UN University to Launch Postgraduate Degree Specialisation on the Paris Agreement

Specialisation on the Paris Agreement under development by UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability in collaboration with UNFCCC

The UN University (UNU) has begun developing a new postgraduate degree specialisation on the Paris Agreement on climate change, to be delivered from September 2023. It will be the first of its kind to be offered by a UN organisation. The master’s and doctoral degrees will educate students and experts from across the globe, developing skills and knowledge to play a leading role in implementing the Paris Agreement — the 2015 commitment by the international community to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and strive for 1.5 degrees.

As the international community gathers in Glasgow for critical negotiations on efforts to avert the climate crisis, there is increasing recognition that education plays an essential role in the deep social transformation that is needed to deliver on the Paris Agreement and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

This specialisation aims to develop future leaders who will be at the forefront of these vital efforts. The initiative is led by the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), a UN research and teaching institute based in Tokyo, Japan. It will build on the existing Master of Science in Sustainability and PhD in Sustainability Science programmes of UNU-IAS.

The new specialisation will focus on implementation of the mechanisms of the Paris Agreement, such as the enhanced transparency framework, nationally determined contributions, national adaptation planning process, global stocktake, and credit market mechanism. By strengthening national capacity in these areas it aims to become an essential means of implementation for the agreement.

“There is an urgent need for technical expertise and leadership in all countries to deliver on the promises made in the Paris Agreement,” said UNU Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General Dr David M. Malone. “This new initiative will harness the power of education and research to accelerate climate solutions, particularly in developing countries that are on the front line of the climate crisis.”

UNU-IAS Director Prof. Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi emphasised that “this new specialised programme will add unique value to the existing postgraduate education programmes of our institute by fostering vital skills to bridge science and policy. It will contribute to advancing the transformative climate action that is needed across every sector in every country.”

UNU-IAS is in discussion with partners including the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop the specialisation through technical advice and outreach activities.

UNU-IAS plans to invite applications from prospective students by the end of 2022. The course is scheduled to launch in the Academic Year 2023–2024, which starts in September 2023.

Contact

English: Nicholas Turner, turner@unu.edu
Japanese: Miwa Higashimuki, higashimuki@unu.edu

Note to Editors

Press Conference: 4 November 2021, 12:00–12:30, COP26 Press Conference Room Giant's Causeway
To join online: https://go.unu.edu/kPBdE