United Nations International Youth Day 2023

Published: Aug 11, 2023

As part of Nutrien’s Caring for Our Watersheds (CFW) program, grade 9 student, Will from Calgary, Alberta implemented his project in 2021 that addressed the question what can you do to improve your local watershed? Will’s idea was called, “Fast-Growing Dense Mini Forest.”

After identifying that his school lacked natural green space, and was near two major highways, Will proposed a plan to improve his school’s native gardens by planting more fast-growing and resilient trees and shrubs to help combat CO2 emissions while also restoring biodiversity. His project helped address Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action and 15: Life on Land.

To date, nearly 44,000 students like Will have participated in the program resulting in over 640 student action projects implemented around the world through various content regions. Students choose their solution which allows projects to be important to students, vast in scope, touch many stakeholders and community members, and contribute to multiple SDGs and targets. Nutrien provides implementation funding and local community partners provide support to help turn the student’s ideas into solutions that help improve our land, water and air.

This program directly supports this year’s UN International Youth Day theme, Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World. We need the ideas from youth around the world to respond to the global climate crisis and achieve the UN SDGs. Youth will need green skills to “develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society.”

As part of our community investment strategy, Nutrien supports community initiatives that are aligned with four Focus Areas, one being Environmental Stewardship. We aim to support environmental stewardship initiatives that protect and promote ecosystem health in these three key areas: local ecosystem, community involvement and education and action for students (K-12).

Nutrien’s sustainability strategy and focus on environment and climate action will help provide solutions and platforms to achieve emissions reductions and allow for more food production in a sustainable way. 

Ultimately, CFW is  working together with the next generation to achieve local impact on global challenges. The solutions created by today’s youth contribute to addressing the world’s greatest challenges.

Learn more about Caring for Our Watersheds and how the students participating in this program move the dial on the SDGs.