Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – The Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) environmental education program is increasingly popular among students. More students from various regions are submitting project proposals on environmental awareness to gain support from Toyota Indonesia.
Launched in 2005, Toyota Eco Youth is an Eco Project Innovation competition designed for high school students and their equivalents across Indonesia. Students can submit Eco Project Innovation Proposals, which are then evaluated by a panel of judges and implemented with support from Toyota Indonesia, in collaboration with National Geographic Indonesia. Prior to proposal submission, the TEY team visits schools to conduct outreach activities.
“Young people’s interest and awareness of environmental issues are growing,” said Abe Kuswandarto, Manager of Toyota Manufacturing Indonesia, during an outreach visit to SMA Negeri 2 Unggul Sekayu in Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, this week. Abe also expressed his gratitude to teachers and schools for facilitating students to care more about environmental issues in the Musi Banyuasin area.
In addition to the outreach in Musi Banyuasin, the 13th Toyota Eco Youth Program from 2024 to early 2025 has conducted outreach in more than 10 cities across Indonesia, including Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. These activities have reached over 2,500 students from 221 schools in cities such as Jakarta, Balikpapan, Makassar, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, Bandung, Medan, and others. To date, more than 4,000 proposals have been submitted, involving over 1,700 students from across Indonesia. The outreach not only explains proposal requirements but also educates students on carbon reduction and the role of youth in environmental conservation. Schools equipped with eco galleries are also visited.
With the outreach completed, TEY is now open for high school students and their equivalents to submit proposals for environmental projects and innovations. The subsequent stages include proposal selection, project mentoring, implementation, final judging, and winner announcement.
Abe Kuswandarto emphasized that in this era of energy transition, the active participation and concern of the younger generation toward their environment are crucial in supporting Indonesia’s journey toward a carbon-neutral future. “The TEY program outreach aims not only to invite high school students to join this competition but also to spread the spirit of decarbonization actions across various regions in Indonesia,” he said. Youth involvement, as the key to a sustainable and green earth, must begin early. Through this initiative, it is hoped that the government’s target of optimal emission reduction by 2030 can be achieved.
