World Environment Day 2025 -Youth Event- Toward a Future Free of Plastic Waste

Junior EXPO 2025 Educational Programme at the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025

“World Environment Day 2025 Youth Event: Toward a Future Free of Plastic Waste”

Since 1973, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has led World Environment Day, a global campaign to promote environmental awareness and action. This year’s theme calls for cooperation and action to build a circular future free of plastic waste. Plastic pollution disrupts Earth’s natural balance and even enters our bodies in the form of microplastics. However, nature holds clues to solving this crisis. In natural systems—like fallen leaves nourishing forests or animal waste giving rise to new life—resources are never wasted but reused and regenerated. By incorporating innovative design and effective policies, we can align human systems with nature’s principles, not letting plastic leak into the environment but rather regenerate it within a circular economy.

The Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 serves as one of the world’s most important platforms to discuss and communicate the value of protecting the global environment and all life. This event will be held as part of the EXPO Junior SDGs Camp, with a focus on engaging junior high and high school students. The event will include a short lecture by a UNEP expert on plastic pollution, and students from Japan, Africa, Asia, and beyond will connect online to share their views and ideas on how to create a future without plastic pollution.

• Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025 | 15:00–16:30 (Japan time, GMT+8) 
• Venue: EXPO, Osaka, Japan
• Format: In-person
• Co-organizers: United Nations Environment Programme – International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP-IETC), Global Environment Centre Foundation (GEC)
• In collaboration with: Osaka City Environmental Bureau
• Participants: Up to 35 youth (Target: Junior high and high school students)
• Languages: Japanese and English (with consecutive interpretation)
• Event page: here

After purchasing your Expo ticket, please register for the event on the day of attendance, Saturday, June 7th. Then, make a reservation for this event in advance through the official Expo website or app (Visitors), on a first-come, first-served basis (limited to 35 participants).

Reserve your spot here.

[Reservation Period (First-Come, First-Served)]
June 4 - 6 until 9:00 a.m.

Tentative Programme:

-Opening Remarks
 Representative of UNEP-IETC
- Mini Lecture “Global Issues on Plastic Pollution” (Tentative)
 Shunichi Honda, Programme Officer, UNEP-IETC
- Youth Presentations on their plastic waste related initiatives from Japan, UK, and India

- Q&A / Open Discussion
- Workshop
 Group activity: “How can we eliminate plastic waste from the world?”
- Group Presentations 
- Closing Remarks UNEP-IETC & GEC