Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) Special Event: Where Next? Redesigning Further Education for the Future

One of nine Special Events at HLPF 2020, this will provide insights on how COVID-19 will affect the education sector and new ideas that can enable higher education to support radical change and regeneration. The event will be held on Wednesday, 8 July 2020 from 08:00–10:00 EDT (New York time). In addition, a HESI Roundtable will be held on 15 July to build on the discussions of this special event.

Speakers at the Special Event will include H.E. Mona Juul (President of the UN Economic & Social Council) and Elliot Harris (Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and Chief Economist, UN DESA). The keynote speakers will be Hilligje van’t Land (Secretary-General, International Association of Universities), Stefania Giannini (Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO), and Jeffrey Sachs (President, SDSN and Director, Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University).

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Managing “Stranded” Assets Risks and Opportunities — Moving Towards Decarbonised Economies and Inclusive Growth in Africa

This side event will discuss the risks associated with transitioning away from fossil fuels, and the opportunities for diversification and sustainable development in Africa. Africa has been managing transitions for decades. Energy is essential for development, but more than 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity. The Paris Agreement calls for countries to reduce emissions below 2 degrees. Yet, many countries in Africa rely on hydrocarbon related assets which stand the risk of becoming ‘stranded’ and losing their value before their economic lifetime. Enabling the transition would mean managing an exit away from fossil fuels and diversifying its resource base. Could ‘stranded’ asset risks be turned into new opportunities that will give Africa greater leadership in managing its development aspirations?

This side event will be jointly organised by UNU-IAS, the UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

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The Satoyama Initiative for Societies in Harmony with Nature: An Inclusive Approach for Communities, Landscapes and Seascapes

This side event will discuss the contribution of the Satoyama Initiative — a global effort that promotes societies in harmony with nature — towards achieving the SDGs. It will share lessons from the initiative, and explore ways to mainstream lessons into policy, and how to institutionalise landscape and seascape approaches as a critical contribution to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The event will highlight how the initiative helps to accelerate protecting the planet and building resilience (SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15); advancing human well-being and sharing nature’s economic benefits (SDG 1, SDG 10); and fostering partnership (SDG 17).

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