Aisyah Nabihah

Document Type

Research Project

Publication Date

Fall 9-25-2025

Abstract

The world is entering a critical phase in the climate crisis, with temperatures soaring past 50°C in some regions and the global average already an increase of 1.1°C compared to the pre-industrial levels. Rising emissions continue to disrupt ecosystems, threaten coastal populations, and endanger water security. While fossil fuels remain the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, waste mismanagement and educational inequality are two often-overlooked forces undermining climate resilience. For example, 1 liter of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) can pollute 1,000 m³ of clean water. This policy paper introduces an alternative path: leveraging community-led circular economy models to drive grassroots climate action. The case study of the Ruang Bersinar Project serves as an opportunity for learning and potential scale-up in Global South countries to bridge climate action with education access, advance inclusive green jobs, and contribute to achieving the 2030 targets for sustainable development. Based on the work of Ruang Bersinar, the paper explores how household UCO can be converted into tuition support and green entrepreneurship training, especially for youth with disabilities and from low-income families. To date, the initiative has trained over 2,000 students and produced 30,000 upcycled textile products. These include incentivizing school-based circular programs and embedding climate skills in community development.

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