The city joined this worldwide environmental awareness event encouraging citizens to change their consumption behavior and make them more aware of their impact on the environment.

Malaga joined World Day of the Environment encouraging citizens to change their habits consumption and to improve the care for the environment. June 5th marks the annual World Environmental Day (WED), which is an occasion for the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) to raise worldwide awareness on environmental issues and to engage local stakeholder participation in positive actions for the environment. The WED theme this year was "Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care."

Several activities have been organised in the Park of Malaga, where around 300 children representing the youth of Malaga have been able to participate in sustainable consumption and ecological footprint games, and educational activities to raise awareness on the daily actions one can take to live in a more eco-friendly way. An exhibition of artistic works made of recycled materials has been on show along the park, where students were able to take part in a number of how to recycle workshops. One week before the WED, the Malaga Council in collaboration with the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation launched a micro-story contest to use the UN slogan. The winners were announced during the WED festival and this first edition has been sponsored by EMASA, and local companies La Axarca, Café Bar Sueños, Maude Studio, Códice Bookshop (companies registered in Centro Asesor Ambiental of the Malaga Council)

Furthermore, the awards of the Environmental Education Programme "Green Passport" contest have also been given to the winners (elementary, middle and high school students from Malaga). The awarded schools were: C.E.I.P. José Moreno Villa , C.E.I.P. Los Guindos, C.E.I.P. Paulo Freire, C.E.I.P. Alegría de la Huerta, I.E.S. Universidad Laboral de Málaga y el Colegio San Juan de Dios "La Goleta".

These activities have been organized by the Department of the Environment and Sustainability, the Urban Environment Observatory (OMAU) of the City of Malaga, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, and Emma Environmental Andaluza.

The Council of Malaga is an IUCN Member since 2008.

For more information about the micro-story contest, please visit: http://malagacomotequiero.com/

Photo: ©IUCN, Students who participated in WED activities.