UN CC:Learn Activities Showcased at UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development
10 -12 November 2014, Nagoya, Japan - Recognizing that education can play a key role in addressing present and future challenges to sustainable development, the UN General Assembly adopted in 2002 the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), designating the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the lead agency of the Decade. The UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was held in Nagoya, Japan, from 10-12 November 2014 to take stock of the achievements, as well as challenges, of this Decade and discuss global action on ESD post-2014. The UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), as a member of the UN Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness, represented the UN CC:Learn Secretariat at the Conference. Key UN CC:Learn activities were highlighted during a side event. Additionally, through the Alliance, UNITAR/UN CC:Learn supported a climate change workshop and an exhibit.
Side Event on Climate Change Education
A side event titled The United Nations Delivering as One on Climate Change Education was organized by the UN Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness on 10 November 2014. It was attended by around 40 delegates and aimed at showcasing how the United Nations system coordinates its support to climate change education through the Alliance.
The event opened with a short video on climate change produced by the World Meteorological organizations (WMO), followed by opening remarks delivered by Dr. Kazuhiko Takemoto, UN University (UNU). Ms. Alla Metelitsa, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat then spoke about climate change education under the UNFCCC, highlighting the Doha work programme on Article 6 as well as the annual intergovernmental Dialogue on Article 6. After her intervention, Mr. Moritz Weigel, UNFCCC Secretariat, presented the Alliance and its objectives. Representatives of member organizations were subsequently invited to showcase their specific activities in the area of climate change education.
Ms. Cristina Rekakavas, UNITAR/UN CC:Learn Secretariat, highlighted a series of activities implemented at the country level through UN CC:Learn support to promote climate change education, focusing on examples from Malawi and the Dominican Republic. Ms. Rekakavas then presented the UN CC:Learn map of good learning practices, an interactive platform developed to share experiences and recommendations in the area of climate change education and training. Finally, she introduced two learning materials: a Resource Guide for Advanced Learning on Integrating Climate Change in Education at Primary and Secondary Level and an introductory e-learning course on climate change.
Panelists from other UN partner agencies gave additional presentations on:
- The Climate Change Challenge Badge as an example of effective non-formal climate change education (Mr. Reuben Sessa, FAO)
- The REDD+ Curriculum Sourcebook developed with Yale University & the Curriculum Sourcebook on Ecosystems Based Climate Change Adaptation developed with the University of Ghana (Mr. Mahesh Pradhan, UNEP)
- Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development in Practice: Country Case Studies (Publication Launch) (Ms. Yoko Mochizuki, UNESCO)
- Advancing climate change education through the United Nations University’s Regional Centers of Expertise on ESD (Ms. Zinaida Fadeeva, UNU).
The event concluded with a presentation of the UN Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness’ commitment to the Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD (2015-2019). The GAP aims at generating and scaling up action in all levels and areas of education and learning to accelerate progress towards sustainable development. It was launched on 12 November 2014 as an outcome of the Conference.
Climate Change Workshop and UN Alliance Exhibit
On 11 November 2014, the UN Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness organized a workshop titled Championing Education as the Foundation for Climate-resilient Low-emission Societies. The workshop included moderated parallel working groups, building on online consultations held in advance of the Conference. The discussions, based on 6 guiding questions, resulted in the development of recommendations that were taken into account by the conference reporteur and captured as outcomes of the Conference.
An exhibit was also installed for the 3 days of the Conference. The objective was to showcase the work of the UN Alliance and its members on climate change education and public awareness. Relevant UN CC:Learn publications, such as the UN CC:Learn Resource Guides for Advanced Learning, were displayed.
Related links
UN Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness
The United Nations Alliance on Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness was launched in December 2012, in the margins of the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the UNFCCC. It currently includes 13 member organizations, with the UNFCCC Secretariat providing the Secretariat. The mission of the Alliance is to promote meaningful, result-oriented and effective international cooperation in support of the implementation of the work programme on Article 6 of the UNFCCC on climate education, training and public awareness.
UN CC:Learn is a partnership of more than 30 multilateral organizations supporting countries to design and implement systematic, recurrent and results-oriented climate change learning. At the global level, the partnership supports knowledge-sharing, promotes the development of common climate change learning materials, and coordinates learning interventions through a collaboration of UN agencies and other partners. At the national level, UN CC:Learn supports countries in developing and implementing national climate change learning strategies. Through its engagement at the national and global levels, UN CC:Learn contributes to the implementation of Article 6 of the UNFCCC on training, education and public awareness-raising, and the 2012-2020 Doha Work Programme. Funding for UN CC:Learn is provided by the Swiss Government and UN partners. The Secretariat for UN CC:Learn is hosted by UNITAR.
Image 1: UNESCO Confernce on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) logo
Photo 1: Ms. Cristina Rekakavas, UNITAR/UN CC:Learn Secretariat
Photo 2: Climate Change Education in Dominican Republic