The Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum provides young professionals with the connections and environment to express their ideas and assist the change towards a more innovative, mobile, sustainable and liveable Australia.
From the 7 – 10 July 2019, I attended the 2019 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) as a young professional sponsored by QUT. Four days of engaging and insightful speakers presenting on their approaches to improving Australia; forums where I could express my solutions and ideas; performances from intriguing and genuine artists; dinners focused on networking; and the early morning Mayors’ Urban Walk from South Bank to the Botanical Gardens, to get participant’s creative juices flowing for the day, were my key experiences. However, what did I learn?
I learnt that actioning an idea is the journey to change, and we are in a rapidly evolving world where we survive and thrive by adapting and innovating, whilst protecting the most precious resource – THE ENVIRONMENT.
Further, one specific speaker resonated with me and his name is Arlian Ecker – widely known as Plastic Free Boy. He is 14-years-old and spoke about the impact of single-use plastic on the environment and how ‘we need to open the door, so the next generation can come through and make the changes.’ Further, I consider Australia to be a charismatic country. So, when I was listening to Arlian go through the statistics, it shocked me how the country and creatures I love were dying as a result of negligent actions.
The environment provides the foundation for the quality of life. If we want to live happy and healthy; we must care for our environment.
