‎ Specialized Meeting on “the role of social networking to improve environmental education regarding green small business”

UNESCO Chair on Environmental Education in Islamic Republic of Iran held a meeting with the participation and collaboration of members of Amirabad neighborhood sub-council entitled “the role of social networking to improve environmental education regarding green small business” in October 2018.

At first, the benefits of eco-friendly local businesses were mentioned. A green small business is one which takes measures to provide family-supporting profits and benefits, also reduce its impact on the environment and preserves or enhances environmental quality. Green businesses may be committed to environmental and social initiatives, such as the use of renewable energy sources and energy-efficiency measures; the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and other environmental pollutants; the conservation of natural resources and energy; reduction of material usage in order to enhance recyclability and reusability through  green marketing such as implementing a green supply chain, green products design, packaging, pricing and promotion are benefits to society and the environment.

Local homogeneous groups in different areas of green small business were formed in the next step. Their educational needs recognized as follows:

• Family typology: Psychology topics, needs, etc.
• Individual resilience: flexibility, compatibility, collaboration, understanding risk, problem solving, etc.
• Community resilience: social connectedness for resource exchange, cohesion, response, and recovery, social and economic well-being of the community, effective risk communication, integration and involvement with different entities, etc.
• Green marketing: such as green product, green price, eco-labels that has economic impact on local economy with emphasis on low-energy solutions, sustainable products, non-toxic ingredients, low waste (or emissions), chemical free, recycled materials.
• Specialized training in various fields: organic food, eco-friendly toy seller, organic gift shop, eco-friendly beauty and health productions, financially and ecologically sustainable alternative for waste sorting and reusing, green store, etc.

Finally, UNESCO Chair on Environmental Education in Islamic Republic of Iran announced its readiness to hold a series of training sessions on the above subjects.