Young Climate Leaders – A New Generation – US-AZ Cultural Foundation

USAZCF met several young climate leaders at COP29, the United Nations Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. Among them were three outstanding Chinese students, passionate about tackling climate challenges and envisioning a cleaner, greener future. They represent the next generation of problem solvers, highlighting the critical role youth play in shaping global climate solutions.

The three Chinese students attend Emerald Hill Design Education Institute, in Hangzhou, 100 miles (174 km) from Shanghai, China. It was founded in 2018 by Dr. Fang Lei Liang, a Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) alumnus.

Emerald Hill Design Education Institute, supported by the Alibaba Group Holding Limited, focuses on Project Based Learning (PBL), a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

The Institute’s mission is to develop future leaders who can innovate, create and inspire others. The Emerald Hill approach to design thinking is a meaningful method to unleash creativity in children, using design thinking principles offered by the institute.

A day later I bumped into Farid, a nine-year-old whizz-kid from Saudi Arabia who also attends an international school.

Farid gave me a passionate and well formatted speech about the climate challenges Saudi Arabia faces and the measures the country is taking to help address the situation.