Launch of the GreenUp programme - 11 October

Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood’s Tree-shirts will help Europe to ‘GreenUp’ as the world looks towards Rio+20

Vivienne Westwood & Achim Steiner to launch a citizens’ own green economy initiative ahead of the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development “Rio+20”

11 October at 11 a.m. at Bozar, Brussel

On 11 October, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood is bringing her style of communication to the world of sustainable development. At the launch in Brussels, Ms Westwood will unveil her Tree-shirt – an unmistakably Westwood style T-shirt to raise funds for re-connecting Europe’s forests. The thought-provoking Vivienne Westwood design was printed on shirts donated by the Anvil Eco T-Shirt Collection™ and each shirt will include a Shirt Scan™ Code with additional information on the GreenUp programme.

‘Buy a Tree-shirt, plant a tree’ is the first of 10 actions of the new GreenUp programme – an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which will be launched jointly with the European Climate Foundation on 11 October in Brussels. Starting from the same day, the Tree-shirt is available exclusively online at yoox.com’s eco-friendly initiative YOOXYGEN, giving all net sale proceeds to replanting programmes.

GreenUp is about triggering new habits for a greener Europe and for greener economies. Eight months ahead of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development “Rio+20”, GreenUp is taking the idea of shifting to a new economic model to the streets. It’s not just for private and public sectors, it’s everyone business.

Each month leading to Rio+20 in June 2012 GreenUp’s monthly citizen actions for Europeans will convey how smarter growth is achievable, and how a green economy will protect our economies as well as our future development. Sustainably.

The citizen actions are designed with social media in mind, and GreenUp’s centrepiece is its innovative website: a social media hub that Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, will present at the launch.

‘We are entering an era of rising risks from fuel and food crises, from increasing freshwater scarcities and challenges such as climate change that will test the resilience of our economies, countries and communities as perhaps never before. But we also have a collective body of inspiring experiences, analysis, technological and scientific know-how, smart public policies and creative market instruments that can allow the world to move forward on a far more intelligent, fair and ultimately sustainable path—if we, together as citizens, want to take it’. Steiner added.

Many countries, private companies, communities and individuals are already actively promoting a transition to a green economy. GreenUp’s website will share these success stories and call for new ones.

You are cordially invited to attend GreenUp’s launch on 11 October at 11 a.m, at Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels. The launch will be followed by a cocktail.

Note to editors:

• At the launch, you will discover Dame Westwood’s art work, reflecting her serious concern for deforestation. Ms Westwood often uses her credibility as a fashion designer and the medium of her shows to talk about culture and politics and, more specifically, about the urgent need to act against climate change and protect our environment.
• The company ANVIL has donated to the GreenUp programme the first 3,000 shirts produced in organic cotton. As exclusive online retail partner, the virtual store yoox.com has also joined the GreenUp team and will sell the Tree-shirts online at www.yoox.com, giving all net sale proceeds to the replanting programme.
• You will also receive detailed maps of Europe’s forests, showing the fragmentation challenges we are facing and spotting priority zones where we need to re-plant trees.
• For more information, please contact: Isabelle Valentiny, UNEP’s information officer for Europe – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - +41 79 251 82 36