On 5 June during the celebration of World Environment Day, over 300 university students of 50 countries and regions gathered in the 129 Hall of Tongji for the “Less Plastic Pollution, Better City Life” Summit during the International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability 2018. Students shared the innovative thinking and best practices on the topics of sustainable development education and United Nations, eco-city, ecosystem and wildlife and green lifestyle. This Conference is co-hosted by Tongji University, United Nations Environment Programme, Xinhua News Agency and Beijing Environment Foundation for Young Talents.

Erik Solheim, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme conveyed welcome remarks to the conference by video, expressing his expectations on the World Environment Day and young students. He mentioned the hazards of plastic pollution all over the world and praised the Chinese government for doing more in solving the plastic pollution. At the same time, he encouraged young students to live a greener lifestyle and reduce the use of plastic. In the video, he also reviewed the discussion about environmental issues in his last visit to Tongji University, encouraging young students to go into action and change the course of history.

Prof. Wu Jiang, Executive Vice President of Tongji University, Ms. Qian Hong, Vice-President of Agricultural Bank of China, Shanghai Branch and Mr. Ananda Dias, Regional Coordinator, Early Warning and Assessment, Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Environment Programme delivered welcome remarks. In their speeches they hoped that young students would practice on sustainable development and consumption concepts, as well as take the lead in this field, so as to make greater contribution to achieve the goal of global sustainable development and create a harmonious Eden Garden possessed and shared by all the member of human being.

On the summit, Prof. S. K. Chou, professor of National University of Singapore delivered a keynote speech to analyze the development of sustainable city from the inhabitant, course and policy dimensions. Prof. Jerry Yan, Guest professor of Tongji University Summit Program, professor of Mälardalen University & Royal Institute of Technology delivered a report on Transition of Energy Systems & Waste to Energy. He introduced the experience of the energy structure adjustment and put forward the outlook of its future development. In addition, Ms. Jiyoon SONG, Researcher, Korea Environment Institute, the Republic of Korea, Mr. Neil LOPEZ, Assistant Professor, the Mechanical Engineering Department of De La Salle University, the Philippines and Mr. Aruna DIAS, Environment Officer, Cardinia Shire Council, Australia, respectively, introduced the main content and scientific discovery from Global Environmental Outlook-6 for Youth, Asia-Pacific.

As a special event for the World Environment Day, the conference also held an awarding ceremony of Animation and Comics Competition in Asia-Pacific “Our Earth, Our Story”. And the excellent works were exhibited on scene. Besides, Mycline Umuhoza, the student representative of IESD and the members of Green Road Association of Tongji Univeristy performed poem recitation and exhibited plastic artwork, elucidating the topic of Less Plastic Pollution vividly.

Awarding ceremony of student scholarship for 2018 Green Future Scholarship and 2017 Green Seedling Scholarship was held. A total of 30 environment-related-major students from 17 universities nationwide were awarded. Meanwhile, research projects from 10 student teams were funded by Green Seedling Scholarship, and 10 research reports or papers were awarded with Green Future Scholarship. As the same time 2018 Golden Brick Future Scholarship also awarded its winners. Ms. Zhang Li, Chairwoman of the Board, Beijing Environment Foundation for Young Talents, Prof. Wu Jiang, Mr. Ananda Dias awarded the winning students.

Green Seedling Scholarship and Green Future Scholarship are set up by Beijing Green Future Environmental Foundation, serving for undergraduate students and master students majoring in environment or environment-related majors in China. Green Seedling Scholarship is set for student science research projects, encouraging small inventions, innovations and academic researches, especially interdisciplinary researches in environmental science sector by young students. Green Future Scholarship serves for student social practices, and it promotes students to survey environmental problems in their hometown or under current focused social hot-spot. Research reports and papers basing on adaptability evaluation of national or local environmental policies, laws and standards are welcomed.

Golden Brick Future Scholarship is jointly set by IESD and GB Holdings, Beijing. Eight teams from Tongji University stood out from research teams from 20 academies and institutions, won the opportunity for project support. This scholarship mainly focuses on green human habitat and sustainable development related surveys and researches. It encourages students to combine their major and knowledge with the society’s need, and initiate innovations in researches and practices, thus demonstrate the responsibility for the career of environment and sustainable development of the young students.

Prior to this Summit student participants have already visited the exhibition, conducted on-scene study and taken part in seminars. Focusing on four sub-themes and respective speeches and debates, latest practices and thoughts from global young students are shared though multiple means, including academical reports from specialists, group discussions, on-scene survey and poster demonstrations. The conference will conclude at Jun. 7th, with the Global Youth Tongji Declaration.

Organizers of the conference says, the ISCES 2018 is held to echo the theme of World Environmental Day “Beat Plastic Pollution” and the China’s World Environment Day theme “Beautiful China, I am the actor”. It’s of great importance and meaning to build a platform to gather young students worldwide and discuss important, global-focusing environmental and sustainable development issues, which provides a platform for young students, as well as institutions devoted into green development, NOGs and enterprises to share and communicate. It also encourages young talents to participant in sustainable development projects and practices.