Updates from the Global RCE Service Centre: 2020-2021 Dr. Fumiko Noguchi, Research Fellow, UNU-IAS 13th Asia-Pacific RCE Regional Meeting 5 October, 2021

1. Updates from the Global RCE
Service Centre: 2020-2021
Fumiko Noguchi
Research Fellow
United Nations University, Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
4 October 2021

2. I. Updates from Global RCE Service Centre
II. Key findings of the research on A-P RCEs during
the pandemic

3. Newly
acknowledged
RCEs
• Global Network: 181 RCEs around
the world clustered into 4 regions,
Africa & Middle East, Asia-Pacific,
Europe and the Americas.
• New RCEs: 7 RCEs were
acknowledged in 2020
• Asia-Pacific: RCE Greater
Gombak (Malaysia), RCE Melaka
(Malaysia), RCE Greater Kuala
Lumpur, RCE Mishmi Hills (India)
• Europe: RCE Fryslân
• Americas: RCE Greater Phoenix
(USA), RCE Peel (Canada)

4. 2020 RCE
Awards
• The winners of the 2020 RCE Awards
covered projects across a spectrum of
the SDGs and themes, including
curriculum development, disaster risk
reduction, waste, traditional
knowledge, ecotourism, and quality
education.
• Recipients were awarded across three
categories: 9 Outstanding Flagship
projects, 15 Acknowledged Flagship
projects, and 9 Honourable Mentioned
projects.
Please see 2020 Awards list here

5. RCE-related
activities 1-
RCE Global
Conference
The 12th RCEs Global Conference (host:
RCE Scotland) has been postponed from
Nov 2020 to Nov 2021 (online) due the
the pandemic.
• #1 Global RCE Webinar (Feb 2021):
“Achieving the SDGs: Action through
Learning”
• #2 Global RCE Webinar (Jun 2021):
“Achieving the SDGs: Action through
learning in a time of global crises”

6. RCE Related
Activities 2
– Regional
Meetings
RCE Regional Meetings were organised online in four
continents. Total 735 RCE members and non-members
participated. Meetings shared the experiences and
knowledge for the solution of the problems under the
pandemic and for achieving sustainable development.
• 10th African RCE Regional Meeting (Host: RCE Minna):
Community-Based Resilience during Pandemic
Disruption: The Role of African RCEs (1 and 15 Sep)
• 13th Asia-Pacific RCE Webinar Series (Host: RCE
Kyrgyzstarn): Building Capacity for Sustainability 1 (10
and 24 Sep, 8 and 22 Oct)
• 9th Americas RCE Regional Meeting (Host: RCE
Salisbury): The Future is Now – Sustainable
Development (13-14 Oct)
• Europe RCE Regional Meeting (Host: RCE East
Midlands): Climate Emergency: Joined-up Action (24-25
Nov)

7. Publication
Tackling Climate Action at the Local Level:
Education for Sustainable Development
Projects from the Global RCE Network
• Highlighting the contributions that RCEs
have made – with a focus on climate
action during the period of the Global
Action Programme (GAP) on Education
for Sustainable Development (ESD) from
2015-2019
• Key areas within the publication
including: Conservation, Adaptation,
Emission and Mitigation, DRR,
Agriculture and Food Security, Youth
Empowerment, Low-Carbon Solutions.
This publication is available here

8. Publication 2
RCE Project Trends during the Global
Action Programme on ESD (2015-2019)
This publication features 480 projects
across 46 countries conducted by RCEs
during the Global Action Programme (GAP)
on ESD from 2015-2019.
It looks at the SDGs, themes, institutions,
audiences and environments across the
RCE projects completed, which highlight
the areas and initiatives undertaken within
the network for transformative learning at
the local level.
This publication is available here

9. Video: RCE Climate Projects During the Global Action
Programme on ESD
• Providing an overview of research
that analysed the SDGs, themes,
institutions, audiences and
environments across the projects
completed.
• During the GAP on ESD, close to
140 climate education projects
were conducted by RCEs across 32
countries, making linkage between
SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 4
(Quality Education).

10. Roadmap for the RCE Community 2021–2030
• Guide for the RCE community’s collective
actions towards the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and the ESD
for 2030 framework at local, national and
global levels during the period 2021-
2030.
• Developed in close consultation with the
Global RCE Network and the Ubuntu
Committee of Peers for the RCEs, the
Roadmap presents the long-term vision
and mission of the RCE community.
• The Roadmap highlights four strategic
priority areas for the next 10 years which
had been commonly identified by the
RCE community.

