National Sustainability Day was established on 9 June 2023, through the publication in the Diário da República of a Resolution by the Council of Ministers, making Portugal the first country to celebrate this event.
The date chosen, 25 September, is symbolic since it was the day that the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Since it is essential to raise awareness among communities, National Sustainability Day is an initiative that aims to disseminate information, promote knowledge and alert people to the need for a conscious change in behaviour and actions, guaranteeing a balance between economic growth, care for the environment and social well-being, through the adoption of transformative behaviours.
Sustainability is a global endeavour, but above all it requires local action and, to this end, the Municipality of Baião, through the Environment and Sustainability Unit, has developed two actions to encourage reflection on the importance of the SDGs in times of adversity, as well as to raise awareness of these issues, particularly among young people.
In this context, a set of 17 vinyl cubes representing each of the Sustainable Development Goals, which all countries must fulfil by 2030, was installed at the entrance to the Town Hall.
The other action organised by the Environment and Sustainability Unit was the reading of the short story ‘A Life Lesson from the Sea’, by Cármen Garcia.
The story tells of a boy who finds a turtle by the sea and notices that something is wrong with the animal, as its belly is full of plastic, thus discovering that ocean pollution has devastating consequences for the health of marine animals.
The story was read in all of the municipality’s kindergartens, making the youngest aware of these issues related to preserving the environment.
The Councillor for the Environment, Henrique Gaspar Ribeiro, said that ‘sustainability and environmental preservation have long been among the priorities of this Executive and National Sustainability Day is another opportunity to make our community aware of the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This event highlights the urgency of preserving natural resources, fighting inequalities and adopting more ethical and responsible practices in order to promote a change in attitudes and actions, guaranteeing a better future for everyone in a more sustainable way.’
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
