On 5 March 2023, UNU-IAS will organise a symposium to discuss nature-based solutions to environmental challenges from global and local perspectives, focusing on biodiversity restoration and urban climate policy. The event will examine the outcomes of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) and the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15), as well as sustainability efforts in Kanazawa City, Japan to highlight the benefits of urban nature. The event will also explore the challenges and opportunities for youth and adults to join forces and work together for a more sustainable future.

Participation & Registration

Participation is open, but please register in advance. This event will be held in the Main Conference Room of the Kanazawa Culture Hall in Kanazawa, Japan.

Please note that participants in UNU events may appear in photography, screen captures, videos, and/or audio. For further information please refer to Events.

Language

This event will be held in English and Japanese with simultaneous interpretation provided.

Programme

13:30 Opening Remarks

Tsunao Watanabe (Senior Programme Coordinator, UNU-IAS)

13:35 Greetings from Kanazawa City

13:40 Keynote Presentation 1

Kazuhiko Takeuchi (Director, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies): Global Agenda and Local Implementation

14:00 Keynote Presentation 2

Thomas Elmqvist (Professor, Stockholm Resilience Center ): New Trends in Urban Ecosystem Services

14:20–14:35 Break

14:35–15:55 Panelist Presentations & Discussion

Moderator: Tsunao Watanabe

Himangana Gupta (Research Fellow and Academic Associate, UNU-IAS): COPs Review and Nature-based Solutions
Juan Pastor-Ivars (Research Associate, UNU-IAS): SUN Project and Urban Nature Benefits
Motofumi Marui (Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology): Heat Island Mitigation through Urban Nature
Mana Saza (Director, SWiTCH Association of Sustainability): Action by Japanese Youth to Create a Wave for Sustainability in Japan

15:55 Closing Remarks