The Sustainable Development objectives of the 2030 Agenda are at the center of the presentation event “Circular sustainability: rethinking the present, shaping the future” which was held today, with a “virtual” base in Milan. This is the International Session of the European Youth Parliament, an association founded in 1987, which involves more than 30.000 young European citizens, aged between 16 and 28, in almost 500 events in every corner of Europe, and constitutes the largest European youth network. of non-formal education for active citizenship.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo, Silvia Candiani, CEO of Microsoft Italy, Giuseppe Falco, CEO of Boston Consulting Group Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel.
The session was opened by a message sent by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who underlined the centrality of sustainability at the European level, highlighting the role of young people “much wiser than previous generations and this is definitely true when it comes to climate action. Many of you choose local organic food, take your bike or public transport, ask for more greenery in your cities ”. Also underlining how important it is that the session is dedicated to the circular economy which represents “the fulcrum of the European Green Deal, a transition from a throwaway culture towards circular sustainability. Our recovery plan is called Next Generation EU. With it, we want to make Europe a better place for the next generation. A place to be proud of. We need your commitment.
We need to hear your voice, especially as European countries are drawing up their national recovery plans ”.
For Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo: “The strength of young people lies in the courage of ideas and extraordinary dedication to their projects. We need you, your energy, strong in the awareness of being more prepared than previous generations thanks to a better level of studies and training and a more complete knowledge of the world, for greater accessibility and globalization of the media, you must impose your thoughts, abandoning shyness and a sense of awe towards power. The first challenge in terms of sustainability is to change our culture. Sustainability is a way of running the company and represents a cultural change. In Leonardo we have published the first integrated financial report and set clear and measurable objectives and the Company's work is oriented on this. Sustainability must be considered an innovation driver and innovation is essential to be competitive. "
For Silvia Candiani, CEO of Microsoft Italy “Digital is a key element to achieve sustainability goals and I think it is fundamental in relation to three aspects in particular: measurement, energy saving and circular economy. It is important to have a clear vision of where the company is and where you want to go and track progress ”.
For Giuseppe Falco, CEO of Boston Consulting Group Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel “Sustainability can be considered a cost but it is an affordable cost. Sustainability requires a broader and more holistic perspective. Let's think about the role of biodiversity and the planet. It is much more than energy consumption in business. Investing in sustainability means creating long-term value ”.
Il European Youth Parliament was born with the aim of raising awareness on European issues among the younger generations and stimulating intercultural dialogue and confrontation.
The first International Digital Session of the network - also supported by ASviS - with connected participants from all over Europe, it kicked off ten days of work by a group made up of more than 200 young students, to develop concrete solutions aimed at the theme of circular sustainability. There are 11 commissions that will deepen the Sustainable Development objectives of the UN Agenda 2030. The voice of the young participants will have a concrete impact on the European institutions: the proposals will be sent to the members of the European Parliament and the European Commission and will contribute to the construction of a feedback youth for the Conference on the Future of Europe.