The keynote speaker for this event, Mr. Gunter, has a remarkable global reach. He is the author of the best-selling book ‘The Blue Economy’ and is known as the ‘Steve Jobs of sustainable development’. His ‘Blue Economy’ concept is centred on imitating the natural ecosystem and proposes new ways to solve the environmental crisis through the efficient use of resources and ecological cycles. As an active practitioner, Mr. Gunter's work does not stop at the theoretical level. Through projects such as the ‘Eco Children's Book’, he has helped young people to develop an environmental awareness at an early age and has trained the next generation of leaders for global sustainable development. 

The event not only demonstrated FoSE's efforts in the field of ESD, but also the significance of Mr. Gunter's visit. It was his first visit to a university in Zhejiang, and the event received great attention and support from the central government, providing the university with valuable opportunities for ‘high-level’ cooperation and demonstrating the importance the country attaches to eco-education and sustainable development. Haibin Jiang, Director of the Ningbo Eco-Environmental Publicity and Education Information Centre, and Xiaozhong Chen, Deputy Director of the Ningbo Eco-Environmental Publicity and Education Information Centre, were present at the event and witnessed the green feast together with the school's leaders, teachers and students. In their speeches, they fully affirmed the significance of the event and pointed out that young people are an important force in promoting sustainable development and looked forward to inspiring more young people to devote themselves to environmental protection practices through such activities.

During the event, Mr. Shidong Yan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Propaganda and Education Centre of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, firstly delivered a video message to express his gratitude for the school's strong support to the work of ecological and environmental education and looked forward to the future vision of education in the field of environmental protection. Director Yan pointed out that he hoped that the informative and lively ecological lectures would help people to view and understand the complexity of ecological and environmental problems, the diversity of solutions, and the importance of sustainable development of the society with a broader perspective.

Finally, Professor Guowei Kuang, Chairman of the Environmental Sustainability Committee of UNNC, summarized the university's achievements in promoting sustainable development in the community and on campus, and looked forward to future green development plans. Prof Kuang particularly emphasized that the young generation is a key force in environmental protection and sustainable development. It is hoped that through today's event, more students will be able to move from concept to practice and truly contribute to a greener planet.

In his speech, Mr. Gunter shared a series of groundbreaking case studies around the core concept of sustainable development. He emphasized the importance of ‘circular economy’ and ‘imitation of nature’, pointing out that the traditional linear economic model can no longer cope with global challenges such as climate change and resource depletion. Instead, a self-sustaining economic system that mimics nature's ecological cycles is the best way to address environmental and resource crises.

He illustrated this point with an interesting case study of how raising rabbits and earthworms as an alternative to traditional cattle farming can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rabbit feces are fed to earthworms, which feed fish, and water from fishponds is used to irrigate farmland, forming a complete ecological cycle. This model not only enhances resource utilization efficiency, but also promotes ecological sustainability.

In addition, Mr. Gunter stressed the importance of education, especially the key role of youth in promoting sustainable development. Through his ‘Gunter's Eco-Children's Book’ project, he has organized hundreds of activities in Chinese schools, universities, middle schools and primary schools to inspire students to draw wisdom from nature and develop a sense of respect and protection for the earth.

Mr. Gunter's talk not only made us understand the profound connection between nature and science, but also inspired the professors and students present to think about sustainable development in a new way. In his wonderful sharing, we felt that science is not only a tool for exploring the world, but also a link to build a bridge between human and nature for a harmonious coexistence.

Through the in-depth communication with Mr. Gunter, we have gained a clearer understanding of how to put the concept of sustainable development into practice and integrate it into our daily life and work. We expect that in the future, we can make use of his experience and wisdom to stimulate more innovative thinking and contribute to building a greener and better world together!