This is Yukky.
I attended the National Youth Environmental Activity Presentation Conference.
If I remember correctly, during the first conference, Youth Committee member Micchin gave a report about attending COP21, right? This was my first time attending the event.
Plastic straws and bottled drinks were prohibited, and printed materials were kept to a minimum—only a pamphlet listing the participating schools was distributed.
Among all the environmental events I’ve attended so far, this one was particularly eco-friendly.
Usually, I get handed tons of pamphlets at these kinds of events and end up thinking, “Is this really eco-friendly…?”
Sixteen high schools from across Japan, selected through regional competitions, gave presentations.
The ones that stood out to me were the presentations about honeybees and Ramsar sites.
Most schools seemed to align their presentations with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
All of the schools gave excellent presentations.
Listening to their activities, I was impressed by their ability to engage with their local communities and the trust they’ve built.
They also demonstrated the ability to identify problems, make predictions, and respond flexibly—truly commendable.
It was such a great event that I hope their activities don’t end with just presenting their results.
Since they’re clearly capable of things like presenting internationally and going on fieldwork, I hope they go ahead and exchange contact info with teams they were interested in.
Even if they can’t meet in person, I’d love to see them stay in touch and share their ideas with each other.
What they’re doing is beneficial not just for the environment, but also for the communities where they are active.
That’s why I really hope they continue to take on various challenges beyond the framework of their own schools, working together in cooperation.
