The document discusses the progress of the Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) network in supporting the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides details on:
1) The continued growth of the RCE network from 2007 to 2017.
2) The RCE roadmap and strategy from 2016-2020, which focuses on strengthening governance, enhancing stakeholder capacity development, and linking local ESD efforts to international platforms.
3) The first RCE Thematic Conference in 2017, which explored potential synergies among SDGs and sectors like climate change and sustainable consumption and production that can help achieve multiple goals.
1. Progress of the RCE
Network towards
Achieving SDGs
NAOYA TSUKAMOTO, PROJECT DIRECTOR
UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY – INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCED STUDY OF
SUSTAINABILITY
OKAYAMA, JAPAN
DECEMBER 5TH, 2017
2. Progress of the RCE Network
towards Achieving SDGs
1. Development of the RCE network
2. Roadmap and Strategy after 2015
3. First RCE Thematic Conference
3. Background of ESD
Programme & RCEs
UNU-IAS launched the ESD Programme with funding support from
MOEJ in 2003 in response to the UN resolution on the Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development (DESD)
Major Objectives
Advocacy and dissemination of ESD principles
Promotion of Regional Centres of Expertise on ESD(RCEs)
Strengthening of ESD activities of higher education institutions
(ProSPER.Net)
3
4. Regional Centers of Expertise (RCEs) on Education
for Sustainable Development (ESD)
An RCE is a network of existing formal,
non-formal, and informal organizations that
facilitate education for sustainable
development in local and regional
communities (secretariat usually higher
education institution)
Because of this unique synthesis of actors
from different sectors, an RCE can access
a pool of experts from different fields and
different spheres of influence
Helps break down silos
Gives overview of critical issues due to
multiple stakeholders
Pool of experts can support and facilitate
change
7. Acknowledged RCEs
7
47
74
99
120
135
146 149
156
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
2007/2008 first
continental / thematic
conferences
End of DESD
Global Action
Programme (GAP)
Launch
UNDESD
Sustainable
Development
Goals (SDGs)
2003 ESD Programme at UNU-IAS launched
2004 RCE Concept developed
2006 - first Global
RCE Conference
8.
9. RCE Related Activities
RCEs come together at a variety of levels to meet and share best practices
National: Examples include RCE Meetings for British, German, & Japanese
RCEs
Regional: Annual meetings for Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe
RCEs
Global: All RCEs gather at a global meeting
Thematic: RCEs working on particular themes gather to share best practices
and discuss ways forward
Youth: Youth focal points are being registered
10. Development in African region
Establishment of recommendation to national governments
on: 1) Curricula reforms and re-orientation of education
towards sustainable development; 2) RCEs as platforms for
policy dialogue and capacity development; and 3)
Engagement of the youth in decision making process and
policy formulation on sustainable development
Enhancement of strategies on how to involve the youths in
RCE actives
Follow-up and revision of Action plan for African RCEs
11. Development in American region
Creation of an expert database so they are able to
search for experts based on research interests and
teaching specialties in the region
Successful seeking in operating grants from
government agencies, especially new RCEs,
Committing to partner with the UN agenda at the
local level, offering data-driven approaches to
implementing the SDGs through education
12. Development in Asia Pacific region
Increased number of collaborative initiatives among Asia-
Pacific RCEs including: Higher Education, Business, Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene, Low-carbon lifestyles, DRR, School
food program, Asia-Pacific SDG Challenge Initiative
(coordinated by the Asia-Pacific RCE Youth focal points)
Development of Asia-Pacific Action Plans on Community,
Schools & Youth, and Higher Education in the context of GAP
and SDG implementations.
Conducting RCE self-reflections to learn from experiences
and create opportunities for stakeholders to meet and engage
in dialogue on ESD implementation in local communities.
