On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Saint Paul Institute (SPI), in active collaboration with the Takeo Provincial Department of Environment, organized its annual Environment Day event under the key topic “Plastic Waste, Climate Change, and Global Warming.” The educational gathering convened approximately 120 students, faculty, and administrative staff from Saint Paul Institute to deepen their awareness of pressing ecological challenges and foster sustainable environmental practices within the community.

The program was specifically structured to address two critical global and local concerns:

• Plastic Waste Management: Examining the environmental and health impacts of single-use plastics, practical methods for waste reduction, proper waste sorting, and promoting eco-friendly alternatives to plastic products. 
• Climate Change and Global Warming: Analyzing the underlying causes of rising global temperatures, strategies for climate change mitigation, and the cascading consequences of environmental degradation on living ecosystems and human livelihoods.

In his welcoming address, Dr. Phon Sophal, Director of Saint Paul Institute, noted that this event marks the 7th consecutive edition of Environment Day hosted by the institute. He reaffirmed SPI’s ongoing commitment to ecological stewardship, emphasizing that higher education institutions have a duty to instill environmental consciousness in students, empowering them to actively protect and care for their surroundings.

Delivering the opening remarks, Mr. Hong Phearak, Deputy Director of the Takeo Provincial Department of Environment, stressed the shared responsibility of ecological preservation: “We are the environment; therefore, each of us must learn to protect our living environment, our natural environment, and our social environment.” He also expressed his deep appreciation to Saint Paul Institute for its continuous leadership and dedication to holding this meaningful educational program every year.

Following the informative workshop, participants put knowledge into action. SPI students, faculty members, and official delegates from the Takeo Provincial Department of Environment joined forces in a collective campus cleanup initiative, reinforcing the message that environmental protection begins with local, everyday actions.