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| NEWS |
Launch of the Special Webpage "IGES Inputs to the 9th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD 2022)"
The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an annual meeting convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and which serves as part of the region’s preparations for the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). APFSD provides a platform for supporting Asia-Pacific countries with specific needs in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). APFSD 2022 took place from 28 to 31 March under the theme of "Building back better from COVID-19 while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific". In-depth reviews were conducted on SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 14 (Life Below Water), 15 (Life on Land), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). This webpage introduces IGES’ key messages for APFSD 2022, a podcast episode reviewing the progress of the global goals, as well as related events and publications.
 More details available here |
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Launch of the "CBD COP15 Special Webpage"
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the first and most comprehensive intergovernmental agreement on biodiversity. Initially scheduled for 2020, CBD COP15, the 15th Annual Meeting, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and divided into two parts, with the second half expected to be held later in 2022. This page provides an overview of CBD COP15, including background information and expert views on important issues including the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF).
More details available here |
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Update of the Special Webpage on 1.5°C Lifestyles
"1.5°C Lifestyles" aim to achieve the Paris Agreement and provide low-carbon options in our daily lives from the viewpoint of lifestyle carbon footprints, which are related to product or service life cycles. In addition to what individuals can do, messages and guidance for policymakers and schools have been added for consideration, based on recent projects and workshops.
More details available here |
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Joint Submissions to the Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement (GST)
IGES submitted five joint submissions to the first Global Stocktake (GST) of the Paris Agreement, together with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), among others. JAXA and JICA’s latest scientific products and knowledge on solving global environmental problems will serve as useful information for promoting the implementation of the Paris Agreement. IGES contributed to the development of the joint submissions by providing insights on the latest international environmental discussions.
More details available here |
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IGES Receives Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee
IGES was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee in recognition of its outstanding contribution to sustainable urban and socio-economic development in the city through leadership in a number of initiatives and programmes over the past five years. IGES has worked closely with the City of Yokohama and the Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE), in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to support pilot projects in Da Nang, Viet Nam. These helped to promote citizen participation and knowledge through a series of 3R (Reduce - Reuse - Recycle) awareness-raising and behaviour change campaigns implemented at the district and community levels. In addition, since early 2020, IGES has also supported the city's efforts to address the problem of plastic leakage into the ocean.
More details available here |
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New Reports Added to the VLR Lab in March
IGES manages the VLR Lab, an online platform offering comprehensive information about local government actions on the SDGs. The Voluntary Local Review (VLR) is an international initiative in which local governments conduct their own evaluation of actions on the SDGs and publish the results as a report comparable with other local governments. In March, the VLR Lab received a report from Yunlin County (Taiwan) and Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Republic of Korea).
More details available here |
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| PAST EVENTS |
"International Conference for Implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement"
With the finalisation of the Article 6 rulebook (market mechanisms) under the Paris Agreement at UNFCCC COP26, it has become important to expand the implementation of market mechanisms globally. Against this backdrop, on 7 March, IGES and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ) co-hosted the second part of an international conference on promoting understanding and capacity building for expanding the implementation of Article 6 (the first part was held on 17 February). Conference participants shared experiences from other existing initiatives. Archives can be found on the event page.
More details available here |
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"The Second Zero Carbon City International Forum"
Subnational governments are increasingly becoming leading actors in decarbonisation, and they have an important role to play in pursuing the net-zero target, raising ambitions at the local level and strengthening urban resilience. The net-zero emission target requires bold measures to transform our social systems. While this will not be easy, such transformative measures will allow us to capitalise on the opportunity to build back better from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ) hosted this forum on 9-10 March, in collaboration with IGES, ICLEI and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Archives of each session can be found on the event page.
More details available here |
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"Greening Health Care Waste Management: Policies and Good Practices"
With the spread of COVID-19, countermeasures against infection from medical waste have become a worldwide issue, especially in developing countries. Moreover, the carbon footprint of the healthcare sector accounts for 4.4% of global net emissions, and the recent increase in medical waste raises concerns about its environmental impact. This webinar on 16 March invited experts to introduce and discuss policies, best practices and challenges in building a safe and sustainable healthcare infrastructure based on recent research findings and notable operations.
More details available here |
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"Integrated Programme for Better Air Quality in Asia (IBAQ): Technology Roundtable and Fair for Combating Air Pollution and Climate Change in Asia"
The IBAQ is supporting the implementation of clean air action plans and technologies to help address air pollution and climate change in Asia. Aligned with this objective, IGES and Clean Air Asia (CAA) co-organised a virtual technology event with support from the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ) on 22 March. The event aimed to introduce technologies that can help address air pollution and climate change in Southeast Asian cities, and it fostered opportunities for transferring and tailoring technologies to city needs. This was based on the results of a series of needs assessments, capacity building, and technical assistance work with air quality and climate change practitioners from cities in Southeast Asia. Those activities pointed out the need for ambient air quality monitoring technologies, sustainable transport solutions and solar photovoltaic (PV) applications, among others. The event targeted businesses in Japan and other countries, encouraging them to make connections with cities interested in sustainable transport, renewable energy and air pollution monitoring technologies. Archives can be found on the event page.
More details available here |
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| MEDIA COVERAGE |
Interview for the Japan Times
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"Plastic love: Proliferation of PET bottles in Japan complicates a sustainable future" by Miho HAYASHI, Programme Manager, CCET
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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