed an interconnection of historical and modern architecture, and how the vision the traditional people had still goes to the modern times.
- Features and essential role of women and youth in sustainable lifestyles was presented by Ms. Sasha Gabizon, Executive Director, Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) International. Three examples of essential socio-environmental issues were touched upon: toxic substances in products, food, clean and safe energy.
- The role sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystems in promoting sustainable lifestyles was presented by Dr. Aline Laucke, Senior Project Manager, Technical University of Munich, TUM International. The impact of sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystems on sustainable lifestyles can be seen through: behavioral and cultural change, scalability of sustainable solutions and long-term structural changes. The experience of TUM International has been fully disclosed.
- Importantly, Green Nudges Video Contest was conducted during the Festival and the authors of three best videos were awarded with special prizes and certificates: 1st place: Makhnosa Kabirova, video on "Plastic Recycling," Tajik National University; 2nd place: Zhanar Shortanbayeva, video on "Green Nudges at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University"; 3rd place: Valeria Slepchenkova, video on "Green Nudges at Narxoz University."
- The Festival was finalized by a series of interactive sessions with the group discussions that resulted in the draft ideas for the interregional Action plan for Sustainable Lifestyles University Network for 2025-2026.
Conclusion and takeaways
Overall, the International Sustainable Lifestyles Festival 2024 was marked by a very active participation and the interest of diverse stakeholders in learning and effectively implementing sustainable lifestyles on campuses of Central Asia and South Caucasus. The international experience, theoretical framework presentations and local universities’ experience exchange allowed to create the friendly and fruitful atmosphere for networking and discussions at the Festival. We wish these Festival results and newly built relationships will be successfully taken over by the SLUN and the sustainable lifestyles will become a reality to make our lives better and lighter starting from campus and beyond.
