From 18 September to 8 October, the European Sustainable Development Week (European Sustainable Development Week – ESDW) will take place across Europe, including Latvia, for the eleventh time. Its aim is to encourage and inspire society to act sustainably, to share experience, to showcase good examples and to strengthen a shared understanding of how to build a balanced future – economically, socially and environmentally.

Participation in this week is open to everyone – businesses, schools, associations, local authorities, public and private institutions, as well as active members of the public. Everyone is invited to think ahead – by September – about what initiative, event or activity could be their contribution to this shared movement. It can be either an existing activity or a new idea that promotes sustainability, a responsible attitude and responsible action.

The themes of the European Sustainable Development Week are based on the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015 (Agenda 2030). It sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs), which define the main directions for sustainability worldwide – for example, climate action, accessible and quality education and healthcare, gender equality, a sustainable economy and energy, social inclusion and others.

It is precisely these goals that also determine the thematic categories under which activities can be submitted within the ESDW. These may be educational campaigns, community initiatives, improvements to the working environment, events in schools, action by businesses or local authorities in the field of climate and the environment, volunteering, or other plans directed towards one of the goals set by the UN.

Projects and ideas whose publicity events will take place between 18 September and 8 October can be submitted on the official ESDW website. Once approved, registered activities are published on the ESDW online map alongside initiatives from other countries. Taking part in the ESDW is an opportunity to reach the public, share experience, put your organisation's values into practice and gain contacts for cooperation at European level.

The European Sustainable Development Week was first held in 2015. At that time, more than 4100 events were held in 29 European countries, including seven in Latvia. This year Latvia will take part in the ESDW initiative for the eleventh time. Latvia is internationally recognised as an active and responsible country in the field of sustainable development – in 2024 Latvia ranked 13th in the global country ranking that assesses progress in implementing the UN goals.

The ESDW is organised by the Institute for Managing Sustainability at the Vienna University of Economics and Business as part of the work of the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN), in cooperation with the ESDW focal points in the participating countries. In Latvia, the functions of the ESDW focal point are performed by the State Chancellery.