Latest news with #2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment
3 days ago
- Science
How do you make a campus more sustainable? These universities did it with GoPros and selling leftovers
Using GoPros to monitor tree seedlings and tackling campus food insecurity through leftovers are among the initiatives that helped propel two Canadian universities into the top 10 in a U.K. ranking of efforts at post-secondary schools worldwide to meet United Nations goals for a sustainable planet. Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., and the University of Alberta are among the top 10 institutions in the world when it comes to advancing UN goals such as ending poverty and protecting the planet, according to Times Higher Education's 2025 Impact Rankings. The 17 sustainable development goals, established by the UN in 2015 as a call to action to tackle pervasive global issues and ensure prosperity across the globe, range from ending world hunger to taking climate action and ensuring access to health and education. The goals were unanimously adopted by member countries at the time, but the UN warned last year that less than one-fifth of the targets are on track to be achieved by the deadline in 2030. Times Higher Education's Impact Rankings is the only ranking system that looks at how universities are helping to address these UN goals through research and education, as well as campus and community programs, according to the publication. Universities are actually uniquely positioned to help solve the sustainable development goals, Ellie Bothwell, rankings editor at Times Higher Education, told CBC News. Enlarge image (new window) This United Nations infographic shows the 17 sustainable development goals established in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Photo: United Nations Not only can they drive research efforts to find solutions and teach the next generation of problem-solvers, she said, but universities also collaborate heavily with surrounding communities locally, nationally and on campus. They're sort of mini-cities in a way themselves. The rankings (new window) , released Tuesday, assessed more than 2,500 universities from 130 countries and territories for their sustainability progress, including 24 from Canada. Queen's University was the highest-scoring Canadian university, tying for sixth place overall with Arizona State University. Programs reducing food waste and insecurity on campus and research into green supercomputers and lowering emissions are among the factors keeping them ahead of the pack, Queen's says. The University of Alberta also made it to the top 10, at eighth place. Seven Canadian universities were ranked in the global top 50, the most for any country after Australia, which netted nine. Canadian universities perform really strongly, Bothwell said. Lots of [Canadian universities] were among the first to sort of commit to be carbon neutral or to publish really quite detailed sustainability reports on their own emissions. So, yeah, we see Canada among those leading the way on this. A Queen's University student conducts field work at the Queen's University Biological Station, where students learn about ecology first-hand. Photo: Queen's University To be included in the rankings, which have been conducted since 2019, universities submit data each year on their progress toward the goals. Their progress in advancing a specific goal, such as ending poverty, for example, is scored using factors such as the number of research publications universities put out on that topic, courses and campus programs addressing it, and partnerships with governments, non-governmental organizations and other post-secondary institutions. Canadian universities scored high in several individual categories. The University of Alberta was ranked first in the industry, innovation and infrastructure goal along with 11 other universities, while the University of Victoria came in second for advancing sustainable cities and communities. How Canadian universities are pursuing sustainability At Queen's University, the goals are considered in every department, said principal and vice-chancellor Patrick Deane. Whatever we do here needs to be green. It needs to be properly responsive to the sustainable goals, he told CBC News. [It's] critically important for the health of societies, the health of individuals and the health of the planet that we make progress on all of these. So it's a matter of urgency. Queen's University is the only Canadian institution to have been in the top 10 of the rankings for five years straight, and jumped two places this year compared to last year's ranking. It's a vindication for the work it has been doing, Deane said. Enlarge image (new window) Queen's University has run the PEACH Market since 2022, one of several campus initiatives aimed at reducing food waste and making healthy food more accessible to the community. It works by repurposing leftovers to sell to the community on a sliding scale pricing model. Photo: Queen's University In the individual goals, Queen's University was ranked second in two: peace, justice and strong institutions; and furthering sustainable oceans. Queen's came first globally for addressing the goal of zero hunger. One of the programs highlighting the university's commitment to addressing food insecurity, according to Deane, is its Providing Equal Access, Changing Hunger (PEACH) Market, started in 2022, where leftover food from Queen's hospitality services is then sold on a pay-what-you-can model. Queen's is also developing a software-automated aeroponic vertical farm, a type of farming that uses less land and water. Deane said that as researchers look to expand supercomputing and artificial intelligence capacity in Canada, Queen's is also working on more environmentally friendly and efficient supercomputers to cut the ecological cost of energy-hungry AI. The rankings have made the university much more deliberate about this work, he said. And I think that's what's required if we're going to get where we need to be on these goals. St. Joseph's College on the University of Alberta campus is shown here in August 2019 in Edmonton. U of A is one of two Canadian universities ranked in the top 10 globally for its work advancing the UN sustainable development goals. Photo: CBC / Codie McLachlan At the University of Alberta, graduate student Sarun Khadka found that GoPros could monitor tree seedlings as accurately as humans, potentially making monitoring more efficient and accessible, a spokesperson told CBC News. Other examples of how the university is addressing the sustainability goals include a new course to help future urban planners find practical tools for climate adaptation and a new interdisciplinary research centre focused on water safety. Universities in Asia saw advances in sustainable development in the latest ranking, Bothwell said, with a university from South Korea (Kyungpook National University) and one from Indonesia (Universitas Airlangga) entering the top 10 for the first time. U.S. has 