As an essential part of “2015 International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development”, “City and Nature—Youth Involvement in Sustainable Development Programmes” exhibition is inaugurated at the lobby of Rui’an Building in Tongji University (Siping campus) on June 5, World Environment Day. The exhibition includes three main sectors, “Education on Sustainable Development”, “Green Economy” and “Green Enterprises”.

        Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, UN assistant secretary-general and UNEP deputy executive director and Prof. Wu Jiang, the Vice President of Tongji University, gave remarks on the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

        Prof. Wujiang said, “Urban life quality has close relationship with natural environment. China’s promoting ecological civilization by policies and practices not only meets the need of Green Development in our country but also follows the global trend of sustainable development. Universities play an essential role in promoting education on sustainability and in knowledge spreading. ”

        Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw said, “This year takes ‘Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care’ as the theme of World Environment Day. It attaches great importance to sustainable production and consumption, which also serves as the key point in balancing city development and ecological protection. The young people are the architects of the beautiful future, on whom UNEP pays much attention.

        In the exhibition, the efforts and exploring experience in sustainable development made by UNEP, GUPES, Tongji University, UNEP-Tongji IESD, UNESCO, FAO, UNV, UNAIDS, Beijing Environment Foundation for Young Talents as well as other relative agencies are on display.

        Besides, the art exhibition” The Sea-ty Unseen—living city, live in nature” is also included. It is organized by Mr. Yu Peng, professor of College of Arts and Media at Tongji University has gathered the joint work of students and teachers of College of Arts and Media. “The Sea-ty Unseen” takes deep-sea mineral crystals and microbes as its subject matter and shows innumerable kinds of species in the ocean as well as the “living construction”, “living technology” and “living civiliazation” built by those species, encouraging the concept of sustainable development in harmony with nature.

        The best posters of the past years are also exhibited.

        As a traditional annual event of International Students Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, the exhibition aims to enabling college students from all over the world to gain first-hand experiences from the practices of government, international organizations, companies, research institutes and other agencies, getting a better understanding on the theories and application of sustainable science and technology, and enhancing the ability of weighing advantages and disadvantages and of accepting opportunities and challenges encountered in sustainable development. It is expected that the exhibition can help students take an active role in sustainable development and enhance their comprehensive ability in environmental protection.