The 2022 World Youth Development Forum "Climate Change and Green Development Theme Forum" was held in Beijing on the 22nd. Photo by Zhao Jun
BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The 2022 World Youth Development Forum "Climate Change and Green Development Theme Forum" was held in Beijing on the 22nd. The theme forum was hosted by the All-China Youth Federation and Tsinghua University, and hosted by the Youth Diplomatic Universities Alliance. Through the combination of online and offline, representatives from many parties shared views and exchanged experiences, and talked about the power of youth in the "Green Planet".
Wang Xiqin, president of Tsinghua University, pointed out in his speech that education should guide young people to have the courage to assume the responsibility of transcending the present, transcending their locality and surpassing human beings themselves, establish a sense of national community, and inherit the excellent traditional culture of their own nation. Establish a sense of community with a shared future for mankind and become a force for promoting world unity; Establish a sense of community between man and nature, and let a good ecological environment become an inexhaustible source of sustainable human development.
The 2022 World Youth Development Forum "Climate Change and Green Development Theme Forum" was held in Beijing on the 22nd. Photo by Zhao Jun
What role should youth play in climate change and green development? Xu Xiao, vice chairman of the All-China Youth Federation, said that young people should be advocates of the concept of green development, practitioners of green lifestyles, and explorers of green recovery and development. In Xu Xiao's eyes, Chinese youth actively participate in international cooperation on climate change and green development with enthusiasm, share innovative wisdom, transmit youth energy, talk about a green future with young partners from all over the world, and work together to achieve the global green, low-carbon and sustainable development goals.
Razan Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, mentioned that young people should make decisions for future generations, should use what they have learned to save endangered species, re-establish relationships with nature and form a shared vision for a green future.
At the forum, representatives of all participating parties introduced the active practice of young people from all countries in participating in climate change and green development.
Andrea Mesa Muriro, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, spoke of the details of China's youth's commitment to environmental protection. She said that five years ago, the thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification held in Ordos, China, held the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Youth Forum with the theme "Land, Youth and Sustainable Development". The Youth Forum gave young people a voice in international processes, and since then, more young people have been involved in land restoration and drought mitigation.
Roundtable dialogue session of the 2022 World Youth Development Forum "Climate Change and Green Development Theme Forum". Photo by Zhao Jun
Huang Yingfeng, director of the Social Federation Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and convener of the National Youth Ecological and Environmental Protection Community Alliance, introduced the story of Chu Wenwen, a "post-90s" girl, and 11 members of the team, on the banks of the Ulungu River, using the power of youth to escort wild animals. Together, they planted 600,000 shrub willow saplings, solving the problem of insufficient food resources and poor breeding conditions of the endangered species Mengxin beaver. Through unremitting efforts, the Population of Mengxin Beavers has grown from 500 to 598, reaching the highest peak since observational data are available.
Abdullah Annes, Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment of maldives, said at the forum that 37 per cent of young people in the Maldives are concerned about climate change and 92 per cent say they would be willing to do more if given the opportunity. Annes noted that the Maldives is the biggest victim of climate change, that the role of youth in stopping climate change is crucial, and that officials should provide a platform for young people to speak out and bring about change in the world.
During the roundtable dialogue session of the forum, seven young people from all over the world spoke about their contributions to climate change and green development.
Liu Jichen, young leader of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and CEO of New Sudai Technology, said that in 2020, he and his team designed the "Disc Punch Card" WeChat Mini Program, as the world's first product based on AI recognition to reduce food waste, and users can redeem prizes by sharing their own "Disc" actions. "There are almost 9 million users now, and we want to work with you to reduce food waste."
Nishad Shafi, a youth representative from Qatar, is one of the initiators of the Arab Youth Climate Action Network. Shafi said that developing countries are victims of climate change, major Western economies are responsible for historic carbon emissions, and the road to achieving global "climate justice" is still long. Young climate leaders must have policy knowledge and environmental awareness to prioritize addressing the most pressing climate issues together.
Mulindwa Moses, co-founder of the Environmental Group Circular Trust Network, believes that young people are the leaders of the future and should actively participate in the construction of ecological civilization. The Circular Trust Network enables young people to participate in sustainable development activities, understand the essence of environmental problems, find innovative solutions and jointly address global challenges.
"When young people from all over the world gather consensus on green development, share the responsibility for green development, and do solid green development actions, they will certainly be able to create a cleaner and more beautiful home on earth." Xu Xiao said. (End)