13. Development in European region
Initiation of research and collection of case studies
on the localization of SDGs
Collecting good practices of working with refugees in
Europe and beyond
Initiation of collecting practices on sustainable food
systems – leading to sharing practices
Starting an initiative to bring private sector, especially
SMEs
14. RCE Portal and RCE Facebook Page
Issued monthly
Upcoming ESD-related Events
Latest News
Invitations for collaboration
New Publications and Resources
Created a template for RCEs to
submit an article to the bulletin
http://www.rcenetwork.org
https://www.facebook.com/Global-RCE-Network-
890558397679571/
15. RCE Bulletin
Issued monthly
Upcoming ESD-related Events
Latest News
Invitations for collaboration
New Publications and Resources
Created a template for RCEs to
submit an article to the bulletin
17. More Publications are coming soon!
Innovation in Local and Global Learning
Systems for Sustainability
1. Ensuring Healthy Lives and Promote Wellbeing for
All: Experiences of Community Health, Hygiene,
Sanitation and Nutrition
2. Knowledge Development with Communities –
Multi-stakeholder Learning and Change
18. Progress of the RCE Network
towards Achieving SDGs
1. Development of the RCE network
2. Roadmap and Strategy after 2015
3. First RCE Thematic Conference
21. Road map of RCE network (2016-2020)
Strategy 1
Strengthening governance to better coordinate ESD/SD learning
and actions within the RCE community
Strategy 2
Enhancing the capacity development of local and regional
stakeholders to contribute to both local and global sustainable
development initiatives
Strategy 3
Strengthening the impact of actions related to SD/ESD by linking
local and regional SD and ESD debates and processes with
international platforms
22. Road map of RCE network
Strategy 2
Enhancing the capacity development of local and regional
stakeholders to contribute to both local and global sustainable
development initiatives
(Implementing Strategies)
Continue support of thematic working groups with in RCE
community in relation to SDGs (beginning with themes of
SCP, CC, Bio & TK, HEIs)
23. Road map of RCE network
Strategy 3
Strengthening the impact of actions related to SD/ESD by linking
local and regional SD and ESD debates and processes with
international platforms
(Implementing Strategies)
Work with thematic groups on research linking ESD to broader
SD debates
a) SGD 12 and associate goals, 10YFP on SCP
b) Work with IPBES & CBD
c) Work with UNFCCC & Sendai Framework for DRR
d) Work with HEIs
24. Cooperation with IPBES
On 24 July 2017, UNU-IAS entered a Letter of Agreement
with the IPBES to facilitate research, education, and training
for policy makers and researchers, expanding their existing
collaboration and develop more joint activities.
The cooperation will also explore strong links with
indigenous and local knowledge stakeholders within RCE
network, ProSPER.net, and International Platform for
Satoyama Initiative.
Strengthening a community of practice around biocultural
diversity on the ground was another important area of
discussion.
25. Progress of the RCE Network
towards Achieving SDGs
1. Development of the RCE network
2. Roadmap and Strategy after 2015
3. First RCE Thematic Conference
28. SDGs and Climate Change
28
Goal 13
Climate Change
Goal 7
Renewable
Energy
Goal 8
Green Growth
Goal 9
Innovative LCT
Goal 11
Smart City
Goal 12
Low carbon
society
Goal 15
Sustainable use
of forest
Goal17
Stakeholders
involvement
Goal 13 for Climate Change is mutually supportive with many other goals
through mitigation and adaptation.
Example:
29. Example: SCP in SDGs – 2030
Agenda
Chemicals in
air/water
pollution
Education for
sustainable
lifestyles
Reduce water
pollution
Water efficiency
Renewables
Energy
efficiency
10YFP
Resource
efficiency
Sustainable
Tourism
Sustainable
infrastructure,
industry
Green tech
Climate
change
mitigation
Sustainable
fisheries,
tourism
Access to natural
resources for energy,
food, water
Sustainable
food systems
Sustainable
urbanisation,
transport
Resource efficient
cities
Biodiversity Partnership+
MoIs
30. Think Globally based on Local experience
Act Locally in linkage with Global agenda
UN platforms
UNU-IAS, UNFCCC, IPCC,
CBD, IPBES, UN Environment,
10YFP
National / Local Governments
Policies & Measures
Communities
Stakeholders
RCE network
31. Conclusions
Goal 4: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” is one of the 17
Goals, and education is also an indispensable element for
enacting the other 16 Goals.
RCEs are ideally designed to implement education to enable
sustainable development in their communities.
17 Goals are closely inter-linked. “Biodiversity and eco-system
services”, “Climate Change” and “Sustainable Consumption
and Production” are good platforms to work toward achieving
all the 17 SDGs.
RCEs and RCE network are in a unique and advantageous
position to make beneficial linkage between the global agenda
and local actions.
The mission of RCE is to transform our society to more sustainable one through education. Or more radically speaking, only the education can really change the society.
To do so, RCE needs good governance, strong collaboration, innovative research and development,.
Governance is important for multi-stakeholders to work together towards the common objectives for ESD.
Collaboration is the Engine of RCE movement that generates driving force from its powerful stakeholders.
And transformation needs innovative ideas, new concepts, paradigm shift that comes from research and development.
On 24 July 2017, the United Nations University – Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) entered a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the Intergovernmental Science - Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The LoA highlights the nature of the collaboration in all its terms and conditions.
With the signing of the agreement both partners strive to further facilitate research, education, and training for policy makers and researchers. The aim is to expand their existing collaboration and develop more joint activities, and at the same time support internationally agreed environment and sustainable development goals. The agreement was signed by UNU-IAS Director Dr. Kazuhiko Takemoto and IPBES Executive Secretary Dr. Anne Larigauderie, during a formal event at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. UNU-IAS´ wider community and networks such as the Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development Network (RCEs), the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), and the Network for Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research Network (ProSPER.Net) mean closer access to sub-national and local levels, especially in areas of expertise such as biocultural diversity and sustainable development, thereby enriching the products of the current IPBES work.
UNU has been supportive of IPBES related activities and has been working more closely with IPBES since 2015. IPBES (link is external) is the intergovernmental body which assesses the state of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services it provides to society, in response to requests from decision makers. Established in 2012, its current membership includes 127 governments and it is placed under the auspices of UNEP, FAO, UNDP, and UNESCO.The cooperation will also explore strong links with indigenous and local knowledge stakeholders within these networks. More specifically UNU-IAS hopes to support the IPBES programme through its research activities, and the development of educational materials based on IPBES´ outputs. Strengthening a community of practice around biocultural diversity on the ground was another important area of discussion, now anchored in the agreement.
SCP Cuts across almost the entire 2030 Agenda with links to 14 of 17 goals