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Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has emphasised the power of youth in addressing global challenges through the "Three Zero Club" initiative, urging young people to take active roles in achieving zero carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, and zero unemployment.
He also underscored the need to transform healthcare into a social business to better serve people.
He was speaking on Friday at a high-level roundtable on social business, youth entrepreneurship, and the world of Three Zeroes at a hotel in Beijing.
The event was attended by deans and professors from some of China's top universities, including Peking, Renmin, and Tsinghua, as well as Chinese youth and social business leaders.
Dr Yunus highlighted the importance of personal commitment and collective action in driving systemic change.
He explained that the concept of the Three Zero Clubs is rooted in individual responsibility and gradual transformation.
"Five young people, aged between 12 and 35, can form a Three Zero Club," he said, adding that members dedicate themselves to personal transformation by ensuring they do not contribute to carbon emissions, wealth concentration, or unemployment.
He elaborated on the approach to achieving these goals: "If I use fossil fuel seven days a week, I will try to reduce it to six, then five, and gradually to zero. This way, I become free from contributing to global warming."
On tackling wealth concentration, he noted that members must actively seek ways to prevent engagement in processes that fuel inequality.
Meanwhile, on unemployment, he stressed that young people should shift from being job seekers to becoming entrepreneurs.
Despite the seemingly ambitious nature of the initiative, Dr. Yunus highlighted its rapid growth.
"We thought it might just stay in Bangladesh, but we now have more than 8,000 clubs in 40 countries. Small, but full of excited young people," he said.
He also expressed interest in expanding the movement into China, given its large youth population and potential for innovation.
The Three Zero Clubs have also connected with the UN Zero Waste Campaign, of which Dr Yunus is a board member.
"This initiative encourages young people to engage with global issues. For example, when a club member tells their parents, 'Mom, we are zero waste people, we cannot allow you to waste food,' it shows how deeply they integrate these ideas into their daily lives."
Beyond the Three Zero movement, Dr Yunus discussed his longstanding advocacy for making pharmaceutical companies operate as social businesses, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He recalled the global campaign to remove patent rights from Covid-19 vaccines to ensure affordability and accessibility.
"We campaigned globally to take the patent rights off the vaccines. But at the WTO, only 10 countries voted in favour, while others abstained, preventing a unanimous resolution. The patent stayed, making vaccines expensive because someone had to make a lot of money out of them," he said.
Despite the setback, Dr Yunus reaffirmed his commitment to pushing for change. "We continue to appeal to pharmaceutical companies-any vaccine should be patent-free," he stated.
"A significant part of the pharmaceutical industry should be a social business, not a business to make money," he added.
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