Matt Inman is equipping Taiwan’s youth for the climate crisis
Matt Inman has been my lodestar in terms of understanding what’s happening in circular economy in Taiwan. Like me, he originally came to the country to experience other cultures, but he has ended up having an impact on the local green movement in ways he never could have imagined.
He got started on the social enterprise side, working with local banks to transition customers from paper to e-bills to decrease paper waste. He was also the lead for the online talk series ‘Power to Change’ throughout 2022, spreading awareness of local green initiatives and the leaders behind them.
In his latest gig as a government-appointed sustainability educator, he guides local youth into the truth of the climate crisis while equipping them with the tools to do something about. We talked about how a fascination with minimalism first brought him into the green space along with the ways he’s showing the next generation how to be the change they need.
All of us in the climate field seem to have a moment when we suddenly discover our feet have shifted down this path and there’s no turning around. When was that for you?
“That would be when I was a teenager. I suddenly became meticulous and careful with recycling. I’m not really sure where that came from since none of my family members or friends cared nearly as much as me. In fact, I guess that’s where I first became a sort of ‘activist’! I would really get on my family and close friends if I saw them throw something recyclable away. I had to be patient. Slowly but surely though, many of them became as diligent as me (okay, not exactly but pretty close!).
Around the same time as this recycling passion was bubbling up for me, I began learning about the philosophy of minimalism. Minimalism immediately resonated with me because I had for a long time felt a kind of subconscious uneasiness with the insane amount of ‘stuff’ surrounding us, always available for purchase even though we hardly ever use so much of it. I very quickly got rid of a ton of my stuff, including keepsakes that I had had for a long time. My mom definitely thought I was off my rocker.
Don’t get me wrong- I was careful about what I got rid of. It’s just that I had realized that most of the possessions I owned didn’t bring any actual value to my life. On the contrary, having all of that was suffocating. Letting it all go allowed me to really breathe.
That was a game changer for me. I was learning that so many of us live that way- so many possessions are placeholders for the real ‘stuff’ of life. That’s not to say that possessions can’t bring us real joy. They definitely can. It’s just that many of them are owned by us for the sake of owning stuff.
It wasn’t until later on that I acquired the knowledge of how the consumption of all of that stuff is a major contribution to the numerous climate crises that we currently face. And even later on, I learned how ineffective recycling is in so many ways. A desire to learn more about truly sustainable living is what led me to reach out to people like you to continue to learn more and more. After learning so much, I can’t help but feel a desire to share what I’ve learned.”
“I was learning that so many of us live that way- so many possessions are placeholders for the real ‘stuff’ of life.”
Tell us more about the communication aspect of your current educator role and the challenges that come with it.
“Well as it stands currently, I guess I’m quite different from you and the other consultants you have interviewed. I’m working with high school and university students to teach them about sustainability.
These students often don’t have a background or too much knowledge of the climate crisis so it’s my job to open their eyes. And believe me, I very often do see their eyes open wide when I throw some facts out. Of course, this takes a delicate balance in that it’s important to communicate the information without totally scaring them or making them totally pessimistic about their futures.
I try my best to communicate that, yes, there are huge problems that need to be addressed. But at the same time, I want the students to know that they have the power to be the agents of change that we so desperately need.
“I try my best to communicate that, yes, there are huge problems that need to be addressed. But at the same time, I want the students to know that they have the power to be the agents of change that we so desperately need.”
Further, business can and should be one of the avenues to create that change. So I also make it clear that utilizing sustainability doesn’t mean that they can’t be successful and make money. On the contrary, the current trends show that businesses with a sustainability focus can thrive, especially in countries like Taiwan where the government is creating all sorts of plans to help sustainable businesses grow.
So when it comes to that, I’d say my best strength is helping these future leaders of business, tourism, and culinary arts in Taiwan to see that it is indeed possible to be the change we all so desperately need. It’s fun to help students to understand their own potential ‘superpowers’!”
You mentioned that it was recycling that initially put you on your road. Is that still your main focus?
“It’s a good question and an important one because there are so many areas and my interests definitely shift depending on what’s the news and what I’m exposed to.
But I’d say that, right now, my focus is on plastic waste. I think it’s probably due to a combination of factors.
Firstly, plastic pollution is something that we can all see clearly with our own eyes, even for those skeptics of climate change or those who think we won’t be affected until way down the line. Because of that, I feel it’s one of the easier issues to get people on board to fight against.
Related to that first point, I also think plastic pollution has the potential to be one of the easiest issues to solve. That’s not to say that it’s easy, per se, but that it’s an issue that’s within reach.
Of course, the momentum of plastic packaging and everything else is enormous. But these are very, very new problems when you look at the history of civilization.
Plastic production has gone from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to an approximate 380 million tons a year as of 2018. That’s just insane. But people in 1950 were doing just fine. So what’s to say we can’t return a much lower production rate?
So many alternatives to harmful plastic are popping up as well as the zero-waste movement which I try my best to practice. I’m just playing my part to educate and inform people on how to avoid plastic and why they should.”
“So many alternatives to harmful plastic are popping up as well as the zero-waste movement which I try my best to practice. I’m just playing my part to educate and inform people on how to avoid plastic and why they should.”
Please give a shout out any projects you are working on at the moment.
“Currently, I’m working on a project with the Ministry of Education in Taiwan to make sustainability-themed videos for elementary students across Taiwan. These mostly deal with Taiwan’s plan for Net-Zero Emissions by 2050.
I also run an environmental-themed Instagram account (@ecojourneyinman) where I mostly post the good things going on in Taiwan related to sustainability.
Lastly, towards the end of this year I plan to launch my own podcast where I interview Eco Heroes as a way to learn, gain inspiration, and collaborate. Stay tuned!”
You can connect with Matt on LinkedIn or on his Instagram account.
Book a free consultation call
Connect with me on LinkedIN
E-Mail me at pr@jonseidman.com
And please subscribe to my Substack if my writing is helpful!