Toward a Green and Sustainable Future: Youth Perspectives and Initiatives

At the Youth Scholars Forum of the APEC Research Center Joint Conference, Session Four, themed “Stepping Toward a Green and Sustainable Future: Youth Perspectives and Initiatives,” held in-depth discussions around topics including energy transition, climate technology, green finance, regional cooperation, and youth participation. The forum was hosted by Zhang Wen, Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor at the School of Economics and Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). A number of young scholars from Chile, Russia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, the Philippines, and China shared their observations, solutions, and initiatives for a sustainable future, drawing on their respective research and practical experience.

Diverse Topics Converge on a Green Future

The participating guests came from different academic backgrounds, including chemical engineering, economics, energy research, public policy, sociology, and international affairs, showing that green transformation itself is an interdisciplinary, cross-sector, cross-regional systems project.

Opening the session, Zhang Wen, Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor from the School of Economics and Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), said that this forum is not only the last item on that day’s agenda but also the most anticipated one, because “the future” is not only an academic topic, but also a real proposition closely related to everyone’s lives. She hoped that the on-site exchanges would be both rich in knowledge and also keep an open, relaxed atmosphere for discussion.

Energy Transition Through the Lens of Catalysis Science

The first speaker, Tatiana María Bustamante Betancur, Assistant Professor at Concepción University in Chile, has long been engaged in research on multiphase catalysis and nanomaterials, focusing on sustainable energy applications such as hydrogen storage and the utilization of carbon dioxide resources.

In her remarks, she pointed out that when people talk about energy transition, they often think first of electrification, but not all energy problems can be solved solely by “electrons.” In the face of long-cycle energy storage, long-distance transport, and industrial scenarios where direct electrification is difficult, energy transition also needs “molecular solutions.” In her view, catalysis is an important bridge connecting fundamental chemistry with sustainable practice.

Drawing on her team’s research, she introduced two typical applications: first, liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems, which achieve hydrogen storage and release through catalytic reactions, thereby improving the feasibility of storing and transporting hydrogen energy; second, converting carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals such as methanol and olefins, shifting carbon management from “passive emission reduction” to “resource reuse.” She believes that the key value of young researchers lies not only in producing papers and data, but also in building bridges between fundamental research, industrial applications, and international cooperation.

Promoting Regional Cooperation Through Sustainable Development Goals

Liudmila Zakharova, Professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Russia, studies topics including the economy of North Korea, Russia–North Korea–South Korea relations, and international cooperation in Northeast Asia.

She analyzed “Sustainable Development Goals as a Platform for Northeast Asian Cooperation.” She pointed out that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations 2030 Agenda provide a basic framework for tackling shared challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation, and that “leaving no one behind” is an important principle among them.

In her view, although Northeast Asia has a relatively strong development foundation, it has long lacked an inclusive multilateral cooperation platform. Political frictions, sanctions, and isolation effects have increased the costs of regional cooperation. For this reason, building a relatively neutral dialogue mechanism grounded in the Sustainable Development Goals may become an important path to promote regional cooperation. She also introduced research projects and youth exchange practices in recent years carried out around sustainable development cooperation in Northeast Asia, and believes that young students and young scholars have a unique role in advancing second-track exchanges and expanding mutual trust in the region.

Systems Thinking Rebuilds Urban Decarbonization Pathways

Mingyue Selena Sheng, Senior Researcher at the Energy Center, Business School, University of Auckland in New Zealand, works at the intersection of energy economics, transportation systems, and environmental sustainability, focusing on issues including decarbonization pathways, policy design, the popularization of electric vehicles, and urban carbon emissions.

In her remarks, she emphasized that cutting emissions in cities should not remain at a single technological perspective, but should shift to “systems thinking.” Using Auckland’s commuting scenarios as an example, she noted that whether individuals are willing to choose low-carbon travel is not just a matter of personal preference; more deeply, it is influenced by infrastructure, pricing policies, and institutional design.

Based on New Zealand data, she summarized several research observations: adoption rates of electric vehicles differ significantly across regions; the supply of charging facilities has a marked impact on consumers’ behavior; and income levels and social factors also shape the adoption of low-carbon technologies. She further compared technical pathways such as traditional plug-in charging, wireless charging, and dynamic wireless charging, and argued that the truly critical question is not “which technology is best on its own,” but how to integrate different technologies into a low-carbon transportation system that serves people. At the same time, green hydrogen will also play an important role in decarbonizing heavy transportation and industry. She specifically pointed out that young researchers are often more adept at using big data, digital tools, and interdisciplinary approaches, and therefore are capable of becoming an important driver of systems innovation.

