The world’s young people – who make up the largest generation of
youth in history – can lead a global drive to break the patterns of the
past and set the world on course to a more sustainable future. Young people
are directly affected by the tragic contradictions that prevail today:
between abject poverty and ostentatious wealth, gnawing hunger and shameful
food waste, rich natural resources and polluting industries. Youth can
deliver solutions on these issues, which lie at the heart of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In this first year of that15-year plan for a healthier, safer and
more just future, we count on the active engagement of the world’s young
people to transform the production and consumption of goods and services so
they meet the basic needs and aspirations of the world’s poorest people
without overburdening already strained ecosystems.

Young people are traditionally at the cutting edge, and today’s youth
have more information than any previous generation. Their dynamism,
creativity and idealism can combine to shape attitudes toward demand and
help create more sustainable industries.

Youth are already influencing how the world produces, distributes and
consumes while driving green entrepreneurship by designing sustainable
products and services. As conscious consumers, young people are at the
forefront of a shift toward more fair, equitable and sustainable buying
patterns. Youth are strong and effective advocates of recycling, reusing
and limiting waste, and they are leading technological innovations to
foster a resource-efficient economy.

When we invest in youth, they can contribute to new markets, decent
jobs, fair trade, sustainable housing, sustainable transport and tourism,
and more opportunities that benefit the planet and people.

I am proud that the United Nations is actively engaged in supporting
young leaders who can carry out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
including Goal 12 on sustainable consumption and production patterns. I
encourage all young people to become involved in advancing the SDGs and
demanding action by their Governments. My Youth Envoy is eager to connect
you to our campaigns, which are being carried out across the entire United
Nations system.

On International Youth Day, I urge others to join this global push
for progress. Let us empower young people with the resources, backing and
space they need to create lasting change in our world.