Toby Thorpe admits he wasn’t environmentally-conscious as a child.

But a high school project – which involved building a greenhouse out of 2000 recycled plastic bottles – was a lightbulb moment for the now 19-year-old who has since become a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and climate action.

Thorpe has travelled to various parts of the globe, addressing students, teachers and world leaders while casting Tasmania into the international spotlight as an innovator in renewable energy.

Closer to home he is the Climate Justice Initiative executive director and also runs workshops at Tasmanian schools to help young people understand their power to make a positive impact in the world.

Thorpe’s efforts led to him being named the Tasmanian Young Australian Of The Year at a ceremony at Hobart’s Town Hall in October.

Today he flies to Canberra – along with three other Tasmanian award winners – representing our state at the 2021 Australian of the Year Awards to be announced on Monday, on the eve of Australia Day.

Thorpe says it was “incredibly humbling” to be announced as the Tasmanian Young Australian Of The Year, particularly after meeting the other finalists, hearing their stories and realising how “absolutely incredible” they all were.

He says he never expected to receive recognition for his volunteer work as a climate activist, which he fits in around his paid job as a public servant in Hobart.

“I’m passionate about climate action,” Thorpe says.

“Not only because I love the environment but because I care about people.

“Renewable energy and climate change are big issues my generation is going to have to deal with. And I’m excited by the opportunity we have to really change the world.”

Since that first school project building a greenhouse out of bottles, Thorpe has been involved in a string of projects in the Huon Valley, where he grew up.

Now living in Kingston, Thorpe still spends time in the Huon, and loves the opportunity to return to his former stomping ground, Huonville High School.

Through Toby’s initiatives the school won the international Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2017 for its proposal to become a “renewable energy centre of innovation”, utilising solar, wind and pedal-power systems as well as focusing on waste-conversion technology and energy auditing training.

The $US100,000 prize money enabled the school’s proposal to become reality.

Students – and the wider community – had become far more aware about sustainability and environmental sciences as a result, Thorpe says.

The school set up a cinema operated by pedal-power which he says “helped people understand how much energy is actually being used for simple things like watching a TV”.

And since installing a 32kw solar panel system at the school in 2018, Thorpe estimates the school has saved around $30,000 in energy costs.

Thorpe was flown to Abu Dhabi to accept the award, and says he still pinches himself when he thinks about the award ceremony.

He was presented the award by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the President of Kazakhstan, while more than a dozen other world leaders looked on.

“It was quite an overwhelming moment,” Thorpe reveals.

“I hadn’t really travelled before – I’d only been to Japan on a high school exchange.

“But since Abu Dhabi I’ve been all across Europe and Asia and back to the Middle East.

“I’ve visited schools and worked with youth organisations and spoken at events all around the world.

“I’ve been to the United Nations in Madrid and Poland.”

His Tasmanian Youth Climate Leaders’ Program is a school leadership initiative that involves about 300 students from around 30 Tasmanian schools each year and helps equip young people with the skills and networks to become future leaders and address climate change and sustainability issues within their local communities.

Now in its fourth year, the program has attracted state government funding and there have been discussions about replicating the program in other states. Thorpe says the outcomes have been “quite incredible”.

He says participants have run community sustainability festivals, have introduced solar powered systems at their schools, conducted energy audits, and advocated for banning single-use plastics in school canteens, among other projects.

Thorpe hopes to continue to inspire young people and help them realise that the future is theirs to shape.

“Being on stage at world-renowned events I think I have proved to young people that no matter where you are from, which school you go to, or what sort of community you grow up in you do have the opportunity to do whatever you put your mind to,” he says.

“If you want to be a politician, or a pilot, or a doctor, or be a climate activist you can do that.”

Thorpe will be joined in Canberra by three other Tasmanian representatives – 2021 Tasmanian Australian of the Year Grace Tame, an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and #LetHerSpeak campaigner; Tasmanian Senior Australian Of The Year, Brian Williams, who has devoted more than 50 years of his life to Scouts and has mentored thousands of young Tasmanians; and Tasmanian Australia’s Local Hero, Edna Pennicott, founder of Kingborough Helping Hands, which provides care packages of food and other essential items to people facing financial hardship.                                               ●

National winners will be announced at the 2021 Australian of the Year Awards in Canberra on Monday, the eve of Australia Day. Watch the ceremony on ABC TV and iview from 7.30pm. Find out more at australianoftheyear.org.au