Leverkusen, November 10, 2009 – Since Sunday, some 50 Young Environmental Envoys from 19 countries on four continents have been spending a week in Leverkusen, Germany, at the invitation of Bayer to find out more about environmental protection and sustainable development. The young people on the field trip were selected from around 1,300 participants in environmental competitions organized by Bayer in their home countries.
The study trip gives young people from around the world an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the principles and application of modern environmental protection in Germany. The Young Environmental Envoys thus visit various Bayer sites and talk there to experts on the environment. The program also includes excursions to the North Rhine-Westphalia State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection and to AVEA, a waste processing and disposal facility in Leverkusen. The aim is to give young people a fuller understanding of how industry, authorities and private households interact in the field of environmental protection. Discussion sessions and an international exchange of ideas round off the program.
“It is encouraging how young people are committed to environmental and climate protection”, says Satinder Bindra, UNEP's Director of Communications and Public Information. “They, tomorrow's leaders, can inspire today's world leaders – especially in the run up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit. After all, combating climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humankind today. It requires a sense of responsibility, dedication and action shown by all the Bayer Young Environmental Envoys.”
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