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Climate change

Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development: Celebrating International Youth Day 2025

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Around 200 young people gathered at De La Salle University on Monday to celebrate International Youth Day 2025, highlighting the crucial role of the youth in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development. The event, titled 'Mobilize and Ignite Youth Action: Advancing Sustainable Solutions for the Triple Planetary Crisis Through Innovation and Partnership,' was organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Country Office in the Philippines, together with environmental groups Clean Air Asia and BAN Toxics. The celebration aimed to mobilize and ignite youth action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

Key Takeaways:

  • The event brought together 200 young people from different organizations and institutions to discuss and take action on sustainable development.
  • The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Country Office in the Philippines, Clean Air Asia, and BAN Toxics co-organized the event to promote youth empowerment and address environmental challenges.
  • Teddy Monroy, UNIDO Country Representative, emphasized the importance of the youth in addressing the triple planetary crisis and highlighted the need for innovative solutions to decouple environmental degradation from economic growth.
  • An interactive social media action zone allowed participants to create content and share their stories, commitments, and calls to action with a wider online audience.
  • The event featured two speakers, Mr. Ramyr Angeles and John Sherwin Felix, who showcased inspiring stories of youth-led initiatives creating positive change in their communities.
  • Two workshops, "Solutions Lab," were held, focusing on UNIDO projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which aimed to promote electric mobility and healthcare waste awareness.
  • The workshops empowered participants to develop their own key messages and campaign calls, creating TikTok-style short videos that reflected their voice, creativity, and commitment to advocacy.
  • The Solutions Labs led to the launch of two new youth-focused initiatives, the "E-Mobility Idea Competition" and "#GenZeroPh."
  • The E-Mobility Idea Competition invites youth to pitch innovative solutions to accelerate electric mobility in the Philippines, with the grand winner earning a study tour and presentation slot at the 2026 Better Air Quality Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.

Statistics:

  • 200 young people participated in the event.
  • 2 workshops, "Solutions Lab," were held, focusing on UNIDO projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
  • 2 new youth-focused initiatives were launched: the "E-Mobility Idea Competition" and "#GenZeroPh."
  • 18-24-year-old youth are invited to participate in the E-Mobility Idea Competition.

Sources:

  • United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Country Office in the Philippines
  • Clean Air Asia
  • BAN Toxics
  • Teddy Monroy, UNIDO Country Representative
  • Mr. Ramyr Angeles, co-founder of Mobility Vision+
  • John Sherwin Felix, food heritage photographer and researcher
  • Corazon Halili-Dichosa, Executive Director, Board of Investments

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