Statement: Hello my name is Sudyumna Dahal, I come from Nepal. My country has been in the news a lot in the past weeks, but I want to tell you a different story, a story about Nepalese youth working towards a more sustainable future.

Toward the end of 2003, while some of my friends had left Nepal for better opportunities, my fellow students and I met to discuss what we could do to bring those 'better opportunities' to Nepal?

We have seen development projects not working in Nepal, we have experienced development efforts damaging the environments including projects funded by well-meaning donors. So what would be a viable option for Nepal? We concluded that small-scale hydropower would be best suited to our energy resources and our needs. Not only is it a clean form of energy but by using the run-off river technique, we would be able to collect the power without building a dam that would displace people. Furthermore, it would contribute to the GDP and provide consistently inexpensive energy. For health, livelihood, and sustainability this is a great option for Nepal.

Because we were engaging local resources, it is important for us to give back to the communities where the hydropower projects were located. By partnering with a private company, we ensured that the project was self-sustaining. Through this partnership, the company agreed to reinvest some of the profits into the community.

This is one small step but we are thrilled with this progress and we are using this momentum to channel electricity back to the local communities. Thousands of households can benefit from such mini-hydropower projects. This would replace kerosene and wood as the primary sources of fuel, leaving the community with cleaner air, reducing the incidence of acute respiratory syndrome (particularly in women and children), and greener forests. Also, by educating and supporting the community in end-use diversification of electricity, they can develop the infrastructure for viable economies. And all this can be accomplished with a little funding, education, and development of local infrastructure.

My project is only one example out of many. Here, at CSD, I have learned about other amazing youth-led initiatives toward a more sustainable future. Through the Campus Climate Challenge in North America over 300 universities are now investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency and green transportation. They are engaging in campus-wide education and empowerment.

In Ghana, my friend Emmanuel is working through the Youth Employment Summit Ghana to improve agricultural development. The use of new environmentally friendly machinery for irrigation has increased efficiency and production for individual farmers, thus increasing employment opportunities for young people in the surrounding area.

There are other fine examples in this MDG Youth paper and the Children and Youth Discussion paper.

Clearly there are solutions that already exist, in the North as well as in the South. The challenge is to capture the potential of these solutions and invest in them. On the occasion of this review year, we commit to working with you to strengthen support for these and other initiatives.

The decisions made today will have a significant impact on our lives in the future. We will live the consequences. We will breathe the air and drink the water you leave us. Let the support you lend these projects be the legacy you leave to us.

Presented by Sudyumna Dahal (Nepal) from the Children and Youth chair. Written by the Youth Caucus.

Swedish Government Intervention: Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The older generation and decision makers of today should take responsibility towards the coming generations through sustainable consumption and production.

We need to educate youth to give them knowledge and tools to actively participate in our pursuit towards sustainable development. Both formal and non-formal education plays a central role in this endeavour.

For example, youth can contribute to raise awareness on the need for energy efficiency. Youth in many countries use competition between and within schools as a way of educating their peers on how to reduce energy. Youth also bring about the transition to clean, renewable energy sources on campuses and within communities around the world.

The Swedish parliament has decided to mainstream sustainable development in all higher education. This is an example on a policy change in education that should lead to greater awareness for the future greening of the Swedish welfare state. Students were the driving force for this development.

Truly sustainable industrial development can be a vehicle for crucial job creation for young people. Youth, that is both young women and young men, can substantially contribute with a broad range of perspectives. This can bring in new and creative ideas that can help in the formulation of new types of jobs and services to contribute both to sustainable industrial development and sustainable development at large.

For young people, long-term environmental sustainability of industries is crucial. Youth-led initiatives are vital to poverty eradication. Microfinance can be one of many important tools in creating sustainable opportunities for young people. It is as important that youth take part in large-scale industrial production, as young people often are important consumers of their products.

Thank you.

Presented by Karin Carlesten (Sweden) from the Sweden chair.