Whether you are a fan of Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, Belgium's Anuna de Wever or China's Howey Ou, one thing is clear: Climate change is trending and has become a hashtag of great concern to many millennials and Gen Zs worldwide. The year 2021 got off to a promising start in terms of climate change. In February, the United States announced its return to the Paris Agreement. On July 14, the European Union adopted its first ambitious climate bill.

A for effort all around, but not nearly good enough, according to the world's younger generations.

The Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) 2021 Annual Forum on July 29 decided to bring climate change to the table at a panel of representatives from various fields—fashion to architecture to water infrastructure. The Power of the Young Voices: Climate Change and Sustainable Development plenary saw participants sit down for an in-depth discussion hosted by the author.

In the face of the trials and tribulations affecting the future of humankind, the question is how to inspire, engage and mobilize millennials and Gen Zs in the promotion of sustainable development. And the first step to inspiration is education—because knowledge is power. 

Do as the objective actually reads and "sustain." Instead of always looking for groundbreaking options or starting from scratch, one important lesson is that we must never forget to look at what's already in front of us. "Young people must indeed get innovative and look into the use of new technologies, but should never forget about the natural resources they already have access to. They must learn to sustain what they have," Joseph Mendo'o, co-founder of the China-Africa Youth Foundation and head of the delegation of African Youth in China, highlighted. Recycle or upcycle your wardrobe. Hop on a (mo)bike. Bring a lunchbox to work. 

This attitude reset is a first step, one with palpable results.

Incorporating sustainable development into the school curriculum and helping young people gain an understanding of the practical applications of sustainable concepts, from recycling to carbon emission reduction is key. "Younger generations are value-driven, and sometimes almost ideologically so. They need to learn how to align their values with the realities of daily life to avoid disillusion," Kseniya Otmakhova, Lead Manager of Beijing-based Ballistic Architecture Machine's New Silk Road Initiatives, said. 

From education onward, engagement requires communication. Communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity. Managing Director of Alliance Française in Chengdu Gildas Lusteau emphasized that aside from schools communicating the way forward, people can start promoting small initiatives on small scales. For example, by asking people to sort their trash or be mindful of wasteful packaging in WeChat groups. Or, thinking on a slightly bigger scale, having key opinion leaders on social media platforms such as Douyin or Xiaohongshu promote sustainable initiatives. All communication must lead to change.

In rallying the troops via communication, we can reach our final destination, namely that of mass mobilization. If we do our bit on the ground level, this can inspire and light the way for big businesses to increasingly seek more sustainable ways of operating. The UN declared 2021 as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development because the creative economy—creativity, technology, and innovation—is central to realizing the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030. 

Creativity is rooted in sustainable social, economic, environmental and cultural practice. Whether it's about millennial or Gen Z individuals or corporations in the pursuit of sustainable development, private equity investor and Tsinghua University Schwarzman scholar Anthony Wang summed it up beautifully, "Embrace diversity. Invest in creativity."

One final note from your GYLD moderator: Actions speak louder than words. Tone it down on Taobao.

(Print Edition Title: Ready, Reset, Action!) 

Copyedited by Ryan Perkins 

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