As a way to connect with the world on sustainability issues, the EPA organized the 2022 International Environmental Issues and Education Workshop for Youth, in which 30 students from 19 countries participated. The meeting took place physically on 18-19 August 2022 in Taichung to show the students Taiwan’s solutions to air pollution.
In response to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the EPA has been organizing international environmental education events for foreign students studying in Taiwan since the Global Environmental Education Partnership Asia-Pacific Regional Center (GEEP APRC) was established in 2019. This is the third year the EPA has organized such an event, which is one of the most important training programs of GEEP APRC in Taiwan. With a focus on air pollution and net-zero carbon emission issues, the course presented Taiwan’s actions and strategies toward air pollution and climate change issues so as to inspire the 30 students from different parts of the world to solve environmental problems with action.
The two-day training included a visit to the Ririren Rural Co., Ltd., which was formed by youths in their 30s who returned to the rural area and devoted themselves to environmental issues they cared about. The company recycles discarded Asian pear twigs and turns them into unique pens. The process modifies field residues and reduces air pollution from agricultural waste burning. Moreover, in light of the international trend for net-zero carbon emission, the workshop also showed students how Taiwan’s enterprises strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection. The students also visited a green building in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ecological Park and saw the company’s business model of a circular economy.
Besides the site visits and seminars, group discussions were an essential part of the training course. Through the sharing of views and the current situations of different countries, the students brainstormed and devised possible action plans for different countries, completing the learning process of “inspiring, creating and practicing." A student from Tanzania even exclaimed, “You can do something!” to encourage other participants to act together for the environment.
Sources: EPA
