Rome’s traditional Christmas lighting illuminates SDGs

Rome’s traditional Christmas tree lights up to call on global efforts to build a more sustainable world.

The official ceremony to inaugurate the 25 meter high fir on Piazza Venezia in Rome’s historic city centre took place today, Wednesday 8 December, as the Italian capital in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the initiative “Christmas in Rome – Let’s give the gift of a sustainable city”.

Rome’s traditional Christmas tree lights up to call on global efforts to build a more sustainable world.

The official ceremony to inaugurate the 25 meter high fir on Piazza Venezia in Rome’s historic city centre took place today, Wednesday 8 December, as the Italian capital in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the initiative “Christmas in Rome – Let’s give the gift of a sustainable city”.

The campaign calls on citizens to join global efforts to build a more sustainable world, starting from their own city, and is symbolized by the giant gift packages at the foot of the Christmas tree, each representing one of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including global priorities such as Zero Hunger, Climate Action and Gender Equality.

Launching the campaign at the ceremony was the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu; Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri; Michaela Castelli, President of the city’s ACEA energy utility; and Enrico Giovannini, Minister of sustainable infrastructures and mobility of Italy.

SOUNDBITE (English) QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General: “What better gift can we give to our children and grandchildren than a sustainably better future? The gifts under this ‘Tree of Action’ represent the 17 Sustainable Development Goals”. 

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu invited everyone to learn more about the sustainable actions that each of us can do in our daily life.

SOUNDBITE (English) QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General: “We can all learn more about the sustainable actions that each of us can do in our daily life. We need to work together to make our society both cities and rural areas more sustainable for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all – and leaving no one behind.”

Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome said that this Christmas initiative is dedicated to light and sustainability. 

SOUNDBITE (Italian) Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome: “The Sustainable Development Goals are fundamental, they are the basis of the politics that Italy, European Union and United Nations have identified to deal with not only the big challenge of climate change, so to save the planet and the life on the planet, but also to define a path for environmental and social sustainability”.

Each gift package displays a QR code which, when scanned by visitors with their smartphones provides them with information compiled by FAO experts about concrete actions each of us can take to make our lifestyle more sustainable and start building a better future for the planet, our city and its people.

A special package, illustrated by Roman artist Lorenzo Terranera, is dedicated to children and gives them the possibility to carry out simple actions at home or at school to learn and contribute to our shared sustainable future.

Additional content is also accessible to visitors both in Rome and all around the world via a web App and through the FAO website.

The initiative builds on a year-long and intense collaboration between FAO and Italy in the context of the Italian Presidency of the G20, which has brought food security, the transformation of agrifood systems and sustainable development to the forefront of the global agenda.

These initiatives include the opening of the G20 Green Garden in Rome’s ancient Appia Antica Park, which serves as an open-air museum celebrating “People, Planet, Prosperity” and Rome’s ancient heritage while calling for global solidarity to create a sustainable future for all.

STORY: Rome / FAO Christmas tree lighting 

TRT: 2’:40’’

SOURCE: FAO

RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ITALIAN /NATS

DATELINE: Various, please check shotlist

SHOTLIST:

Rome, Italy, 8 December 2021

1. Wide Rome’s traditional Christmas tree being lit up in Piazza Venezia

2. Medium shot with (from left to right) Michaela Castelli, President of the city’s ACEA energy utility; Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri; Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu; and Enrico Giovannini, Minister of sustainable infrastructures and mobility of Italy.

3. Pull focus of Christmas tree

4. Tilt up of Christmas tree

5. Wide shot of press conference at Rome city hall

6. SOUNDBITE (English) QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General: “What better gift can we give to our children and grandchildren than a sustainably better future? The gifts under this ‘Tree of Action’ represent the 17 Sustainable Development Goals”. 

7. Pan left from public to speakers

8. SOUNDBITE (English) QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General: “We can all learn more about the sustainable actions that each of us can do in our daily life. We need to work together to make our society both cities and rural areas more sustainable for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all – and leaving no one behind.”

9. Tilt down from tapestry to speakers

10. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome: “The Sustainable Development Goals are fundamental, they are the basis of the politics that Italy, European Union and United Nations have identified to deal with not only the big challenge of climate change, so to save the planet and the life on the planet, but also to define a path for environmental and social sustainability. 

Rome, Italy, 6 December 2021

11. Aerial night shot, Christmas tree preparation

12. Aerial night shot, zoom out on sign reading “Christmas in Rome”

13. Aerial night shot, top shot of Christmas tree

14. Aerial night shot, tilt up on Christmas tree 

Rome, Italy, 7 December 2021

15. Installation with giant gift packages symbolizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

16. Pan left on gift package with QR Code

17. Woman and child exploring the installation

18. QR code being scanned by visitor

19. Children visiting the installation

20. Children taking a selfie with SDGs installation and Christmas tree on their background

21. Aerial shot of Piazza Venezia in Rome with Christmas tree and SDGs installation

ENDS