Combined Youth Statement

Combined Youth Statement Preamble We are a group of youth cognizant of and concerned about the fallibility of our degrading environment due to the impact of climate change, and conversant with the compelling need to actively engineer solutions to ensure the ecological sustainability of our current practices. Hence, in the premise of the combined Asia Youth Statement, we have put together a comprehensive position paper that addresses the identified climate challenges in the course of the various youth conferences, starting from Singapore, to showcase the determination of youth to contribute to sourcing for a solution in solidarity. This document aims to be a culmination of all mooted suggestions throughout the course of the various youth conferences, summits, . It seeks to present to the relevant regional or global authorities a pertinent list of policies that are both compellingly incisive and highly feasible. This paper stands out as it proffers a multi-faceted perspective of current global environment-related maladies, being a product of days of fervent discussion and brainstorming amongst participants hailing from corners of the globe. Over and above providing an informative and stimulating read, it is hoped that governmental institutions find the suggested measures feasible enough to genuinely consider the next, definitive step of implementation, so that there are tangible products to the conference proceedings. The Asian youth body represents the microcosm of cultural backgrounds and native experiences that span across the entire region. This region can hardly be represented by any one generalization alone; to speak of the Asian region would be to invoke the vastly differing states of development and the different customs, habits and manner of life of each nation and culture. It is precisely this diversity that has contributed to its success as an economic body. The Asian region is a thriving place of commerce, and looks poised to increase its scale of economic activity greatly over the next few decades as its economies mature. In tandem with this, however, it is becoming increasingly clear that as development revs up, the integrity of the environment and its protection has to be factored into the developmental quotient, or risk incurring an ecological debt that places the quality of human life and the needs of subsequent generations at grave peril. There needs to be a consolidated effort to confront the environmental issues that are plaguing societies, particularly in this sphere of the world. The diversity that characterizes the Asian body makes it certain that there can be no one common model of development and no one common solution to the environmental problems, just some common problems, and above all, the common need to tackle these issues for posterity. Where recognition of this need has lagged behind, it is timely to address this, and develop a common platform whereby there can be conducive discussion and sharing on the steps forward, with regard to guiding principles that should underlie policy adoptions and institutional framework adjustments.

Hence, this is a first step towards crystallizing the solidarity of the Asian body, driven by Asian youth, to embrace a more inclusive and participatory medium of exchange. This paper embodies the shared determination of all Asian youth to tackle the particular issues that are facing their countries and the region; in this paper the solidarity of Asian youth is displayed, as well as the strength of voice that comes from consensus reached and common goals shared over the course of the World Leadership Conference 2009. Looking ahead, youths can expect to take back this paper to their respective countries, acting as pivot points for their respective countries by spearheading local initiatives on the ground where they can, or by submitting this paper to government officials to share the outcomes of the World Leadership Conference so that the importance of environmental leadership is reinforced. Furthermore, by catalyzing discussion and action in society, this can be a forerunner of many more transnational dealings that will enhance the adoption of best practices and pave the way for further solutions. Introduction of the document The conference was marked by the adoption of 6 thematic approaches for further discussion and analysis, with invited experts in the areas chosen giving talks about the complexities each issue entailed, and carefully chosen site visits that concur with these issues and enabling a more holistic discussion and enriching conference. Keeping in mind the unique characteristics that define the region, the choice of the topics of waste management and resource depletion seeks to meet the need for more considered use of environmental resources even as society’s escalating demands continue to accentuate the need to draw upon available raw materials. These two topics aim to close the feedback loop, from reducing consumption, to reducing waste production and enhancing the proper handling of waste to maximize their uses and exemplify the “cradle-to-cradle” concept. Hand-in-hand with this is the nascent field of green technology, a widelyencompassing term that promises to deliver unprecedented benefits to society in mitigating existing crises and extracting a maximum amount of benefit from the constrained environment and resource situation. In fact, the choice also of alternative energy sources as another topic seeks to be complementary both to the idea of green technology as well as to the emergent efforts made globally to develop new energy sources and increase their uptake as viable alternatives to the present reliance on fossil fuels. Lastly, to make the connections between industry and society, the choice of the final two topics of environmental law, as well as education and environmental awareness, will tie up seamlessly with the other themes, as they involve ensuring that enhanced methods and technologies are complemented by more supportive and nuanced attitudes towards environmentalism and conservation from the population. Environmental law is a crucial aspect of harnessing the improved technologies and methods by laying down a favourable framework of regulations and policies, while education and environmental awareness promotes greater understanding and a more favourable mindset towards conservation.