Paris Statement Calls for Up-Scaling Learning for an Inclusive Green Economy
29 January 2016, Geneva, Switzerland - What is green economy learning? Why do we need to invest in it? And what have we learned from existing initiatives? These questions and many others more were explored at the 1st Global Forum on Green Economy Learning which took place in December 2015 at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Headquarters in Paris. As a key outcome, UNITAR along with the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), OECD, the Green Growth Knowledge Platform, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training and over 60 other organisations have published the "Paris Summary Statement on Learning for an Inclusive Green Economy".
Recent major agreements such as Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change have multiplied requests for up-scaling knowledge and skills development at various levels. In the wake of these international developments, more than 100 individuals representing national and international learning institutions got together at the Forum to develop a strategic approach to education and training related to an inclusive green economy (IGE). Moreover, participants examined opportunities to collaborate on new curricula and learning activities in order to initiate transformative action on the ground.
The 3-day Forum marks the starting point of a network of learning institutions and professionals that seek to advance Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Deliberations resulted in the endorsement of the statement which provides principles for action and serves as a reference point to measure progress on green economy learning in the future.
While encouraging educators to influence attitudes, stimulate behavioral change and promote structural reforms, the statement provides a set of guiding principles in four inter-related areas: (i) The meaning and value of IGE learning; (ii) Increasing effectiveness and sustainability in IGE learning; (iii) Promoting IGE learning at national and local level; and (iv) Scaling up for impact.
Read the Paris Summary Statement (PDF)
Photo 1: Participants in the 1st Global Forum on Green Economy Learning