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Published : 30 May 2025, 06:03 PM
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has warned that humanity will not survive if the destruction of the environment continues unchecked.
The head of Bangladesh's interim government made the remarks on Friday during an address at Soka University in Japan's Tokyo after receiving an honorary doctorate degree from the institution, according to state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
"The civilisation we are building today is a self-destructive civilisation that will kill [the planet]," he said.
He called on young people to form clubs based on his "Three Zeros" theory to help save the planet. The theory advocates for zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions as the core principles for a sustainable future.
Yunus suggested forming "three zero clubs" of five people to rail against the use of fossil fuels.
Encouraging young people to be creative in shaping a new world, the Nobel laureate said traditional employment suppresses creativity.
Noting the innate entrepreneurial instinct within humans, Yunus said: "If you do not have creativity, you are nothing. Every human being has creativity".
The interim prime minister emphasised the importance of establishing social business clubs to nurture future entrepreneurs.
Addressing the students, Yunus stressed the importance imaginative thinking to create a new world. "Imagination gives you the power to unleash yourselves.”
Criticising the global concentration of wealth, Yunus described it as a “curse”, saying that the current system is driven by the relentless pursuit of profit maximisation.
His speech also touched on issues such as unemployment and the growing challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI). He shared the story of how he first introduced microcredit to a small village near Chittagong University while teaching economics there -- a journey that would later gain international recognition.
At the event, Soka University awarded Yunus an honorary doctorate in recognition of his contributions to social innovation and global development.
The university’s President Yoshihisa Suzuki also addressed the audience during the ceremony.
