AIS and SDSN PH organize webinar with SDSN HK and SDSN TH on youth’s role on sustainable innovations

Last April 19, 2023, SDSN Philippines, SDSN Hong Kong, and SDSN Thailand jointly organized a webinar entitled “Incubating Sustainable Solutions''. The event, which aimed to introduce university and secondary high school students to sustainable innovations and enterprises, featured three sustainability champions sharing their journeys in promoting sustainable development through their careers. 

From the Philippines, Ms. Shawntel Nieto, co-founder and president of SustainablePH and One Cainta Food, emphasized how each venture must begin with a need. A sustainability management graduate of AdMU, Ms. Nieto narrated how SustainablePH was formed to raise sustainability leaders amidst an observed absence of sustainability-trained personnel in businesses and organizations, and how the One Cainta Food Program was set-up to address pandemic-induced basic need shortages in communities.

Ms. Nieto conveyed that people are at the heart of any organization, affirming how leveraging partnerships, delegating tasks, and co-creating solutions have sustained and expanded her organizations’ impact. In the business of sustainability, she forwarded that there should be no competition, because all those involved either win or lose together. 

Next, from Hong Kong, Mr. Terry Leung, Programme Manager for CarbonCare Innolab, discussed the organization’s Climate Advocacy Training for Youth program. Mr. Leung said that by providing basic skills training, facilitating dialogues with public officials, and organizing for participation in international climate events, such as the COP, the program has acted as a climate advocacy campaign incubator for youth in Hong Kong.

For those seeking to kickstart their sustainability ideas, Mr. Leung stressed the balance of identifying one's passion and matching it with a unique and human-centered approach. He raised the importance of paying attention to those who are most affected by environmental problems to be reminded of the meaning behind one’s climate advocacy. 

Lastly, Mr. Jirapat Horesaengchai, Thailand Program Manager of New Energy Nexus (NEX), detailed NEX’s function as a supporter of clean energy tech entrepreneurs. He asserted that the clean-energy ecosystem is more diverse and interconnected than ever before, thus it is key that tech entrepreneurs be connected to proper partners and resources in order to advance innovation and impact.

Addressing aspiring entrepreneurs in the audience, Mr. Horesaenchai advised them to leverage their energy as youth to gain as much experience as possible, noting that sustaining failure will be part of the process. For those soon to enter the workforce, he acknowledged the dilemma of pursuing traditional corporate work versus start-up ventures, but assured them that returning to one’s passion later on in life will always be on the table. 

The open forum that followed had speakers share more advice on how to deepen one’s advocacy, network with others, and sustain long-term commitment to projects. In the context of a post-pandemic transition, the speakers also discussed complementary online and in-person opportunities to advance one’s career. 

The webinar was attended by around 130 people via Zoom, with others joining through YouTube. The audience consisted of mostly youth from the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Thailand, with 82% of attendees being aged 23 or younger. 

The event was a first in inter-network collaboration between SDSN PH, SDSN HK, and SDSN TH, together with their respective affiliate institutions: the Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo Institute of Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, SDG Move, and Thammasat University. The event also featured partnerships with two student organizations from AdMU: the Ateneo Environmental Science Society and The Development Society of the Ateneo.