KUCHING: Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd and the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) Sarawak recently organised an online workshop to address waste management issues amidst the current Covid-19 pandemic.
It was attended by some 50 participants from institutions of higher learning and environmental agencies in the state.
Titled “Empowering Youths – Effective and Sustainable Waste Management Solutions Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic”, the workshop was one of the activities planned under the Youth Green X-Change (YGXC) Programme, a multi-faceted youth environmental programme established by NREB Sarawak in 2014.
NREB environmental quality controller Justine Jok Jau Emang, when officiating it, said as future leaders, today’s youth had a great responsibility to shoulder.
They were agents of change for protecting the environment and natural resources, enabling future generations to inherit and enjoy nature at its best condition, he added.
Justine said the YGXC flagship was a year-long programme which created an opportunity to engage youth in creating long-term behavioral and attitude changes in environmental protection.
“Through their active roles and collective voices, youth can shape society through campaigns and causes that lead to environmentally-friendly practices and ultimately, improve the quality of environment,” he pointed out.
Justine said amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s YGXC programme focused on environmental issues and impacts arising from the never-before experienced crisis.
Trienekens group chief executive officer Stephen Chin said the company was pleased to partner with NREB and other agencies again this year as it considered youth as future green champions and one of the important target groups in its environmental education initiatives.
“Through this online workshop, we are able to connect with them safely and provide an effective platform to address the pertinent issues in waste management admist the current unprecedented crisis. The workshop also enables us to work together in finding innovative and sustainable solutions, not only from within their own circles but also with the relevant agencies.”
Other strategic partners in the YGXC programme are WWF-Malaysia, Azam Sarawak and Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Kuching, UCSI University Sarawak Campus.
The workshop was the first activity carried out after the YGXC programme was virtually launched by NREB Sarawak in conjunction with the Plastic Free July campaign recently.
UiTM Sarawak lecturer and a member of AZAM Sarawak Dr Margaret Chan moderated the workshop.
There were also talks by three speakers; Julian Gabriel Bain from Trienekens touched on “Safe Management of Municipal Waste During Covid-19”, Nur Aida Nur Azman from NREB on “Impacts of Covid-19 on the Environment” and Alcila Abby from Kuching Beach Cleaners on “Youth Shaping Future Environment (Success Stories)”.
Each speaker shared their professional knowledge and experiences in dealing with challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The workshop culminated in a virtual brainstorming session which saw the participants developing ideas that focused on best practices in waste minimization and reducing the impacts of waste on the environment, especially during this pandemic period.
Upcoming programmes in the year-long YGXC plan comprise four pillars of activities, namely the Speaker Series, Workshop Series, Ecopreneurship Series and Recognition Series which will see the launching of six environmental-themed competitions for youths namely the YGXC Writer Award, YGXC Speaker Award, YGXC Photographer Award, YGXC Videographer Award, YGXC Graphic Designer Award and YGXC Artist Award.
For more information about the YGXC programme, members of the public can contact YGXC Counterpart (NREB Nur Aida Nur Azman at 082-312655 | 019-8181978 and e-mail add: ygxcswk@gmail.com | aidaa@nreb.gov.my or follow its social media pages Facebook– YGXC Sarawak and Instagram Page – @ygxcsarawak.
