About 300 people engaged in harvesting garbage on Trukhaniv Island in Kyiv to support global “Clean up the World” campaign

Photo by Kostyantyn Klymenko

The Clean Up the World Weekend on 14-16 September is the culmination of the community-based action on climate change involving an estimated 35 million people across the planet in 2007. More than 650 non-government organisations, community groups, local councils and other agencies are currently working on projects in 2007 to improve the health of the environment. 

The focus of many community activities around the world has been on limiting the impacts of climate change though activities such as waste reduction and recycling, water and energy conservation, and revegetation. On Clean Up the World Weekend, organisations engage volunteers to take part in activities designed to clean up, fix up and conserve their local environment.

The Clean Up the World campaign is in its 15th year and has the support of the United Nation's Environment Programme (UNEP).  The UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine Francis O'Donnell stated "I'm glad that this year Kyiv citizens joined the Clean up the World campaign in 115 countries working on projects to improve the health of the environment. This way the communities in many countries are demonstrating that simple actions can make a real and lasting difference ".  "I hope this "Harvest the Garbage on Trukhaniv" initiative will encourage individuals to take responsibility for the environment. And next year it will engage even more volunteers to take part in activities fixing up their local environment", he added.

Terry Pickard, Kyiv Lions Club ex-President, said "Being financial partner of the Clean up the World in Ukraine this year, the company NAI Piсkard will continue to support this initiative in future contributing in environment protection".

The selected pictures taken at the event could be viewed in our photogallery. 

Media contact at Clean Up the World: Photographs and detailed information about Clean Up the World activity  worldwide and in Ukraine are available on request from Ms. Veronika Vashchenko This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , tel.: 8 044 253 9363 and Ms. Viktoria Yesaulenko, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , tel.: 8 050 353 46 13

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Clean Up campaign started in 1989 when an Australian solo-yachtsman and builder Ian Kiernan, appalled by the amount of rubbish he came across while sailing, organized a clean up of the Sydney Harbour, during which some 40,000 volunteers removed rusted car bodies, plastics, glass bottles and cigarette butts from the water. The campaign went global in 1993, with Sydney becoming Clean Up the World's headquarters. Today it brings together hundreds of members from around the world ranging from local community groups to national campaigns that carry out environmental projects throughout the year. For more information, visit www.cleanuptheworld.org.

The Lions Club is the biggest charity organization with over 14 million members in 40 000 clubs of 190 countries. The Kyiv Lions Club comprises over 50 permanent members, among which top managers of leading Ukrainian and international companies. The aim of the Club is to gather money and pass them to trustful charity funds to help people who need it the most.

The Representative office of the United Nations in Kyiv was opened in 1992. Currently, the United Nations in Ukraine is represented by 13 resident agencies, organizations and associated institutions working to improve the lives of all people in Ukraine by addressing a variety of issues, including environment. More information at www.un.org.ua