Youth Action Takes Root in Local Society

Samuel Kesi Awayang, Researcher at the National Research Institute of Papua New Guinea, has long focused on climate change, environmental protection, and issues related to traditional land.

With the topic “Youth Initiatives in Papua New Guinea,” he introduced a realistic picture of local youth participation in sustainable development. Based on his research and observations, Papua New Guinea has a large youth population, making it an important force for future climate action and community innovation, but it still faces clear constraints in terms of education continuity, resource input, and project financing.

He shared two cases: one is a youth-led marine conservation organization that mobilizes young volunteers from different age groups to participate in coral restoration, climate adaptation training, and community outreach, strengthening the capacity for grassroots environmental action; the other is a program for primary and secondary school students as well as university students, involving mangrove restoration, seagrass monitoring, and research internships, combining ecological protection, science education, and community participation. He called for providing more funding, education, and capacity-building support for youth-led sustainable projects, so that youth can become not only “passive participants,” but active shapers of the future.

Stronger Policy Support Is Needed for Climate Technology Entrepreneurship

Eunmi Kim, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, mainly studies low-carbon industries, technologies related to climate change, and the ecosystem of small and medium-sized enterprises and startups.

At the forum, she focused on the “role of climate technology startups in a green innovation ecosystem.” She pointed out that while economies generally set carbon neutrality or net-zero targets, without climate technology innovation support, these commitments are difficult to realize in practice. Compared with established enterprises, startups often have stronger technological agility and breakthrough potential, and are an important driving force for deep-tech green innovation.

However, she also reminded participants to recognize existing structural imbalances: global investment in climate technology is increasing, but capital is often concentrated in areas with lower risk and higher commercialization level, such as electric vehicles, while investment in high-risk, high-impact areas remains insufficient. Drawing on the case of South Korea, she noted that many climate technology startups are still in the early stage and struggle to cross the “valley of death.” Through identifying national R&D records and analyzing policy effects, she found that R&D support has a positive impact on companies’ financial performance, but its influence on social effects such as innovation output and employment is not yet significant enough. This means that relevant policies need to be more stable and more strategic, and that green transformation and digital transformation should be promoted to advance in parallel.

A Sustainable Future Is Inseparable from Peace and Inclusion

Rholaisa Balabagan Mamailao, a researcher at the Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology in the Philippines, whose research interests include peace and conflict, gender, human rights, sustainable development, and public policy.

Starting from real experiences in southern Philippines, she offered an important judgment: sustainable development does not have a single universal template; in areas affected by conflict, peace itself is a prerequisite for a green and sustainable future.

She used the local project “ArmstoFarms” in the Philippines as an example to show that in the past, regions affected by war are exploring a sustainable pathway that balances the three dimensions of environment, society, and the economy through agricultural development, identity transformation, and social reconstruction. In her view, a green future not only means protecting natural resources, but also means repairing relationships among people and between people and communities. Young people should not only be included in project implementation, but should be regarded as leaders and decision-makers in peacebuilding, environmental governance, and community resilience.

Blockchain Expands New Space for Green Finance

Bao Hong, Assistant Dean (Policy Research) of the Qianhai Institute of International Affairs, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), focuses his research on digital currencies, financial risks, and technology strategies.

In his discussion at the forum, he talked about the possibilities of “From Green Bonds to Green Tokens: Blockchain Optimizing Climate Finance.” Bao Hong pointed out that although the total amount of global climate financing continues to grow, there is still a clear gap compared with actual financing needs; at the same time, the traditional climate finance system dominated by debt instruments still has many pain points in transparency, liquidity, issuance thresholds, and cross-border coordination.

In his view, blockchain technology can improve transparency of capital flows into green assets, settlement efficiency, and cross-border coordination capabilities through asset tokenization, smart contracts, and on-chain verification mechanisms. He also introduced Hong Kong’s efforts in this area, including government practices in issuing tokenized green bonds, and institutional innovations promoted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority such as Project Ensemble. For young scholars, he recommended strengthening the development of interdisciplinary research networks in the climate finance field, and leveraging the APEC framework to promote cross-border cooperation in tokenizing green assets.

Youth Are Not Bystanders, but Shapers

Looking across the entire forum, although young scholars from different countries and academic backgrounds focus on different issues, they all point to a core fact: a green and sustainable future will not arrive automatically; it needs to be jointly driven by technological innovation, institutional design, regional cooperation, and social participation.

Whether it is supporting energy transition with catalysis technology, building a regional cooperation platform through Sustainable Development Goals, reshaping urban low-carbon infrastructure through systems thinking, or leading community environmental projects, fostering climate technology entrepreneurship, pursuing peace-oriented development pathways, and empowering green finance through blockchain—these discussions show that youth are not only beneficiaries of the future, but also important shapers of today’s sustainable transformation.