1 university in top 50 Asian universities now lead 10 out of the 17 individual ... rankings, up from five last year, Bothwell said. That's something that's been really pleasing to see. The U.S., despite being known as a research powerhouse, had only one university in the global top 50, compared to three in last year's ranking. It's striking that there are relatively low numbers of U.S. universities, given the size of the sector, Bothwell said. The U.S. formally withdrew its support of the goals earlier this year, with Edward Heartney, a minister-counsellor at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, stating at a March meeting of the General Assembly that the U.S. rejects and denounces the shared UN goals. Enlarge image (new window) The campus of Queen's University is seen from above in this panorama. Photo: Queen's University With global progress toward the goals already slowed by widespread disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic and global conflicts, and the United Nations warning that progress on more than one-third of the goals had "stalled or regressed (new window) " as of 2024, it's an uphill battle, but one Bothwell says post-secondary institutions are still fighting. There is certainly skepticism about whether nations will be able to reach the goals, Bothwell said. I would say though that I think that universities are showing amazing resilience and momentum and continuing to make an impact, striving to keep progress going even when maybe nationally the governments aren't focusing as much on this as they could. Alexandra Mae Jones (new window) · CBC News Alexandra Mae Jones is a senior writer for CBC News based in Toronto. She has written on a variety of topics, from health to pop culture to breaking news, and previously reported for CTV News and the Toronto Star. She joined CBC in 2024. You can reach her at
Malaysian Reserve
5 days ago
- General
- Malaysian Reserve
Education Cannot Wait for the Children of Africa
International Day of the African Child Statement by ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif NEW YORK, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As we commemorate International Day of the African Child, we honor the courage, resilience and dreams of millions of children and youth across Africa. Their potential is limitless, their right to a quality education is non-negotiable. There is clear evidence highlighting the value of education in building strong economies and ensuring peace and stability across the continent. Foundational learning has the potential to double the GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050, according to the World Bank. Additional analysis indicates that every US$1 invested in tripling pre-primary education enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa can generate up to US$33 in returns. With just a small investment in education for all of Africa's children, we could transform a continent, open vast untapped markets, and deliver on the promises outlined in the Pact for the Future and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, too many children are being left behind. About half of the world's 234 million crisis-impacted school-aged children reside in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Education Cannot Wait (ECW). Learning poverty is further exacerbating cycles of poverty, displacement and crises. Did you know that four out of five African children cannot read or understand a simple text by age 10? To address these challenges, we must invest in quality education for the youngest and fastest-growing continent in the world. Across Africa, ECW investments have already reached over 7.4 million girls and boys, with a focus on foundational learning, gender equality, teacher training and psychosocial support – a whole-of-child learning approach. Today – expanding on the African Union's 'Year of Education 2024' efforts to build resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa – we call on world leaders, donors and the private sector to fund education in emergencies through proven multilateral funds like Education Cannot Wait. We can and we must keep hope alive for the children of Africa. Photo – Logo – View original content:
Mint
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
US Skips UN Ocean Conference After Rejecting Development Goals
(Bloomberg) -- The US is only sending observers to a UN conference on protecting the oceans that began Monday in France, part of the Trump administration's broader retreat from multilateral institutions and the fight against climate change. The administration objects to the conference's focus on a UN goal centered around the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and marine resources, the State Department said in a statement. President Donald Trump's team has rejected the idea behind the Sustainable Development Goals, a list of aspirations established in 2015. Implementing the oceans-related goal is 'at odds' with the US position, the department said. Two members of the Presidential Environmental Advisory Task Force will attend as observers. Normally the US government would send scientists Trump has sought to reverse the Biden administration's policies to fight climate change. On his first day in office, the president withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change and has since cut funding on many related programs. Earlier this year, a US representative to the UN in March said Washington 'rejects and denounces' the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and related SDGs, which outlines 17 goals aimed at addressing challenges around the globe. 'Agenda 2030 and the SDGs advance a program of soft global governance that is inconsistent with US sovereignty and adverse to the rights and interests of Americans,' Edward Heartney, a State Department diplomat, told a General Assembly meeting in March. Representatives from more than 50 nations are gathered in Nice this week for the oceans event, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentina's Javier Milei. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed participants and delivered remarks at the opening of the conference Monday. More stories like this are available on
Scoop
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Germany's Annalena Baerbock Elected President Of The 80th General Assembly
