Canon educates youth on the importance of SDGs

A five-day series of workshops on photography, film, graphic design and animation saw students aged 13-18 work together to discuss the global issues that affect their futures.

Each group chose one of the SDGs – which aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity – to use as a central theme for their photographs and videos.

The Creative Media Camp was led by Canon ambassador Simeon Quarrie, who said: “As a Canon ambassador one thing I really enjoy doing is working with young people and trying to inspire them to realise the type of video and imagery that myself and other ambassadors create is not so distant.

“If they are determined and put in the right creative steps, then anything is possible.”

Raising awareness

Experts stress the need to help educate young people on the SDGs and make sure they are easily understood. Business-led initiatives such as IMPACT2030 have launched schemes to raise young people’s awareness and to encourage them to become actively involved.

Question marks hang over the private sector’s participation in helping to achieve the Goals. Last week, a panel of sustainability experts from BT, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD) and DNV GL, discussed how sustainability and energy professionals can drive engagement with the SDGs and spur tangible action during edie’s SDG Power Hour webinar.

Panellists debated how businesses can bridge the gap between ambition and action on the Global Goals, after a string of reports showed that a huge proportion of firms to have made SDG pledges have not yet to set any measurable targets related to the Goals, nor are they monitoring progress against them.

edie’s SDG Power Hour webinar is and available now on demand.  

George Ogleby