President Stevo Pendarovski supported the Climate Action Project, which is being held for the third year in a row, via video address.
It is an international project involving 130 countries, including schools from North Macedonia, which is intended for cooperation between teachers and students, in order to better educate students and change their awareness regarding climate change, sustainable development, reducing gas emissions.
Dear students and teachers,
It is a pleasure to address you at this year’s launch of the Climate Action Project. You know as I do, that this project is very important because our world is hanging in the balance.
With the present way we do things, it will ask for almost two planets in order to provide resources for our current needs. In this context, the right question should be: who creates our needs? Why is it often cheaper to buy a new device than repair the old one? Then, it becomes obvious that many of the needs that we take at face value are not essential at all. Quite often they are result of our habits, production and consumption which are untenable in the long run.
For generations, humans have been driven by an urge to control and exploit both nature and each other. This has given rise to environmental degradation and great inequalities that show the current unsustainability of development. Every forth person in the world lacks electricity for lightining and cooking. While more than a quarter of the food is wasted, according to some estimates, 155 milion children do not have enough to eat. Climate change only worsens the situation for millions of vulnerable people around the world leading to destruction of ecosystems and unique spieces.
Dear Friends,
It doesen’t have to be this way. We can and we must change the course of our world. Today we live at a time of of so-called influensers with millions of followers on the social media. However, the people who really have the greatest impact and influence the way children see the world and their place in it are not influencers, but the teachers. Teachers can make you, students to be curiouse, they can provoke you to ask right questions, they can help you understand the past and enable you to project the future, they can build your confidence. Teachers are entrusted with the crucial responsibility: transmitting ideas and values that not only can sustain our lives, but can also transform our world for the better. If done wisely and persistenly, this can help you develop sustainable habits and, in general, ethics of sustainability.
The Climate Action Project brings sustainable development and climate action issues in the classrooms all over the world. It connects teachers who are passionate enough to educate a new, young generation with a conscience about life as a precious gift.
I often have the opportunity to meet young, talented children with great ideas and innovative solutions. And behind such an inspired persons usually there are inspiring teachers. I am so glad that many students and teachers from several Macedonian schools have already joined the Climate Action Project. I have no doubt that you will all learn from each other and share ideas that can inspire concrete climate action. Believe me, every small action can make difference, or, as Mother Teresa, who was born in Skopje 110 years ago once said “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
Climate change affects everyone and, therefore, climate action is everyone’s business. Despite the global pandemic of COVID-19, the Republic of North Macedonia is considering to scale up its commitments and reinforce its efforts in the global race against time to limit global warming. Whatever we do, we must never lose sight that the real reason for the sacrifices we make today are for the wellbeing of your generation tomorrow. Therefore, I give full support to the Climate Action Project and I wish you an inspiring journey together.
Thank you.
