On 25 July 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand organised a conference titled “Youth for SDGs Conference: Sustainable Consumption and Production” at Vithes Samosorn, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference aimed at raising awareness among Thai youths on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG12 “Responsible Consumption and Production” as they are a key stakeholder and a driving force for development.

            Mr. Pichit Boonsud, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organisations, delivered an opening remarks by emphasising the essential role of Thai youths as an agent of change in the implementation of the SDGs. Afterwards, Mr. Juan Santander, Deputy Representative, UNICEF Thailand Office, delivered a keynote address on “Youth’s Roles in Sustainable Development” in which he reiterated the role of youths in this respect and underlined the importance of integrating sustainable consumption and production into education and innovation. Dr. Arab Hoballah, Team Leader of the European Union-SWITCH-Asia SCP Facility and former Chief of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) from UNEP then gave a keynote speech on “The Promotion of Sustainable Production and Consumption in Thailand and the Role of Youths”. He emphasised the interlinkages between SDG12 and other SDGs, the importance of changing consumption and production pattern as well as behaviour, and the importance  of stakeholder engagement in addressing the challenges in implementing SDG12.

            The conference also featured three interactive sessions on sustainable production, sustainable consumption, and waste management. Mr. Yuttana Anothaisintawee, Managing Director and Eco-designer of Triple Pim Co., Ltd., introduced the “upcycling” method or the process of transforming waste into new materials as an example of sustainable production practice. Ms. Nicha Wachpanich, member of Chula Zero Waste Program and Environmental Conservation Program of Chulalongkorn University, shared her experience in raising awareness on sustainable consumption through changing the university’s culture in providing items such as plastic bags and plastic cups. Mr. Prem Pruktayanon, founder and CEO of Green2Get startup and administrator of Facebook page “Uncle Saleng and the Disappearing Trash,” conducted a workshop which emphasised the importance of waste management, in particular the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), while also highlighting the limitations of recycling.

            The conference was attended by over 250 students from various schools and universities. It was the follow-up of two previous Youth for SDGs Conferences organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as an open platform for youths to share creative perspectives, ideas, and solutions to live a sustainable life.