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| NEWS |
ISAP 2021: “The Decisive Decade: Towards Integrated Solutions to Climate, Biodiversity and Other Planetary Challenges”
On 24 November, IGES will host several in-person plenary sessions for its annual International Forum for Sustainable Asia and the Pacific (ISAP), followed by numerous online Thematic Tracks over the following week, 25 November to 3 December. This year’s forum will focus on the urgent need to accelerate progress on the SDGs between now and 2030, and explore how the international community can take the necessary bold steps for a decisively different decade. To do so, ISAP will focus on how decision-makers from different countries and at different levels of decision-making can take a more integrated approach to two sets of concerns under the SDGs: biodiversity and climate change. In the face of COVID-19, many of the world’s leaders have demonstrated commitment to tackling these challenges, which could inject momentum into the sustainability agenda. While signs of progress are encouraging, the most sustainable solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss involve acting upon their interrelationships with each other and other SDGs. In short, if the decisive decade is to be a distinct turning point, then government agencies, the private sector, civil society, scientists and the public need more integrated approaches to biodiversity and climate change. ISAP will therefore provide a unique platform for a diverse group of speakers and attendees to offer their perspectives for integrated solutions.
 More details available here |
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J4CE Partnership
On 14 September, the Japan Partnership for Circular Economy (J4CE) launched its English-language website, showcasing initiatives on the circular economy by Japanese companies and industry organisations. A brochure has also been published, featuring noteworthy cases selected by a panel of experts. IGES serves as the secretariat for J4CE, and in addition to providing domestic and international information on the circular economy, IGES develops and operates this website, edits a brochure, and contributes to the planning of future public-private dialogues.
More details available here |
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Prof. Xuemei Bai awarded Global Economy Prize
On 5 September, Prof. Xuemei Bai, a member of the Board of Trustees of IGES and Distinguished Professor of Urban Environment at Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, was awarded the Global Economy Prize 2021 from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. At the award ceremony, Prof. Bai's work on urban sustainability was recognised for “You don't wait for policy makers to act, instead your urban sustainability experiments encourage small groups in society to initiate programs themselves that contribute to sustainable development”.
More details available here |
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| PAST EVENTS |
Webinar: “The Next Chapter of Sustainable Finance in the EU and Japan: Key Implications for Financial Market Actors and Industry”
On 16 September, IGES and the Delegation of the European Union to Japan hosted a webinar on the practical implications, changes and challenges for financial institutions and business enterprises in Japan and the EU, in response to continuing important developments in sustainable finance policy. Experts discussed wide range issues including ESG disclosure, the cost of transition to net zero, and possible further engagement and collaboration to increase demand for sustainable investments that deliver sustainable outcomes.
More details available here |
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Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)’s Experts Working Group on Marine Plastic Debris
The first Experts Working Group on Marine Plastic Debris, held by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), took place on 2 and 3 September 2021. The working group is jointly hosted by ERIA, IGES, and the IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET). It comprises experts from various academic disciplines related to marine plastic research, who advise ERIA’s Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (RKC-MPD) with the aim of contributing to a broader regional network of knowledge creation and management. It also focuses on data-driven policymaking, emerging regional issues, as well as research and analysis related to marine plastics pollution and the circular economy in the ASEAN+3 region. On 2 September, representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Japan (MOEJ), the main financial supporter of the RKC-MPD, and the Environment Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, each affirmed the importance of the Experts Working Group's close collaboration with other ongoing regional initiatives. On 2 and 3 September, the experts discussed several topics, including the RKC-MPD's scope of work, creation of metadata by marine plastic researchers in the ASEAN+3 region, plastics value chain data gaps and the way forward, and finally, COVID-19 and the shift in plastics consumption patterns.
More details available here |
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Plastic Waste Workshop in Sri Lanka
From 25 to 26 August, the Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka, the United Nations Environment Programme - International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP IETC), the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ), and IGES-CCET held a national training workshop on plastic waste management in Sri Lanka for local application and adaptation of the National Action Plan on Plastic Waste Management (NAPPWM) 2021-2030. CCET also contributed to the development of the action plan.
More details available here |
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| RECRUITMENT / INTERNSHIP |
| The Research and Publications Unit of the Strategic Management Office (SMO-RP) Internship |
| More details available here |
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