Nature-Positive Solutions: Kanazawa’s Model for Climate Action and Sustainable Urban Nature

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. It will also discuss 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.

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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

• Koji Nakamura (Professor Emeritus, Kanazawa University)

Flyer

Please refer to the event flyer for further details.