Scouting leadership gather for first European Sustainability Forum

Scouting’s leadership from 31 National Scout Organizations (NSOs) and National Scout Associations (NSAs) representing 25 countries will convene this week for the first European Sustainability Forum to share knowledge and advance a common agenda for sustainability. 

The event will offer a space for the leadership of NSOs and NSAs to continue to build towards more sustainable operations and events. It will also help shine a spotlight on sustainability programmes and initiatives being put in place across Europe, and highlight the actions that NSOs and NSAs are taking both within region and beyond to further reduce Scouting’s impact on the environment. 

It is being supported by Alwaleed Philanthropies, a key partner in Scouting’s effort to mobilise young people to take action in their communities and make a contribution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will be held at the Houens Odde Scout Centre in Denmark from 20 to 23 October, ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) taking place in Egypt.

The event will also offer opportunities to embed education for sustainable development into Scouting’s programmes, and provide a platform to discuss how the Scout Movement can work towards carbon neutrality in the next decade. 

A key outcome of the Forum will be the creation of a regional network of representatives from NSOs and NSAs working on sustainability that will provide a platform to share common challenges, concerns, and good practices to improve the sustainability of their organisations. 

The event is part of a wider project connected to the priorities of the European Regional Scout Plan to provide adult leaders involved in Scouting with access to quality e-learning courses and educational materials to engage young people in learning about the importance of sustainability.