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| NEWS |
Announcing the Establishment of the Technical Support Unit for the IPBES Task Force on Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in IGES
IGES, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, has established the Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Task Force on Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The TSU will be located in IGES Tokyo Sustainability Forum (TSF) and will support the task force in its work on scenarios and modelling for various IPBES assessment processes, including the implementation of a programme on scenarios that predict possible future situations for biodiversity and the models used to develop them. IGES expects the task force to provide the scientific information needed to assess progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the global biodiversity target for 2030.
 More details available here |
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IGES Regional Centre in Bangkok (BRC) celebrates opening of new office
IGES celebrated the opening of a new office for its Regional Centre in Bangkok (BRC) and hosted a ceremony at the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, on Friday, 19 January. The ceremony was attended by about 50 representatives from various Thai ministries, embassies, development
agencies and research institutions. BRC also held a tree planting ceremony at Lumpini Park to pay tribute to the late Dr. Peter King, an esteemed former IGES senior fellow and a prominent environmentalist, who passed away in October 2023.
More details available here |
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New Reports Added to the VLR Lab (October - February 2024)
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. From October through February 2024, the VLR Lab received reports from Agios Dimitrios (Greece), District of Furstenfeldbruck, Bad Kostritz (both in Germany), Hsinchu City, Yunlin County, Taichung City (all in Taiwan), Jakarta (Indonesia), Suwon City, Shinan-gun (both in Korea), Dhulikhel (Nepal), Singra (Bangladesh), Municipio de La Paz, Cochabamba, El Alto, Santa Cruz de la Sierra (all in Bolivia), Sarchi, Puriscal, Goicoechea, Escazu, Belen, Atenas (all in Costa Rica). Additionally, new content from publications related to VLRs has been added to the VLR Lab.
More details available here |
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| PAST EVENTS |
International Symposium: Japan‘s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on "Climate Change and Cities" (28 February)
Responding to the increasing attention on the impacts of climate change on cities and their unique challenges and opportunities in mitigation and adaptation, the IPCC has decided to develop a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities in the IPCC's Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) cycle from 2023 to 2028. Leveraging the collaborative relationship established last year with the
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ), IGES has initiated a joint research project on city transformation. This symposium presented the research findings from this collaborative project and featured discussions about Japan's contributions to decarbonising urban environments.
More details available here |
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APFSD Side Event "Promoting Synergistic Approaches in Asia and the Pacific: Addressing the Triple Planetary Crisis" (20 February)
The world is confronting a triple planetary crisis, due to the interrelation of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. These interlinked issues are putting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in jeopardy, and as such, it is essential to take a synergistic approach to make sure goals are kept on track, entailing collaborative work across various sustainable development aspects. Japan has proposed a resolution on "Promoting synergistic approaches to address the triple crisis on climate change, biodiversity
loss and pollution and support sustainable development" for the Sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6). This initiative aimed to encourage Asia-Pacific nations to expedite their progress in climate-related and other environmental SDGs through coordinated actions. This side event at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) discussed key questions about promoting synergies in the region, developing effective planning
and reporting frameworks, and sharing best practices in synergising SDGs. This event highlighted the importance of addressing the challenges posed by the triple crisis, in line with the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the Global Biodiversity Framework, to promote synergy-focused strategies among Asia-Pacific countries.
More details available here |
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Asia-Pacific Climate Security Project (APCS) "International Symposium on Climate Security in Asia-Pacific" (8 February)
The significance of considering climate change from a security and diplomatic perspective has yet to be fully explored in the policy arena and on-the-ground actions. The interwoven nature of this nexus demands that policymakers be equipped with informed decision-making approaches to shape efficient policies. This international symposium on climate security in Asia-Pacific invited experts from Japan and abroad to strengthen the understanding of the necessary
interventions needed in this dynamic policy area and to design research directions on how to respond to these challenges. This symposium facilitated discussions on the current issues under five themes - energy security, food security, climate-induced mobilities, climate change adaptation and maritime security. Participants aimed to unravel the complex dynamics among them, and explored the relationship between climate change and security and possible policy responses.
More details available here |
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Recorded videos of the 15th International Forum on Sustainable Asia and the Pacific (ISAP2023) are now available
IGES hosted the 15th International Forum for Sustainable Asia and the Pacific (ISAP2023), an annual event where experts, international organisations, government, business and NGO representatives active in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region gather to engage in diverse discussions on sustainable development in the region.
ISAP2023 concluded successfully with numerous participants attending both the Plenary Sessions and Parallel Sessions on 19 December, as well as Thematic Tracks scheduled around the main event. While some sessions were not recorded, videos and presentation materials for many of the sessions are now accessible. Additionally, videos from Thematic Tracks held in December and January will be made available soon.
More details available here
Most popular sessions of ISAP2023:
Plenary Session 1 "Accelerating Sustainability Transitions: What is Needed Now and in the Future?"
Parallel Session 3 "Climate Security in Asia-Pacific: Key Issues and Challenges"
Parallel Session6 "The IPBES Assessment of Invasive Alien Species: Implications for Asia" |
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| RECRUITMENT / INTERNSHIP |
10 March 2024
Technical Support Unit for the IPBES Task Force on Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
31 March 2024
IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET)
Programme Coordinator (Associate Staff)
Open until filled
Strategic Management Office, Knowledge and Communications (SMO-KC)
Programme Coordinator (Senior Staff or Associate Staff)
The Research and Publications Unit of the Strategic Management Office (SMO-RP) Internship
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