Last update: July 2020

[GM08] Sustainable development policy

The Sustainable Development Policy was created in the frame of the  European Fellowship on Sustainable Development (EFSD), a complex programme on SDGs initiated by GEYC under the aegis of PRISMA European Network in the frame of KA2 EllE project. The program was developed for young people from Romania, between the ages of 17-30 years old.

Through the policy we want to apply the principles of sustainable development in our projects. These principles are:

A. Gender equality        

B. Social inclusion        

C. Efficient use of resources

D. Travel management        

E. Health and wellness        

F. Partnership for sustainability        

A. Gender equality

Connected with:         Council of Europe policies on gender mainstreaming

United Nations SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Vision:

All of our activities should incorporate the principles of gender equality by creating an atmosphere of gender equality through all the activities we manage. Gender balance is understood as a balance between gender representation rights, with respect to the individuals that don’t want to associate themselves with a specific gender (non-binary).

Principles:

1. Promoting a nonbinary approach through our activities.
2. Gender mainstreaming: Striving to promote gender diversity within the activities managed by GEYC

(board of directors, executive team, community, educational programs, events)

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

 B. Social inclusion

Connected with: United Nations SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

Vision: 

Social inclusion is the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part in the GEYC Community, by improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity.

Principles:

1. GEYC’s activities have to be as inclusive as possible.
2. To encourage and integrate in GEYC’s activities young people with fewer opportunities (social, cultural, economic, geographical, disabilities or any other obstacles).
3. To assure a human rights respectful environment within the activities led by GEYC.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

C. Efficient use of resources

Connected with:         European Commission, Europe 2020, a strategy for smart,   sustainable and inclusive growth

Vision:

In order to have an efficient use of the resources we will assess the resources needs as close to the reality as much as possible.

Principles:

1. Striving the use of eco friendly products: reusable or convertible
2. Recycling the waste produced.
3. Avoiding paper and disposable plastic from our activities.
   

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

D. Sustainable travel

Connected with: The European Green Deal, Sustainable mobility

Vision :

To adopt an eco-responsible behavior for our travel arrangement in order to limit the negative impact on the environment.

Principles :

1. Using electronic documents and avoiding as much as possible the paper tickets (check-in, buying tickets online)
2. Preference will be given to direct flights (provided by the same airline) and to the transportation by train (which has the least CO2 emission).
3. Travelling light: avoiding to add a check-in luggage for short travels (10 days or less). According to the UN's Environment Programme, packing light can make a significant difference to your CO₂ emissions. Reducing the weight of your luggage by 15kg decreases your emissions by around 50–100kg on a four-and-a-half hour flight.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

E. Health and well-being

Connected with: United Nations SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Vision:

 The aim is to promote and encourage people within the organization that they are part of to focus on their health and well-being by finding and keeping the balance between work and personal life.

Principles:

1. Promote and develop a culture of trust, transparency and integrity within the organization and create an environment where people can feel safe and productive.
2. Create an atmosphere of healthiness within the activities developed by GEYC

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

F. Partnership for sustainability

Connected with: United Nations SDG 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Vision:

To strengthen and to revitalize the partnerships for sustainable development.

Principles:

1. Engage more partnership with organizations focused on sustainability
2. Envolve the topic of sustainability on the projects that GEYC is developing.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

Acknowledgement

The Sustainability Policy was developed with the support of the fellows from European Fellowship on Sustainable Development (2019):

and with the key guidance from their mentors: Simion Strugar, Raluca Iftime, Eslam Ennara, Claudiu Șulea, Diana-Adela Ioniţă. The elaboration of the policy was coordinated by Gabriel Brezoiu and Raluca Dumitrescu.