At a glance: In Partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme

Between 1998 and 2013, the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Program was a key element of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) – Bayer Partnership in the field of youth and the environment. The program focused primarily on the world´s fast-growing emerging economies. With this program, Bayer helped to further strengthen young people’s environmental knowledge, thus contributing to greater youth involvement in environmental issues around the world.

As a highlight, selected students went to Germany on a weeklong study tour to experience how environmental protection was practiced by people, government and industry in one of the leading countries with regards to technology and environmental awareness. The field trip to Germany provided young people with a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience of best environmental protection practices.

Under this program, selected students go to Germany on a weeklong study tour to experience how environmental protection is practiced by people, government and industry in one of the leading countries with regards to technology and environmental awareness.

The visit to the global headquarters of the Bayer Group in Germany demonstrates how companies – through product development and responsible manufacturing processes – contribute to sustainable development.

Originally initiated in 1998 as a local project in Thailand, the concept was subsequently extended to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Venezuela and Vietnam. In 2012, Costa Rica joins the program for the first time.

The program has received widespread praise. Philippine’s President Benigno S. Aquino III said of the project: "I would like to think, that this event spearheaded by Bayer is just the beginning of bigger and better things to come. What started as a proposal for a college science project may soon be the solution for fuel-dependence or mitigating disaster risk."
 
Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore Minister for Environment and Water Resources, said: "Young people are still fired up by their passion, their enthusiasm and their ideals and want to make a difference. I believe it is our responsibility to encourage and provide platforms for them to make their discoveries and their applications, and to have the opportunity to make a long-term difference in the world." In this regard he alluded to the critical role of companies that bring about the full application of these discoveries, and cited Bayer as a role model that understands the need for science and the value of research and development.

Carmen Arévalo, Colombian Vice-Minister of the Environment said that “Corporate projects that give young people the opportunity to actively participate and discuss such an important issue are highly valuable, and the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development endorses this initiative of Bayer launched in the context of corporate social responsibility."

Last updated: January 2, 2014