From 8 December to 27 February 2026, UNU is hosting the award-winning photo exhibition “Sustainability Stories”, by the United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) and the Technische Sammlungen Dresden.
Communities worldwide are confronting the intertwined challenges of climate change, resource scarcity and social transformation. The pressures do not occur in isolation: essential resources like water, food, soil, energy and land are interconnected systems, with strains on one inevitably cascading through the others. Yet within this complexity emerge powerful stories of human resilience and ingenuity, showing how people navigate everyday trade-offs, adapt to new realities and shape their own sustainable futures.
Sustainability Stories is an award-winning photo exhibition that makes these efforts visible. Grounded in the Resource Nexus approach, the exhibition documents how communities worldwide are managing their interconnected resource challenges – whether restoring degraded landscapes, securing water and food, or rethinking waste. Now presented in Tokyo as part of the United Nations University’s 50th anniversary commemoration, Sustainability Stories reframes our view of sustainability: not as a collection of isolated issues but as an interconnected system shaped by people, place and culture. This visual dialogue, co-organised by UNU-FLORES and previously presented in Dresden, strengthens our understanding of the Resource Nexus and fosters a shared sense of responsibility for a just and sustainable future.
The exhibition, co-organized by UNU-FLORES and the Technische Sammlungen Dresden (and made possible through the support of the Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture (SMEKUL) and the Carlowitz-Gesellschaft e.V.) received the eku Zukunftspreis (the Saxon State eku Future Prize) for its contribution to sustainability. The Tokyo exhibition is being produced and funded in collaboration with the UNU Office of Communications.
Venue
The exhibition is located on the second floor of the United Nations University Headquarters in Tokyo. Admission is free and open to all. Pre-registration is not required.
Opening hours
Weekdays during 8 December 2025 ー 27 February 2026, 10:00–17:00.
The exhibition will be closed during 25th December 2025 ー 1 January 2026.
The exhibition may be partially inaccessible on the following days* due to events being held in adjacent spaces: 19 December
*Dates are subject to change. Please check this webpage for the latest information.
UNU@50
As a part of the UNU 50th anniversary celebration, UNU is bringing the past, present and future of UNU closer to local communities. The exhibition "Sustainability Stories" showcases how people adapt, make tough trade-offs, and build sustainable futures.
To learn more, visit: https://unu.edu/unuat50
About the Project
“Sustainability Stories” is an educational photo exhibition by UNU-FLORES and the Technische Sammlungen Dresden that brings global sustainability challenges closer to home through storytelling and photography. The project promotes Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) by engaging schools, universities, and local communities in dialogue about the interconnectedness of people and planet. It has been recognised with the eku Zukunftspreis of the Free State of Saxony for its contribution to sustainability education.
About UNU-FLORES
The United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), based in Dresden, Germany, advances research, education, and capacity development on the sustainable management of environmental resources. Through the Resource Nexus approach, UNU-FLORES supports the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fosters dialogue between science, policy, and society.
To learn more, visit: https://unu.edu/flores
