After New York, Sydney or Bogota, the Lot village of Varaire becomes an ambassador of the Global Goals

Along with seven other major international cities including New York, London and Sydney, Varaire is the second French city after Cannes to promote the 17 UN Global Goals for more than a month. It’s a plan agreed in 2015 by all world leaders, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals to build a better, greener and fairer future by 2030. Fighting poverty, hunger, inequality and climate change are just some of the issues that require urgent solutions. Great challenges that will be highlighted in Varaire from Sunday December 18 and until January 29, 2023. To sensitize residents and visitors to these priorities, this Sunday the Varaire town hall is installing eleven totems presenting the Global Goals in the village. Residents, students and the municipality have been involved in this project for a month.

Encourage sustainable initiatives

How did Varaire find itself, a village of 342 souls in the heart of the Causses du Quercy Regional Nature Park, next to major international cities? By a happy coincidence! “One of our residents had already participated in the organization of the Global Goals in Cannes in early September. He then offered to present our candidacy to the UN and we were selected!” says Mayor Marcel Aymard. According to him, Varaire already leads a strong policy in favor of sustainable development through concrete actions to protect the environment and the living environment of its inhabitants. “Varaire, like other rural municipalities, already meets some of the 17 objectives, and we find ourselves in these values ​​that we have been applying for years. For example: village solidarity, proximity to small businesses, responsible consumption and production with our farmers who produce in short circuit , finally education is at the center of our concerns. We have maintained our school which contributes to the development of the municipality” underlines the elected one.

Inauguration Sunday 18 December

The school and the town hall have had an energy redevelopment intervention, they use renewable energy with a collective wood-burning boiler. Here is a hodgepodge of examples of Council’s efforts. But through this event, Varaire does not want to be talked about: “we don’t do it to shine. We want to honor the goals and values ​​we share, so that everyone can think about them. , make them their own. Show that rural villages, like big cities, can participate in the reflection on sustainable development and promote it” explains Edwige Courpet, first deputy.

The international operation also aims to strengthen the cultural and social dynamism of Varaire. The inauguration of the event therefore takes place on Sunday at 11 with the 11 totems recycled since they were already used in Cannes. Easily recognizable color stickers of the 17 United Nations values ​​and panels made by the schools of Varaire and Concots will be displayed throughout the village. Conferences will also be organized on the four Saturdays in January