ProSPER.Net E-bulletin Issue 122 (March 2023)

Message from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Greetings from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat! This month, we bring you the latest upcoming events and news, including a report from the 14th International Conference on Environmental and Rural Development, where outputs from the ongoing ProSPER.Net Joint Research Project on circular economy education in the built environment were presented.

If you have any news, open calls, upcoming events, or publications you wish to share in a future bulletin, please complete this form and email your submission to the ProSPER.Net Secretariat at ProSPERNet@unu.edu (submissions close on the 15th of each month).

Sincerely,
ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Upcoming Events

Actions to Harnessing Synergies between the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals: Enhancing City to City Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region
29 March 2023, 13:00-14:15 (JST), online

While most of the Asia-Pacific region is not on track to achieve the Paris Agreement and SDGs, maximizing synergies between climate actions and the SDGs could help accelerate progress. The potential for synergies is particularly great in cities. In fact, the Third Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, in Tokyo, in July 2022, underlined the wide variety of city-level actions that can deliver on the climate and sustainability agendas, including actions supporting nature-positive solutions and SDGs involving ecosystem services.

Organised by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan (MOEJ), and co-organised by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and Embassy of Japan in Thailand, this APFSD Side Event will highlight various synergistic actions in cities in the Asia-Pacific. It will also showcase how such action can contribute to sustainable net-zero transitions while ensuring a harmonious relationship with nature. Finally, the event will underline that city-to-city collaboration can assist knowledge exchanges that support synergies among SDGs 7, 11, 13, 15 and 17. Read more

ESD-Net 2030 Learning Webinar on ESD Pedagogies
30 March 2023, 13:00-15:00 (CET), online

To promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual learning ESD-Net 2030 is organising a series of learning webinars in March, May and September 2023 on ESD pedagogy to highlight and promote innovative practices in ESD. This interactive learning series will focus on sharing and strengthening pedagogical approaches and key competencies in ESD through a broad range of topics and issues.

The first webinar will take place on 30 March 2023, 13:00-15:00 CET. This 2-hour event will feature four organisations working to bring ESD practices to life in various settings across the world. Further details and registration information is available here.

Open Calls

Call for Nominations: UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development 2023
UNESCO has launched a call for nominations for the 2023 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development. The deadline is 21 April 2023.

Generously funded by the Government of Japan, since 2015 the Prize rewards exceptional projects and programmes in the field of ESD.

In 2023, three winners will be rewarded with USD 50,000 each and will be invited to establish a long-term collaboration with UNESCO by joining the ESD for 2030 Global Network (ESD-Net).

Nominations can be made by Governments of UNESCO Member States via their Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in consultation with their National Commission for UNESCO as well as by non-governmental organisations in official partnership with UNESCO. Read more

Latest News

ICERD Session Highlights Circular Economy Education Projects
On 4 March 2023, UNU-IAS organised a session at the 14th International Conference on Environmental and Rural Development (ICERD) under the theme Circular Economy Education for Sustainable Development in Local Communities. The event discussed the role of education, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and community engagement in addressing environmental problems at the local level, focusing on the promotion and practice of the circular economy model, and included presentations by RCEs discussing projects promoting circular economy in their respective localities. Prof. Usha Iyer-Raniga (RMIT University) delivered a keynote ‘Aligning Circular Economy with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Built Environment‘, highlighting the ProSPER.Net joint research project which is focusing on the integration of circular economy in selected built environment programs in partner universities. Read more

(Photo credit: UNU-IAS)

Workshop Develops Net-Zero Strategies with Government Officials in Thailand
On 1–3 March 2023, UNU-IAS conducted a workshop in Bangkok, Thailand on the theme Net-Zero Thailand: Transition Strategies for Carbon Neutrality. The sessions engaged officials of the Royal Thai Government in problem-solving exercises and group activities to enhance knowledge and skills needed to achieve a carbon neutral society. The workshop was held in partnership with the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Royal Thai Government, with support from the Korea Environment Corporation (K-Eco).

During the workshop, international and local experts in net-zero implementation conducted a series of lectures on successful decarbonisation approaches and evidence-based practices from across the world. The modules incorporated best practices from Costa Rica, Japan, and Korea, in the context of the mitigation and adaptation priorities of Thailand. Topics included net-zero governance, measurement, reporting and verification systems; energy efficiency and renewable energy; sustainable urban design; nature-based solutions; transport; waste management; and eco-tourism. Read more

(Photo credit: UNU-IAS)

ESD Publications & Other

New Publication and Video Available on Language Education for Sustainable Development (LESD)
Few aspects of our daily lives, from our local commutes to the prices of international products, are unaffected by the climate crisis. The climate crisis is complex and nuanced and, thus, we need students equipped with the knowledge and language to contribute to future solutions and resilience. Language Education for Sustainable Development (LESD) is a reimagining of the goals of Language Education to include meaningful content that challenges student beliefs, values, and norms.

The new publication, Re-envisioning English Language Teaching in a Post-COVID World: Using Language Education for Sustainable Development, outlines LESD and the importance of language alongside Sustainability content informed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A recent lecture on LESD given by Dr. Joshua Jodoin at the University of Tokyo Global Faculty Development (GFD) can be found here.

Please contact Dr. Jodoin for more information or for access to any publications found behind a paywall.

UNESCO Launches ESD Promotional Video
As ESD continues to gain momentum from the 2022 UN Transforming Education Summit to COP27, it is important to share with interested individuals and institutions how we can all teach, promote, and support ESD. UNESCO has launched an ESD promotional video explaining the role of ESD and the need to transform education in order to empower learners with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will help us respond to global challenges. View it in Arabic, English, French, Japanese, or Spanish online.

This is a publication of UNU-IAS ProSPER.Net Secretariat. The bulletin is a great way to share your activities, events and news as a ProSPER.Net member with the rest of the network. Feel free to send us any information you may deem relevant for the rest of the community by completing this form and emailing it to prospernet@unu.edu. We look forward to your inputs! Visit ProSPER.Net regularly for up-to-date news and event information.
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