The environmental club “The ECO,” part of the Climate Change Response Project Team (Director Kang Yoon Hee) at Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul), is expanding the scope of its climate action beyond campus by participating in environmental campaigns in partnership with the local community and experiential programs for youth.
On September 16, ‘The ECO’ participated in the “Joint Civil Society, Government, and Academia Campaign for Energy Efficiency” held in the Hanaro-gil area near Seongbuk District Office and Sungshin Women’s University. This campaign was organized to build consensus within the local community regarding the climate crisis and to promote energy-saving practices in daily life. The slogan, “Fall in Love with Seongbuk e,” carries the dual meaning of “Let’s cut energy use in half” and “I’ve fallen in love with Seongbuk District.”

△ Photo: Preparations for the start of an energy-saving campaign in front of the Seongbuk District Office

About 100 people participated in the event, including members of the carbon neutrality action groups from 20 neighborhoods in Seongbuk-gu, officials from the Seongbuk-gu District Office, members of local universities, and local residents. From Kookmin University’s Climate Change Response Project Team, Professor Jㅕㅜ Ha-yun and six members of the environmental club “D-Eco” joined the event.
 
The ECO members walked with participants through the Hanaro-gil area near Sungshin Women’s University, conducting a street campaign using sashes and signs. They promoted energy-saving practices that citizens can implement in their daily lives—such as turning off unnecessary lights and maintaining appropriate indoor temperatures—and encouraged participation in carbon-neutral initiatives. This event was particularly significant because it went beyond campus-based environmental activities led by college students to bring together local residents, government officials, and university members in sharing a common understanding of the need to address the climate crisis and conserve energy.

△ Photo: Participants in Group 1 of the joint public-private-academic campaign organized by Kookmin University, Seokyeong University, Hansung University, and Seongbuk-dong

D-Eco, which has been conducting environmental campaigns, resource recycling, and eco-friendly lifestyle initiatives on campus, is using this campaign as an opportunity to expand its environmental activities in collaboration with the local community. The group created an opportunity to share awareness of environmental issues and take direct action together with local residents, government agencies, and members of other universities.
 
D-Eco also participated in the “2026 Seoul Northwest Youth Festival: Operation Name—Voyage,” held on September 19 at Peace Plaza in World Cup Park, Mapo-gu, Seoul. At the festival, D-Eco operated an “Environmental Island” booth, offering upcycling education and a sock-top crafting workshop for teenagers.
 
The program was designed to allow participating youth to personally experience the process of transforming discarded resources into new items, thereby naturally learning the meaning of resource circulation and the importance of environmental practices in daily life.
 
Dieko is expanding its scope of activities by engaging with local residents and youth—focusing on energy conservation in Seongbuk-gu and upcycling and resource circulation in Mapo-gu. Moving forward, the organization plans to expand university students’ environmental participation and contribute to the spread of climate action in local communities through various climate and environmental initiatives in collaboration with local communities.
 
Meanwhile, as the lead institution of the HUSS Environmental Consortium, Kookmin University is promoting interdisciplinary education that transcends the boundaries between universities and academic majors under the theme of “Coexistence and Mutual Prosperity in the Era of the Climate Crisis,” in collaboration with Duksung Women’s University, Ulsan University, Inha University, and Chosun University. The university is committed to cultivating future-oriented humanities and social sciences talent equipped with problem-solving skills and interdisciplinary thinking.

△ Photo: Teenagers participating in a sock-upcycling workshop at the “Island of the Environment” booth