Peking University, Beijing, June 2, 2009: Student representatives of Peking University published a "Building a Sustainable Developing Campus" declaration on May 31^st. It is read as below:

Since the 17^th National Congress of the CPC, the implement of the scientific concept of development and the construction of ecological civilization has become the mission of the times to create a new situation of socialism and to achieve a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development. As young people of the next generation, the builders and successors of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we are duty-bound. Here, we make the following declaration to college students all over the nation:

1.        We are fully aware that the continued deterioration of the global environment has seriously affected the development of human society. Since the industrial revolution, the world has been in the enjoyment of human civilization, while the contradictions between energy use, urban development and environmental protection became more acute. In past three decades of China's reform and opening up, progress in economic and social development achievements have attracted worldwide attention, but also to pay the huge cost of excessive resource consumption and environmental degradation.

2.        We are aware of the fact that college students are promising and responsible youth. Young college students have high scientific and cultural qualities, active thinking, open field of vision, strong sense of responsibility. We are the future of the country and the hope of the nation, and thus have the responsibility to promote the environmental scientific research, to impel social services of environmental education, to lead the culture of environmental protection in the whole society and should become a major force of building ecological civilization.

3.        We suggest that students should actively carry out academic research, offer advice and suggestions for national development. We should take full advantage of our professional advantages, enhance the research and application of technologies on energy saving and environmental protection. Especially, we should provide a strong scientific and technological support for the socio-economic sustainable development in China. We should also strengthen the publicity of the theory and technology.

4.        We suggest that university students participate in the construction of a green campus, and make the concept of sustainable development penetrate into each area of the campus construction and management. We should contribute to the construction of green campus; make scientific and rational use of limited space resources on the campus to ensure sustainable development of teaching and research. We should protect historical heritage on the campus, promote sustainable development of the protection and utilization of cultural heritage on the campus. We should build sustainable low-carbon green campus, make the colleges and universities to be resource-conserving model communities with beautiful environment and good recycled ecology and thus promote the sustainable development of society.

5.        We suggest that university students should take the initiative to disseminate the concept of ecological civilization, and promote the construction of eco-culture. We should actively participate in environmental protection activities, created a strong atmosphere of environmental protection and spread the concept of ecological civilization by taking the environment and ecology elective courses, joining associations of environmental protection and participating in social practice of environmental protection. We should absorb the outstanding ecological and environmental protection ideas at home and abroad to form a distinctive ecological culture with features of colleges and youth.

6.        We suggest that university students should strive to take environmental protection to practice in everyday life. We should take the initiative to understand the state of the environment, learn environmental knowledge, enhance awareness of environmental protection and form a healthy and civilized lifestyle. We should influence and lead teachers and students around through our actions, to make them firm practitioners and communicators of sustainable development.

We commit solemnly to the community: The construction of a green campus is our responsibility. We, young university students, will make greater contributions to the construction of a harmonious socialist society and to the promotion of human civilization.

Department of Development Planning, PKU

College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, PKU

Communist Youth League Committee of PKU

China University Students Environmental Education Base

Edited By: Yan Jiefei

Translated By : Chen Zhenxia

Source : PKU News (Chinese)