This document provides updates from the Global RCE Network from 2019-2020. It discusses the development of RCEs (Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development) to date, including key milestones and growth from 2005 to the present. It then provides an overview of activities by RCEs in each global region since 2019, including webinars on COVID-19 and plans for regional meetings in 2020. Finally, it outlines ongoing work and reminders from the Global RCE Service Centre, including an analysis of RCE projects from 2015-2019 and a global survey on RCE responses to COVID-19.

1. Updates from the
Global RCE Network:
2019-2020
Fumiko Noguchi
Research Fellow
United Nations University
Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability (UNU-IAS) / Global RCE
Service Centre

2. Outline
1. Development of the RCEs to date
2. Overview of RCE activities in each
region since 2019
3. Updates from Global RCE Service
Centre

3. 1. Development of
the RCEs to date

4. Regional
Centres of
Expertise on
ESD (RCEs)
• One of two flagship initiatives of UNU-IAS ESD
programme since 2003, which response to the
UN resolution of the UNDESD
• Global network of local networks of multi-
stakeholders (individuals, organisations and
experts across sectors and fields) for ESD
• Translating existing knowledge (scientific,
modern, traditional, local, indigenous) into
concrete actions for achieving sustainability
• Encouraging innovation and new approaches to
sustainability
• Empowering individuals to transform
themselves and their communities

5. RCEs
Approaches
towards
sustainability
Local community-based
approach
Implementing the efforts
for global sustainability
challenges at a local level
Multi-stakeholder
participation
Bringing together multi-
sectoral and
interdisciplinary members
who might not usually
work together
Education as a tool for
social transformation
Creating solutions to
sustainability challenges
through dialogue,
education and learning
through formal, non-
formal and informal
learning
Policy advocacies
Engagement with
global/local SD/ESD policy
processes

6. Governance
of RCEs
• Respective RCE
• Being expected to coordinate and conduct activities
in the collaboration of multi-stakeholders
• Regional RCEs
• Established committee or decision-making channel
• Organising regional meeting
• Committee of Peers for the RCEs
• Reviewing application and acknowledgement
• Giving advice to RCEs
• RCE Global Service Centre (UNU-IAS) serves as
Secretariat
• Organising the annual Committee meeting
• Organising the biennial Global RCE Conference
• Providing substantive support to the regional
meetings
• Information sharing through website, newsletters
and SNS

7. Development of RCEs
UN Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development
2005: 7 RCEs
2014: 135 RCEs
Global Action Programme
(GAP) on ESD
2015: 146 RCEs
2019: 169 RCEs
ESD for 2030
2020: 175 RCEs
During the GAP on ESD (2015-2019), RCEs played a
crucial role in implementing five priority action areas
using their local knowledge and global network.

8. For any query
RCEServiceCentre@unu.edu
For the details (RCEs contact, projects, general information)
https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/

9. 2. Overview of RCE
activities in each
region since 2019

10. 175 RCEs around the
world
RCEs clustered into 4 regions
• Africa-Middle East: President - RCE Bulea,
Vice-President – RCE Eswatini
• Asia-Pacific: Asia-Pacific RCE Coordinating
Committee
• Europe: Communication Coordinators: RCE
London & RCE Oldenburger Münsterland
• Americas: Regional Meeting host convenes
RCEs (RCE Salisbury for 2020)
RCE GREATER GOMBAK

11. RCE Awards
2019
• Outstanding Flagship Project (6 RCEs): RCE
Severn, RCE Warsaw Metropolitan, RCE Galicia,
RCE Western Australia, RCE Srinagar, RCE
Hangzhou
• Acknowledged Flagship Project (13 RCEs): RCE
Greater Portland, RCE Kuching, RCE Scotland,
RCE Kuching, RCE Borderlands México-USA, RCE
Curitiba-Parana, RCE Greater Nairobi, RCE Kano,
RCE Penang, RCE Greater Atlanta, RCE Belarus,
RCE North Texas
• Honourable Mention (3 RCEs): RCE Greater
Dhaka, RCE Greater Atlanta, RCE Kano

12. Webinars on
COVID-19
organised by
RCEs
• Africa and Middle East
• RCE Ogun: 2nd Climate Change Convention and
Biodiversity Conservation Workshop (2020)
• Asia-Pacific
• Webinar series were co-hosted by RCE Srinagar, RCE
Greater Western Sydney and RCE East Kalimantan.
• “ESD action in COVID-19 Era (1-3) (May and Jun 2020)
• “Bridging the Disconnect” (Jun)
• “Youth and Sustainability in COVID Era” (Aug)
• “Indigenous peoples in COVID-19” (Aug)
• Europe
• RCE Scotland: Exploring relevance and approaches in LfS in
times of crisis and calm (Jun)
• Americas
• RCE Greater Portland 2020 Sustainability Symposium
(2020)

13. Regional
meetings
for 2020
[Arica and Middle East] The 10th African RCE Regional Meeting (online)
Dates: 1 September and 15 September, 2020
Host: RCE Minna
Theme: 'Community-Based Resilience during Pandemic Disruption: The Role of
African RCEs‘
[Americas] The 9th Americas RCE Regional Meeting (Online)
Date: 13 October and 14 October, 2020
Host: RCE Salisbury
Theme: 'The Future is Now – Sustainable Development’.
*An in-person meeting will be held in Salisbury, Maryland, USA in 2021 (dates TBA)
[Asia-Pacific] The 13th Asia-Pacific RCE Regional Meeting
Date (Online): 10 September, 2020, 24 September, 8 October, and 22 October,
2020. Date (In-person): in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic in 2021 (dates TBA).
Host: RCE Kyrgyzstarn
Theme: 'Building Capacity for Sustainability’
[Europe] The Europe Regional Meeting 2020 (Online)
Date: 24-25 November, 2020
Host: RCE East Midlands
Theme: 'Climate Emergency: Joined-up Action'.

14. 3. Updates from
Global RCE Service
Centre

15. RCE Global
Service
Centre
• Global RCEs analysis during the GAP on ESD (2015-2019)
• 479 projects across 41 countries were analysed during the GAP
period
• SDGs 13 (climate change), 12 (Consumption and production) and
15 (Life on land) are the primary focuses
• Over 50% of the projects were led by higher education
institutions
• Project themes are variety, including curriculum related activities,
traditional knowledge, conservation and protection of plants and
animals.
• Flyer, video and article will be produced from the data analysis.
• Global RCE Survey
• Getting to know the overall situation of RCEs in the COVID-19
pandemic and the required functioning network
• We received 107 responses and 61.1% as of 7th Sep
• Questionnaire to RCEs in A-P region, conducted in collaboration with
A-P Regional Coordinating Committee
• Getting to know how RCEs are responding to COVID-19 in local
communities and what resources are required to enhance RCE
activities in the pandemic.
• Data is being collected.
• RCEs are making presentations based on their answer of the
questionnaire.

16. Reminders
• Submit your project on RCE project portal site
https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/create-project
• RCE Award application submission is open now. Will Close
on 31st Oct. 2020:
https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/2020-rce-awards-
innovative-projects-education-sustainable-development
• Logo request to Global RCE Service Centre
You will be guided to use the RCE logos of RCE+IAS with
MOEJ.

17. Thank you!
Hangzhou 2019