To further promote the linkage between environmental education and addressing climate change, the GEEP held a side event at the COP 26 summit in Glasgow on November 12. The side event was a joint effort between Taiwan and the US EPA and was attended by Deputy Minister Shen Chih-hsiu of the Taiwan EPA, Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida of the US EPA, and other distinguished guests and EE experts from around the globe.

In the opening remarks, Deputy Minister Shen spoke about how the Taiwan and US EPA have a deep foundation of cooperation and friendship in climate change adaptation and mitigation, and they recognize that in order to find inclusive and sustainable solutions from the perspective of environmental protection, it is necessary to combine the strengths of various governmental agencies, as well as businesses and civil society organizations. Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida expressed gratitude for the long-term support of all the environmental education partners present in person and online. Past achievements show that the GEEP, with the collaboration of public and private partners, not only provides environmental knowledge and inspiration, but also focuses on youth empowerment and motivating young people to take action, successfully driving this most inspiring force of youth for the benefit of the environment.

In 2019, the GEEP Asia Pacific Regional Center (APRC) was established in Taiwan, and is mainly responsible for the promotion of regional environmental education. The APRC continues to construct a communication network in the Asia Pacific region, and not only extends Taiwan’s experience into the region but also to the world. Currently, GEEP has partners from Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam that have joined the network, and today’s event was a great opportunity to reach out to African countries as global environmental education partners. The African delegates shared with others the current state of environmental education in Africa and what is hoped to be achieved, and explained that the GEEP Africa’s vision will play a key role in amplifying the power of environmental education in the region. Finally, a representative of African youth leaders concluded the event by calling on all generations to work together to address the environmental challenges of climate change, and to empower youth to learn, participate and act on climate change.

For more information on GEEP and its activities, please visit https://thegeep.org/.