2 June 2025 She assumes the role at a challenging time, with ongoing conflicts, faltering development goals, mounting financial pressures, and the upcoming selection of the next Secretary-General. Ms. Baerbock received 167 votes following the secret ballot. Write-in candidate Helga Schmid (also from Germany) received seven. Fourteen delegations abstained. She becomes the first woman from the Western European group to hold the post and the fifth woman overall to lead the General Assembly. The presidency rotates among the world body's five regional groups. At 44 years, Ms. Baerbock is also one of the youngest leaders to secure the top job. Crucial juncture Ms. Baerbock's election comes at a critical juncture for the multilateral system, spearheaded by the United Nations. With the Security Council deadlocked – especially on moves to help end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza – the Assembly has become a vital forum for diplomatic engagement and consensus-building, even without binding authority on peace and security issues. As conflicts rage, the Assembly has passed a series of resolutions calling for ceasefires, humanitarian access and the protection of civilians. Many now see the Assembly as an essential platform for accountability and maintaining international focus on intractable crises, especially through the 'Veto Initiative' adopted in 2022 which ensures that issues blocked by permanent members on the Security Council are debated in the Assembly as a priority. A power wielded by the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – a veto (or negative vote) can block Council action even when all other members support a motion. Pledge to be an honest broker In her acceptance speech, President-elect Baerbock acknowledged the current global challenges and pledged to serve as 'an honest broker and a unifier' for all 193 Member States, emphasising her theme of 'Better Together.' She outlined three priorities for her presidency: making the Organization more efficient and effective; advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and making the Assembly a 'truly inclusive forum'. She called for a UN 'that embraces everyone. I see the diversity of the General Assembly as our strength. This is the place where all nations come together and where every country has a seat and a voice.' She also highlighted the importance of promoting gender equality, multilingualism, and engagement with civil society and youth. UN80 initiative Ms. Baerbock also touched on the UN80 initiative, which was launched by Secretary-General António Guterres in March. ' The UN80 Initiative should not be a mere cost-cutting exercise,' she said, stressing the need for bold ambition and readiness to take difficult decisions. ' Our common goal is a strong, focused, nimble and fit-for-purpose organization. One that is capable of realising its core objectives – we need a United Nations that delivers on peace, development and justice.' A career defined by multilateralism In congratulating Ms. Baerbock, current President Philemon Yang described her as a leader defined by ' an unwavering commitment to multilateralism ', praising her 'Better Together' vision. Mr. Yang, who steered the Assembly through a year marked by the Summit of the Future and persistent global crises, expressed confidence in her ability to build trust and foster dialogue across divides. Secretary-General António Guterres said Mr. Yang's successor was taking the gavel amid a 'difficult and uncertain moment for the multilateral system,' noting she was only the fifth woman to lead the body. The UN chief warned that 'conflicts, climate catastrophe, poverty and inequality continue to challenge the human family,' and called on the Assembly to unite in forging common solutions. The world parliament The General Assembly remains the UN's most representative body, where each Member State has an equal voice – and an equal say in decisions. While its resolutions are non-binding, the GA – as the acronym goes in New York – helps define global diplomatic norms, convenes dialogues on worldwide challenges and holds the Security Council to account. The 80th session, starting 9 September, is expected to be pivotal – not only for sheer number and intensity of crises ongoing – but for advancing long-term reforms, including the UN80 initiative and the selection of the next Secretary-General before his term ends in 2026.
New Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Asean-GCC-China to boost trade, tech and green economy cooperation
KUALA LUMPUR: The first Asean–Gulf Cooperation Council–China Summit has pledged to foster collaboration aimed at promoting economic prosperity, resilience, and sustainable development across the regions. In a joint statement today, the blocs said this effort would be implemented based on mutual respect, trust, and benefit, and is anchored in the principles of inclusivity and sustainability in engaging all interested partners. The blocs also affirmed their commitment to enhancing economic cooperation by leveraging the complementarities among Asean, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and China. Priority will also be given to reaffirming the central and indispensable role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as the cornerstone of the rules-based multilateral trading system, which ensures a predictable, transparent, non-discriminatory, and open global trading environment. "Cooperation will also be explored, including through the priority areas of the Global Development Initiative and various frameworks or initiatives by Asean and GCC, to facilitate the attainment of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. "We will also promote free trade and welcome the full conclusion of the Asean-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Negotiations and look forward to its early signing and entering into force, as well as an early conclusion of the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations," the statement read. The blocs also said it will enhance industrial and supply chain resilience and foster sustainable trade practices for new economic opportunities in potential areas in emerging and future-oriented industries, such as the digital and green economy and technologies. They added that the establishment of a regional business council to facilitate dialogue between businesses from Asean, GCC, and China in supporting enhanced trade and investment flows and the development of regional value chains will be explored. "This includes exploring regional financial cooperation, including capital markets, and financial technology among others, while empowering micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). "Cooperation on local currency and cross-border payments, as well as coordinated and comprehensive actions to prevent and fight corruption, are also included." The blocs also reaffirm their collective resolution to work hand-in-hand to unlock the full potential of the partnership and to ensure that their cooperation translates into tangible benefits for their people and communities. It also said it will pursue opportunities in digital innovation and technology by exploring a cross-regional framework to promote the digital economy, in areas such as digital trade, e-commerce, digital payment, fintech, artificial intelligence, start-ups, and data security cooperation. In terms of food and agriculture, the blocs said they recognise the potential for cooperation in the food and agriculture sector and commit to promoting sustainable agriculture, including through reducing harmful agrochemicals, promoting digitalisation, advancing nature-based solutions and fostering public-private partnerships.
