RCE Chubu - 2024

The Chubu School of Sustainability Policy
Basic Information
Title of project : 
The Chubu School of Sustainability Policy
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Chubu
Contributing organization(s) : 
The Chubu School of Sustainability Policy
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Chubu University
Format of project: 
power point, booklet
Language of project: 
Japanese
Date of submission:
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Web link: 
https://sustena-policy.jpn.org/index.html
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
No
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
Japan
Location(s): 
Aichi prefecture, Gifu prefecture, Mie prefecture
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Coastal, Forest, Fresh water, Mountain, Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Community, Higher, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
The Ise-Mikawa Bay Watershed Area, where the activities are based, refers to the entire watershed of the rivers that flow into Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay. From upstream to downstream of each river, there is a wide variety of activity themes such as forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, urban environment, and childcare. These themes are intricately connected to each other.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Since the project area covers the entire Tokai area, each of the parts of the region presents different challenges. In the suburban areas, issues include the maintenance of villages, satochi-satoyama, and associated culture due to depopulation. On the other hand, urban areas, have issues such as the urban environment, childcare, care for the aged, and education.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
August, 2023 to March, 2024
Rationale: 
　First, there is a lack of "policymakers" who can form and propose policies to realize a sustainable society. Although solving international problems requires various perspectives and judgments, the development of policymakers has been interfered with by a variety of factors, such as the fragmentation of specialized fields and the delay of environmental policies due to the economic bias of the industry.
　Second, is the lack of innovative ESD activities, which are difficult to systematize due to the wide range of themes, actors, and target areas. This often leads to simply following old environmental and development education practices. And it makes it difficult to create and disseminate a comprehensive learning system that respects local diversity.
　Third, there is a lack of international recognition and awareness of the importance of mainstreaming ESD, which is essential for achieving the 17 SDGs, and Japan, as an advocate of ESD, is expected to play a role in this area.
Objectives: 
To enable young people to understand and establish policies and principles for the realization of a sustainable society from a comprehensive judgmental perspective, and to be able to establish a PDCA cycle for their own projects. And to aim for a state in which a sustainable society is created by such human resources that continues to develop in harmony with the environment, society, and the economy in both local and global aspects.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Create a lecture (class, fieldwork, presentation)
Size of academic audience: 
About 200 people
Results: 
Some of the students at the Policy School have become members of Congress and entrepreneurs. In addition, public servants, university students, and working adults are also making use of the results of the program in their own settings.
Lessons learned: 
Young people from different backgrounds, including not only university students but also businesspeople, NPO staff, local government officials, and high school teachers, got to know each other and deepened their knowledge through exchanges.
Key messages: 
To develop policymakers who can tackle diverse issues with flexible judgment and realize a sustainable society that continues to develop in harmony with the environment, society, and the economy.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
Students from the first to the third term were sent to RCE conferences and UNESCO conferences held abroad as part of international exchanges. In recent years, information has been exchanged through domestic RCE youth meetings.
Funding: 
The first three years were supported by the Global Environment Fund. From the 4th to the 8th period, the project has been operated with financial and human support from Chubu University.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon The Chubu School of Sustainability Policy.jpg (103.2 KB) Conference for presenting the year’s achievement N. Watanabe
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Indirect
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Indirect
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Indirect
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Indirect
Arts 
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Indirect
Ecotourism 
Indirect
Forests/Trees 
Indirect
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Indirect
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
state: 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
No
I acknowledge the above: 
Yes