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The Fifth ASEZ Biodiversity Seminar
Exploring the Role of University Students in Achieving “Nature Positive”
ASEZ, the Church of God University Student Volunteer Group, has continued to hold biodiversity seminars since 2019, with this year marking the fifth. On June 29, approximately 300 university students, international students, professors, and other participants from Seoul National University, Korea University, Jeonbuk National University, the University of Utah Asia Campus, the City University of New York, and other institutions gathered at Gaon Hall at Seoul National University for the Fifth ASEZ Biodiversity Seminar.
This year’s seminar focused on “Nature Positive,” which refers to the recovery and enhancement of nature. It is a global goal that goes beyond halting biodiversity loss and seeks to restore natural ecosystems.
Yoo Yeon-chul, Secretary-General of the UN Global Compact Network Korea, delivered a keynote address titled “The Transition to a Nature-Friendly Economy.” Yoo said, “Nature is more than something that simply needs to be protected; it is an important asset with economic value.” He added that governments, businesses, and civil society need to work together to achieve the Nature Positive goal through a holistic approach that takes both climate change and the biodiversity crisis into account. During a question-and-answer session with ASEZ members, Yoo advised them to “start by quantifying carbon emissions and the extent of damage to the natural environment on university campuses, and develop the capacity to seek solutions based on that data.”
In a video lecture, Chantal Line Carpentier, Head of the Trade, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Branch at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), emphasized the role of young people in addressing environmental issues. She encouraged young people to take an active interest in environmental issues, broaden their understanding of economics and finance, develop diplomatic skills, and make their voices heard to help governments improve the effectiveness of environmental policies.
The seminar also featured an introduction to ASEZ’s environmental activities around the world. ASEZ members who gave presentations explained the concepts of “Nature Positive” and “Green Literacy,” the latter referring to the ability to properly understand environmental issues and translate that understanding into action. Based on this awareness, ASEZ has carried out a variety of climate action initiatives around the world, including the “2026 Global Blue Carbon Ecosystem Protection Initiative.”
A video presentation by ASEZ member Anaiah Thomas of Harvard University on ASEZ’s blue carbon ecosystem protection activities in the United States also drew attention. Another highlight was the “Global Youth Session,” in which university students from various countries participated online. ASEZ members from Korea, the Philippines, Nepal, Ecuador, and other countries shared the results and concrete data from plastic collection activities conducted along beaches and rivers to advance the Nature Positive goal.
The members agreed that “because the oceans are connected through various waterways, protecting marine ecosystems must begin not somewhere far away, but in our everyday lives in cities.” They also shared the view that individual action, the accumulation of activity data, and a global environmental conservation network are necessary.
In an interview after the event, Professor Shin Ji-yeon of the University of Utah Asia Campus said, “I found hope in seeing university students who understand what they need to do for sustainable development and are taking the initiative to shape their own future.”
Through the seminar, participants reaffirmed the importance of biodiversity conservation and considered practical ways they could contribute as university students. Moon In-ae, an ASEZ member from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, “I believe that protecting biodiversity is not simply about protecting plants and animals, but about creating a path toward coexistence between people and nature. It was meaningful to have the opportunity to broaden my understanding of this issue.”
Im Eo-jun, an ASEZ member from Korea University, shared his plans for future activities, saying, “The expert lectures helped me develop a clearer picture of what we, as members of a university student volunteer group, can do to advance the Nature Positive goal and how we should go about it.”
