Seoul, Republic of Korea August 22, 2025 –  The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) co-hosted the 2025 Sustainable Development Goals Youth Summer Camp , bringing together 30 participants, aged 18-27. Representing diverse academic backgrounds and nationalities, they took part in an interactive learning program focused on plastic pollution and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

The Summer Camp took place just one week after the adjournment of the INC-5.2 negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations in Geneva. The camp underscored the growing urgency of plastic pollution management and mitigation. Today, somewhere between 430-460 million tons of plastic are produced annually – much of it ending up in landfills, incinerators, or leaking into the environment. Without action, plastic leakage into the marine environment could rise from 20 million tons in 2020 to 30 million tons by 2040. Against this backdrop, the camp invited youth leaders to design social media campaigns focusing on aspects of plastic pollution aligned with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s 5Rs framework: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reorient & Diversify, and Remediate.  

Over the course of three days, participants engaged in a mix of technical lectures covering topics such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), microplastics, and marine waste and litter – as well as interactive group sessions. A core component of the program was the creation of targeted social media campaigns to raise awareness and influence behavior around plastic pollution.  

During the opening session of the event, GGGI’s Director-General Dr. Sanghyup Kim delivered a call-to-action, encouraging the participants to rise as agents of change and step forward as leaders in addressing plastic pollution. “Please don’t forget that you are the real actors in fighting the climate crisis and plastic pollution,” he said. “You must be empowered; you must learn together—and rise as climate warriors and plastic pollution hunters.” 

At the culmination of the camp, participants presented their social media campaign strategies to a panel of expert judges from organizations like UNOSD, GGGI, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations Development Programme. The most impactful group projects will be featured on UNOSD’s and GGGI’s official platforms, and the top-performing participants will be offered the opportunity to serve as GGGI Youth Ambassadors, engaging in future events such as GGGI’s 2025 Global Green Growth Week (October 27–31). The outcomes of the camp will also inform continued youth engagement efforts under the Global Plastics Treaty and SDG implementation frameworks.