Last week, Cherry Hill native Mitch Lowenthal advocated for sustainable solutions in New York at the 19th U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development. Lowenthal attended the Commission with 12 other youth delegates through SustainUS, a youth network that empowers young people to contribute voices to policymaking at both grassroots and international levels.
Lowenthal, an alumnus of The George Washington University, was selected from applicants across the country to represent the SustainUS youth delegation to the Commission.
The talks at the U.N. Headquarters have focused on sustainability in transport, chemicals, waste management, and mining. In addition to those four thematic issues, delegates also discussed the 10 Year Framework on Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Part of Lowenthal’s goal in attending is to highlight the unique perspective that youth bring to the negotiations. “Children and youth make up more than one third of the global population so it is vital that the voices of these valuable stakeholders be heard,” Lowenthal said.
“Waste management is an ever-growing problem that can be solved right here at home. Cherry Hill’s RecycleBank pilot program is a great example of how people have the power to minimize their waste footprints to create a healthier and safer environment for the whole community. Join organizations like Sustainable Cherry Hill to become more involved,” he added.
Lowenthal currently works in Manhattan as a legal assistant for the environmental practice group of a major international law firm. During his time in Washington, DC, Lowenthal interned for the Environmental Leadership Program, a non-profit organization that seeks to bring together emerging leaders from across academia, businesses, government and non-profit sectors to enrich the environmental movement with a stronger network of leaders.
While in college, Lowenthal worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Office of Federal Activities in its International Compliance Assurance Division. He also volunteered as a Climate Change Researcher at the Environmental Investigation Agency in London during his time abroad, studying global environmental politics at the University College London.
More information about the delegation, including Agent of Change profiles and contact information, can be found at http://www.sustainus.org/agents. Find regular updates on SustainUS and the Commission at http://www.sustainus.org/blog.
