On 19 May 2024, UNU-IAS co-organized a parallel session of the 19th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology in Hangzhou, China. Focusing on SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), the event highlighted the importance of education for sustainable development (ESD) in addressing social, economic and environmental challenges.
Co-chaired by Anupam Khajuria (Research Fellow and Academic Associate, UNU-IAS) and Jinhui Li (Professor, Tsinghua University), the session featured members of the Regional Centres of Expertise on ESD (RCEs) and ProSPER.Net, for which UNU-IAS serves as the secretariat. Hao Xin (RCE Hangzhou) discussed community-based actions towards zero waste and the sustainable management of marine pollution, stressing the importance of cultivating new business models and promoting blue economy. Jatinder Kaur Arora (RCE-Chandigarh, India) highlighted collaboration between industries and farmers for recycling agricultural waste using cost-effective and low-carbon emission technologies through tailored education schemes. K.K. Kamani Sylva (University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka) presented a case study of an undergraduate course on circular economy for engineering, underscoring the need for education to foster awareness and implement sustainable practices.
The event was co-organized by UNU-IAS, the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (BCRC) China Office, and Tsinghua University.
