Written  by Yang Jiqing, Promotion officer

During COP26, Jesper Wohlert, General Coordinator of Fundacion Pueblo para Pueblo, spoke about the Houyi action in Yunnan Province at the China Enterprise Pavilion at 00:15 on 10 November 2021 (London time: 4:15 PM on 9 November 2021).

Jesper Wohlert was accompanied by Chen Minfang, a project officer from the China Youth Climate Action Network (CYCAN), a pilot partner of the European Union-Humana People to People Yunnan Low-carbon Schools Pilot Project, who shared her inspiration and ideas for the Houyi action.

"Houyi Action" is the logo of the EU-HPP Yunnan Low-carbon Schools Pilot Project. It is based on the traditional story – the ancient Houyi shot down 9 suns, the modern Houyi is warning of the happening climate change, and calling on people to take action and ‘shoot down’ carbon dioxide emissions and through this make the earth less hot.

Houyi Action stands for "Climate Action, Low carbon life and emission reduction, create a green future".

In the Logo, green represents environmental protection and orange represents the sun.

Jesper Wohlert said: The Federation for Associations Connected to the International Humana People to People Movement (Switzerland) Yunnan Representative Office is representing our Spanish Foundation and is implementing the low-carbon schools pilot project in Yunnan Province on behalf of the foundation.

With the support of the European Union, HPP’s low carbon schools project aims to create new ways to combat climate change.

At the same time, Liu Xi, head of the pilot project in Yunnan, also connected to the COP26 site through ZOOM, and introduced the project background, objectives, one-year work results and cases to the guests on site and ZOOM online. In addition, the short video made by the project team was played to share the voices of Chinese students on COP26of different ages in the project school on climate change.

The guests gave positive affirmation and encouragement to the pilot project of low carbon school in Yunnan. At the same time, attention was paid to how the experience of the project could be replicated to help other organizations implement similar projects, and how to fully mobilize institutions and organizations of different nature to participate in low-carbon school construction and climate change education.

In response to the questions raised by the guests both on-site and online, Chen Minfang (the Project Officer of CYCAN) and Liu Xi (Project Leader of Yunnan Low Carbon Schools Pilot project) provided explanations and answers.

"Low carbon" is a concept, but it is also an action. It is a long process to turn awareness into action, and this is the entry point for the project. As far as the implementation of the project is concerned, there are lessons to be learned about how to successfully enter schools, train teachers and students, and create action plans to help raise awareness of low carbon. In addition, the partners of the Yunnan Low Carbon Schools pilot Project are different institutions and organizations from different industry sectors with rich experience in low carbon environmental protection, zero carbon future, school management, energy saving and emission reduction technologies, and school mobilization, which can be promoted and applied to the actual project activities.

The challenges brought by climate change are real, serious and long-term. Although "the road is long and difficult", but we always believe that "we will only get there if we start to walk".

“Houyi Climate Action” - we are acting! At COP27, we will see you again!

Project introduction:

Yunnan Low-carbon Schools Pilot Project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the People to People Foundation (Spanish member of HPP) in cooperation with FAIHPP (Switzerland) Yunnan Representative Office, Yunnan Academy for Science and Technical Information, Southwest Forestry University, Chinese Youth Climate Action Network, Green Kunming (Kunming Environmental Popular Science Association) and  Kunming Good Deed Public Welfare Community Development Service Center with a project cycle from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023. The project begins by increasing partners’ awareness and advocacy on climate change mitigation and environmental protection, by raising climate change awareness among 600 schools, 70,000 students and teachers, determine the emission benchmark through basic calculation, and then implement emission reduction work in 50 Carbon Compliant Pioneer Schools. Use science, technology, innovation and other means to respond to “climate action” to accelerate environmental sustainability and promote the transition from green campuses to low-carbon and carbon-neutral campuses.

The project is funded by European Union.

Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of the donor.