Zou Yi. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Zou also acts on a personal level by adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle. He owns two cars but usually rides the subway. He walks if his destination is within three subway stops.

The avid climber also initiated a campaign to collect litter along the Great Wall's Jiankou section.

"I don't ask people to do what I do," he says.

"I just hope that people can make wise choices about transportation and waste disposal to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible."

Yan explains environmental problems are not only caused by, but also can be saved by, the way we live.

"Everyone produces waste," she says.

"People need to fix small environmental problems before they aggregate into huge problems that create intense pressure on society and governments. Everyone is a light. Together, we can brighten our world's future."