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UNEP to invest in human capacity for success of SDGs: officials

Xinhua, May 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Governments have approved a resolution that allows the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to start investing in human capacity for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officials said on Friday.

Oyun Sanjaasuren, who had served as the president of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-1) held in June 2014, said the move is likely to help change the current state of environment as it will promote the environmental conservation globally.

"The current challenges in environmental conservation require awareness creation for the next generation right from young age since education makes a difference," she said.

Sanjaasuren said the resolution that is coming after 20 years will help form collaboration with universities globally to nurture the coming generation in the sustainable use of the environment.

The commitment is expected to help fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) four and other development goals.

Professor Wu Jiang, Vice President of Tongji University in China observed that education for sustainable development in higher education has a critical role in transforming society towards a sustainable future.

"It is important that universities continue to position themselves strategically and respond to expectations in leading and contributing to the shift towards a sustainable future with focus on the current and next generation," he said.

Wu said that his university will expand the Green Universities Network that was launched in Kenya early this year to other countries globally.

"As institution of higher learning, we have to encourage students to develop critical skills that are needed for building holistic solutions and views in an increasingly complex world," he said.

Under the Global Universities Partnership on Environment for Sustainability (GUPES), Tongji University and UNEP early this year launched the Chinese version of Green Economy Textbook and it is being promoted in universities, governments and policy makers.

The English version of the green economy textbook is currently being put in place by experts and will be disseminated through GUPES network.

An updated version of the Green Campus Toolkit has been completed jointly by UNEP, Tongji University, the University of New South Wales and other GUPES partners.

GUPES initiative was found to promote the integration of environment and sustainability concerns into teaching, research, community engagement, the management of universities including greening of university infrastructure as well as to enhance student engagement and participation in sustainability activities both within and beyond universities.

GUPES is a network of over 800 universities from different five continents and is a flagship program of UNEP's Environmental Education and Training Unit (EETU).

It was founded to build on the successes of the Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities (MESA), the nascent Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in the Caribbean Universities (MESCA) and the Asia-Pacific Regional University Consortium (RUC). Endit