Peking University, Beijing, Dec. 21st, 2009: Recently, countries all over the world stated their positions and put forward proposals on climate change issues on the UN Climate Change Conference, which was held in Copenhagen. Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council, attended the conference and on Dec 17th and 18th and addressed speeches about China’s position and suggested on coping with climate change and strengthen international cooperation.

On Dec 17th, just before the end of the conference, Youth Volunteers Association of Peking University and the Environmental Education Base of China University Students published a proposal Cope with Climate Change and Build Ecological Civilization in order to draw the youth’s attention to Copenhagen and call on PKU students to shoulder the responsibility of coping with climate change and create a low-carbon and sustainable lifestyle.

Teachers and students signed on the display board

As is mentioned in the proposal, nowadays, climate change has brought a huge challenge to the survival and existence of human beings. Bearing hope and responsibility, university students are the pioneers in leading the culture of environmental protection, boasting researches on environmental sciences, organizing environmental protection activities and promoting environmental education. They are the new power in the fields of ecological environmental protection and coping with climate change, and are to be part of the main force of building ecological civilization.

To cope with climate change, university students firmly support the action to reduce carbon emission taken by Chinese government and look forward to global collaboration. Students learn and build up the consciousness of environmental protection and strengthen their confidence, participant in researches and think of creative ideas. At the same time, students could make the most of their majors to tackle key problems in scientific projects according to the need of the country and give scientific support to the sustainable development of social economy. A environmental friendly campus need be built to accelerate sustainable development reduce energy consumption, promote the circulation of resources and build a model community which is beautiful, energy-saving and with a virtuous ecological cycle.

“↓C”(reduce carbon) figure made up of lights in students’ dormitory

In the evening, thousands of PKU students turned off their lights for 12minutes and 17 seconds. The figures of “COP15”, “↓C” and “V” composed of light appeared on the dorm buildings, vividly delivering the students’ wishes to reduce carbon emission and cope with climate change. At the same time, students started heated discussions concerning climate change and sustainable development of the campus on many websites like bbs.pku.edu.cn.  This showed the youth’s close concentration and determination in respect to coping with climate change and their support to the countries’ agreement on redue carbon emission on Copenhagen Conference.

As one of the organizations to initiate this action, the Environmental Education Base of China University Students was established by PKU in 2006. It aims to build a high-end platform for university students to receive environmental education and contributes to environmental protection, guides the students to get engaged in environmental scientific innovation, “green” campuses construction, environmental education promotion and international communication. It will constantly bring up young leaders in the fields of environmental protection.