11. Article 2.8 Each RCE is expected to make a commitment to carry its actions as per core
RCE principles – on governance, collaboration, research and development, and
transformative education – as well as take responsibility to fulfill their stated goals and
objectives, and report annually to the Global RCE Service Centre.
Addendum to Article 2.8 (Effective on 1 July 2021)
When an RCE is inactive in reporting, including updating their profile page as well as
submitting project reports, to the Global RCE Service Centre for a period of three
calendar years or more, the Global RCE Service Centre reserves the right to delist the
concerned RCE from all the promotional materials and the RCE mailing list as well as
render the RCE ineligible to avail of whatever privileges offered by the Global RCE Service
Centre to the RCE Community. To recover the full member status, the concerned RCE is
required to update the profile page as well as submitting project reports and an action
plan to the Global RCE Service Centre.
Addendum to Guiding Principles
11

12. Upcoming events: Important dates!
• 12th Global RCE Conference: “Achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals: action through learning in a time of global crises” – Conferenced is
shaped around ‘Hearts’, ‘Heads’ and ‘Hands’ (16-18 Nov)
ü Registration open
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-12th-global-rce-conference-16-
18-november-2021-tickets-167281660951
ü Keynote talks, presentations, workshops and RCE Youth Climate
Art Challenge winner announcement
• RCE Awards
ü Application open (Due 15 Oct)
Please visit our RCE Portal Site

13. Important reminders…
• Please upload your Project and update your profile page!
• Guidelines for logo use and social media
• News and event information – please share it to the RCE Bulletin
Any questions: Global RCE Service Centre
RCEServiceCentre@unu.edu

14. I. Updates from Global RCE Service Centre
II. Key findings of the research on A-P RCEs during
the pandemic

15. A-P RCE
Research: “Re-
thinking
community-
based ESD during
the COVID-19
pandemic”
• Situational analysis was made based on the
data collected through:
ü Participant observation at three
webinar series by RCE Srinagar and
RCE Greater Western Sydney on RCEs
response during the pandemic. 55%
(37 RCEs) presented (18 May, 9 June
and 11 June)
üQuestionnaire distributed and
received 25% (17 RCEs) responses
üParticipant observation at A-P RCE
Regional Webinar Series
üFocus group with 8 RCEs in Japan (Aug
and Nov. 2020)

16. Three webinars informed…
As of June, 2020
• 70% (26 RCEs) were non-stop: They continued, modified or newly
launched their community projects.
• 37% (14 RCEs) conducted their existing / new projects through
digitalisation.
• 35% (13 RCEs) made needs analysis by observing and interviewing the
local stakeholders and launched new projects (job opportunities for
vulnerable commnities, such as women, indigneous people, refugees,
small-scale farmers), infection prevention education)
• In some RCEs, it should be noted that youth actively participated in
the local community activities by using the IT skill.

17. Questionnaire responses revealed…
Socio-economic impact
• Economic loss due to the mobility restrictions and lockdown
• Lack of sufficient medical system
• Difficulties in continuing school education through digitalisation
• Expanding socio-economic and educational gaps
Digitalisation
• 88% (15 RCEs) chose digitalisation as the main tool to continue their RCE activities
• Questionnaires indicated opportunities and challenges arose through digitalisation
1. Increased opportunities for networking and more learning (workshop, seminar, training,
e-learning module development)
2. Lack of ICT devices and infrastructure to support digitalised learnings
3. There are areas of activities which cannot be addressed or responded through
digitalisations

18. Focus group with Japanese RCEs on the
theme of digitalisation indicated…
There are 4 types of digital divide
1. Digital divide (Physical): Lack of infrastructure, device and space
2. Digital divide (Emotional): Lonliness of digital generation (youth)
3. Digital divide (Types of activities and knowledge): Care and support
works, outdoor/experiential learnings, farming and fishing
techinique trainings, traditional knowledge, etc
4. Digital divide (Capacity): Lack of IT literacy of learners, Lack of skills
and knowledge of practitioners for digitalising activities

19. Questionnaire suggested Policy
recommendations
1. Provide clear priority and guideline for the local ESD activities
during the pandemic
2. Provide financial resources for the local ESD activities during the
pandemic
3. Provide capacity building opportunities and emotional support for
the local actors and practitioners
4. Provide networking opportunities for the local actors to share the
information, practices and advocacies