On 11th November, the 10th Board Meeting of UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD) was held in Beijing. The Board Members, Prof. WANG Guangtao, Former Minister of Construction of China, Former Chairman of Environment and Resource Protection Committee of NPCC and Chairman of IESD Board,Prof. WAN Gang, Vice Chairman of CPPCC, Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MoST), Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, Mr. WU Xiaoqing, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr. CHEN Linhao, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department of MoST, Dr. Young-Woo Park, Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific of UNEP, Mr. WANG Zhijia, Special Advisor to UNEP Executive Director , Mr. ZHANG Shigang, Country Coordinator of UNEP China Office, Prof. ZHOU Zuyi, Chairman of Tongji University Council, Prof. WU Jiang, Vice President of Tongji University and Dean of IESD, Prof. LI Fengting, Vice Dean of IESD and Vice Dean of College of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tongji Universityand Mr. WANG Xuefeng, Director of Chemistry Department of Tongji University attended the meeting.

The Board Meeting was chaired by Prof. WANG Guangtao. Prof. LI Fengting made a brief report on IESD’s work in 2013 and summarized the achievements in the three pillars, namely, education, research and outreach, especially focused on the progress of South-South Cooperation, Key Laboratory of Shanghai Climate Change Response for Urban Areas and Key Laboratory of Chemical Risk Management and presented the work plan of IESD in 2014. Prof. WU Jiang introduced the next five-year plan of IESD and emphasized that IESD needs to build itself into a main actor in mainstreaming the concepts and practices of environment and sustainable development in higher education within the context of Global Universities Partnership of Environment and Sustainability (GUPES) and a “think tank” of UNEP by conducting researches on climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environment governance, harmful substances, resource efficiency and environmental conditions assessment, and facilitating the technology transfers to developing countries as part of South-South cooperation.

Mr. Achim Steiner appreciated the substantive achievements of IESD over 2013, acknowledged the role of IESD in mainstreaming the environmental education and sustainability concept, reaffirmed UNEP’s support to IESD for enhancing South-South Cooperation, especially in UNEP-China-Africa Environment Programme and also congratulated on the establishment of two above-mentioned laboratories. Prof. WAN Gang also recognized the great achievements of IESD and emphasized the significance of textbook development and appreciated the ongoing project of Green Economy Textbook Development co-hosted by UNEP and Tongji University. Mr. WU Xiaoqing reaffirmed the significance and necessity of the laboratory of chemical risk management and expected the further cooperation with Tongji University in terms of joint research and training programmes. Prof. ZHOU Zuyi, on behalf of Tongji University, extended the sincere thanks to all the board members for the consistent support for IESD and expressed the determination to reinforce the collaboration with the strategic partners.

Based on the annual report and work plan of IESD, board members proposed the strategic advices. Prof. WANG Guangtao summarized the meeting and put forward the following suggestions. Firstly, enhance the technology and policy support; secondly, strengthen the research in the field of environmental law; thirdly, attach great importance to the textbook development; fourthly, conduct further research on the sustainable development evaluation; fifthly, reinforce the collaboration between the IESD and enterprises.