On 5 February 2023 UNU-IAS hosted the Eighth Japan Youth Environmental Activity Contest in person for the first time in three years. This annual contest engages youth across Japan to share their solutions to local and global environmental issues, empowering the next generation of leaders in sustainability. The event was co-organised with the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ), and the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, Japan.
The UNU-IAS Director’s Award was presented to a group of students from Kumamoto Agricultural High School. The winning presentation focused on the challenge of achieving net zero emissions in the pork industry by utilising leftover pork fat to produce laundry soap. After learning about the mass disposal of pork fat during the slicing process, the students looked for ways to reduce waste and successfully developed high-quality laundry soap in partnership with local companies and welfare facilities. The initiative was highly praised for tackling environmental, economic, and social issues such as food waste and climate change.
Further details are available in the MOEJ press release (in Japanese).