The Swedish Embassy, Tokyo, along with Japanese members of Stockholm+50 Youth Task Force, is going to host the Pre Stockholm+50 Youth Conference on 25 April. The event will also be co-hosted by the Kenyan Embassy, Tokyo, UNEP-ITEC, and some Japanese youth organizations. This project is supported by grants from Scandinavia Nippon Sasakawa Foundation. English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation will be provided, and the event will be livestreamed from the Swedish Embassy in Tokyo. You can ask questions and join in the discussion..

The event is mainly targeted at young people, but the not so young can also take part. The conference will start with some reflections on the 1972 Stockholm Conference from two Japanese participants at that event, and review the development of multilateral cooperation on environmental matters since then. Then we will learn about the current human environment in order to gain knowledge about the triple global crises we now face. After exchnages with experts, scientists, youth organizations and practitioners of  environmental education from Sweden and other countries, participants both onsite and online will discuss their action plans to address climate change, loss of biodiversity, and the problems of pollution and waste.

The action plans will be further developed later in mid-May to be presented at Stockholm+50 in June by the Stockholm+50 Youth Task Force. Join us and help tackle the environmental problems with intergenerational initiatives.

Event Schedule

13:30 (6:30 am CET) Opening session

Annika Strandhäll, Swedish Minister for Climate and the Environment opens the conference with a video message.

Swedish Ambasador Pereric Högberg talks to Shinobu Sakamoto (a Minamata  mercury pollution victim who attended the 1972 Stockholm conference when she was just 15)  and Saburo Kato (who attended the 1972 conference as a Japanese Environment Agency official). They will reflect on the 1972 UN Human Environment Conference and subsequent developments, and consider where we should go from here.

14:00 Facing the global crises

Four young people will ask questions to the following four experts.

Ms. Tabu Irina, Kenyan Ambassador to Japan  

Dr Seita Emori, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) 

Prof. Anne McDonald (Sophia University)

Mr Daniel Ternald (Associate Expert, UNEP-ITEC) 

15:00 Presentation by youth organizations

Participating youth organizations present their activities and talk about the challenges they face.

15:30 (8:30 CET) Break

Young participants mingle with Japanese government representatives, journalists, Swedish companies (booths installed in the exhibition hall).

16:00 (9:00 CET) Dialogue with Dr Johan Rockström

Dr Seita Emori asks  Dr Johan Rockström to explain the planetary boundaries and climate impact, his assessment of the current situation and future prospects. Q & A with young people will follow.

16:45 Exchange with Swedish youth and educators

Dialogue with LSU (National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations), how Swedish youth perceive global environmental crises and how they exert influence over policy making.

Dialogue with educator/practitioner of environmental education in Swedish schools to exchange information on how to raise overall awareness.

17:30  (10:30 CET) Discussion

Participating young people (both onsite and online) discuss their action plans (lifestyle change/system change) to tackle the triple crises.

18:00 (11:00 CET) Presentation of Action Plans

Representatives of young people present the results of the preceeding discussion.

18:15 (11:15 CET) Comments and concluding remarks

Ambassador Johanna Lissinger Peitz listens to the action plan presentations and make comments.

Ms Haruko Okusu (UNEP Stockholm +50 Coordinator) comments on and winds up the conference.

Inquiries: kazumi.appleyard@gov.se