ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum

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Members from various countries are attending ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum
Members from various countries are attending ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum

The ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum is an event hosted by the Church of God University Student Volunteer Group (ASEZ) at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple on November 22, 2018. It aimed to raise awareness of climate change among university students both domestically and internationally and to share ideas for solving environmental problems. University students from around the world searched for practical ways to improve environmental issues while listening to expert lectures and presentations on combating climate change.

Background of ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum

Duberli Rodriguez, President of Peru’s Supreme Court, urged university students to take the lead in solving environmental problems.
Duberli Rodriguez, President of Peru’s Supreme Court, urged university students to take the lead in solving environmental problems.

Abnormal climate changes and disasters caused by climate change are becoming more frequent around the global village. In Australia, wildfires occurred around the southeastern coast, damaging an area of 124,000 km², which is larger than the territory of Pennsylvania (119,280 km²), for six months from September 2019 to February 2020.[1][2][3] Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has reported that climate change increases Australia's bushfire occurrence by 800%.

In January 2021, the temperature in the Sahara Desert in Africa and Asir in southwestern Saudi Arabia dropped below freezing.[4][5] That summer, the temperature soared to 49.6°C, resulting in deaths from wildfires and heat waves in Lytton, British Columbia, Canada.[6]

Since the middle of the 20th century, the international society has been calling for cooperation among countries to address climate change. Since international environmental issues were first discussed at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, significant international agreements on combating climate change have been reached, such as the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2016.

ASEZ strives to address various global issues, starting within university campuses where students are located.[7] ASEZ encourages government officials, local agencies, and citizens to participate in environmental protection and awareness through initiatives such as the “Green Campus Cleanup”[8] and “The Cost” Campaign for World Environment Day.[9] In November 2018, ASEZ organized the “ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum” to facilitate discussions among college students, seeking their perspectives on implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and exploring the role of young adults in these efforts.[10][11]

Overview of ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum

University students from all over the world at the ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum.
University students from all over the world at the ASEZ Climate Change Response Forum.
ASEZ members from the U.S., South Africa, and Peru shared their presentations on climate disasters which occurred in their respective countries.
ASEZ members from the U.S., South Africa, and Peru shared their presentations on climate disasters which occurred in their respective countries.
ASEZ members explored ways to resolve environmental problems together through the forum
ASEZ members explored ways to resolve environmental problems together through the forum




More than 600 ASEZ members from Korea, the U.S., South Africa, the Philippines, and Peru attended the forum, discussing the topic of“Climate Change Response and the Role of the University Students.” General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol from the World Mission Society Church of God said in his opening remark, “Each college student who has a love for humanity, passion, and intelligence will make a beautiful and hopeful change in the global village.”

ASEZ members record their action plans for combating climate change.
ASEZ members record their action plans for combating climate change.

Peruvian Supreme Court Justice Duberly Rodriguez Tineo (formerly Chief Justice of the Supreme Court), who gave a speech at the special lecture in the first part, discussed in detail the solutions that college students could take into action. Pointing out greenhouse gases as the main cause of climate change, he said that governments should legislate to reduce the use of fossil fuels, which are the main causes of greenhouse gases. He helped university students gain an understanding, giving an example of eco-friendly energy business in various countries of South America, such as Uruguay and Costa Rica. He also explained in detail the meaning of and how to practice the 17 articles such as “Relieving hunger and sustainable agriculture,” “Water and hygiene,” and “Climate change and response,” saying that the purpose of Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that a good environment gets passed down to the next generation; he also made a request to the university students to take the lead in resolving environmental problems.

In the second part, ASEZ members from the U.S., South Africa, and Peru made a presentation on climate disasters, such as droughts, heat waves, and heavy rains, which occurred in their home countries. They discussed the role of university students while introducing cleanups in partnership with environment groups, and seminars, forums, and campaigns raising environmental awareness.

ASEZ members examined the severity of climate issues and discussed potential solutions at the environmental forum for responding to climate change.
ASEZ members examined the severity of climate issues and discussed potential solutions at the environmental forum for responding to climate change.

At the event venue outside the seminar room where the forum was held, various panel exhibitions were held to introduce the severity of climate change, the reality of climate refugees, and ASEZ activities in response. Korean university students served as guides, explaining the panel content in English and Spanish to university students and guests from all over the world. The university students who looked around the exhibits wrote down on a large panel what actions they would take in response to climate change, Their commitments included “recycling,” “unplugging unused electrical appliances,” “using public transportation and walking instead of driving private vehicles,” “wearing thick layers,” and “paying careful attention during environmental classes.” Alexander, an ASEZ member from San Diego, CA, U.S., who gave a presentation on the subject, “Millennial Generation Issues,” said, “The environmental issues we face today can only be solved when everyone, not just specific individuals or countries, takes action. As it is important to share information to discover problems and find solutions, I wanted to convey the message that we, as university students, should join forces and take action.”

External links

  • "ASEZ Talk Concert on Confronting Climate Change 2018". ASEZ.org.

See also

References