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Good News Agency

In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour

monthly, year 24th, number 321 – 24th January 2024

 

Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.

It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.* 

 

 

Contents

Government and politicsEducation and teachingEconomy, finance and planning

Arts of living and relationshipsWork, science and industry

Society and communicationRules, regulations and environment

 

Government and politics
(top)

 

United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-eighth session – Agenda Item 20/a – Groups of countries in special situations: (…) – Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2023: Natural plant fibres and sustainable development

December 28, 2023 - The General Assembly (…)

2. Calls upon the least developed countries, with the support of their development partners, to take action to implement the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, including by developing an ambitious national implementation strategy regarding the Programme of Action and integrating its provisions into their national policies and development frameworks and conducting regular reviews with the full involvement of all key stakeholders;

3. Also calls upon the least developed countries, in cooperation with their development partners, to broaden their existing country-level review mechanisms and report dissemination, including those for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of poverty reduction strategy papers, nationally determined contributions, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and the existing consultative mechanisms, to cover the review of the Doha Programme of Action and extend them to all least developed countries; (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/430/14/PDF/N2343014.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-eighth session – Agenda Item 19/a – Globalization and interdependence (…) – Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2023: Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development

December 21, 2023 - The General Assembly (…)

1. Reaffirms its commitments made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development 12 on, inter alia, science, technology and innovation, as an important action area for sustainable development;

2. Also reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting the use of science, technology and innovation, including through evidence-based policymaking, in facilitating efforts to address global challenges, and to accelerate progress on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (…)

10. Encourages Member States to strengthen and foster investment in research and development for environmentally sound technologies and to promote the involvement of the business and financial sectors in the development of those technologies, and invites the international community to support those efforts; (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/417/42/PDF/N2341742.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-eighth session – Agenda Item 18/a – Sustainable development: towards the achievement of sustainable development: implementation of the 2030 Agenda (…) – Resolution: Promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, building on Agenda 21

December 21, 2023 - The General Assembly (…)

3. Urges the full and effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and all other internationally agreed development goals and commitments in the economic, social and environmental fields, including the Millennium Development Goals and those under the three Rio conventions, building on their contributions, best practices, challenges and lessons learned, in order to support the full and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda;

4. Recognizes that the 2030 Agenda builds on issues included in Agenda 21, and encourages further efforts aimed at strengthening international cooperation to address gaps in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; (…)

10. Recognizes that unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are key drivers of natural resource depletion, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, malnutrition and land degradation, and therefore recommits to making fundamental changes in the way that societies produce and consume goods and services (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/418/20/PDF/N2341820.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals

 

Young Leaders Set to Begin Journey as Change-Makers as Part of New Global Learning Programme for World without Nuclear Weapons - 100 Participants of Youth Leader Fund selected from over 2,000 applications worldwide

Dec 18, 2023 - NEW YORK, 18 December 2023 (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — Today, the selected 100 young participants of the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons convened for the first time. The 100 youths from across the globe from over 60 countries, selected out of over 2,000 applicants from around the world, will spend the next year learning about nuclear disarmament and developing their skills to become change-makers for a world without nuclear weapons — the most destructive weapons on earth.  As part of this innovative training programme (…) participants will combine interactive online learning, engagement with experts from the field, an immersive study tour to Japan, including participation in a youth-led conference, and other collaborative activities. (…)

https://press.un.org/en/2023/dc3866.doc.htm

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

 

Education and teaching
(top)

 

Caribbean digital creators to participate in France's PIDS-Enghien 2024 Festival, with support from UNESCO Transcultura

The Transcultura programme, funded by the European Union, has partnered with the Enghien-les-Bains Centre for the Arts in France to allow young people from the Caribbean to showcase their animation and visual effects work in Europe.

January 14, 2024 - Five young visual effects professionals from the Caribbean will travel to France to take part in the tenth edition of the PIDS Enghien International Visual Effects Festival. The artists' participation will be possible thanks to the support of the UNESCO programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union. This initiative will provide Caribbean digital creators working in the film industry with high visibility in the European market through a programme of multiple activities that will provide them with more professional tools and connections for their career development. It will include interaction with a specialised and general audience, as well as exposure to their works through a booth and open access to presentations, job fairs and film screenings (…)

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/caribbean-digital-creators-participate-frances-pids-enghien-2024-festival-support-unesco

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

42 schools of UNESCO’s Associated School Network piloted Media and Information Literacy curricula in classrooms

UNESCO supported from 2022 to 2023 the piloting of its new Media and Information Literacy curricula "Media and Information Literacy Citizens: Think Critically, Click Wisely" in classrooms from 7 countries in cooperation with schools connected to the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet).

January 9, 2024 - Integrating Media and Information Literacy in national education curricula remains one of the most far-reaching strategy to ensure everyone is equipped with knowledge and skills necessary to navigating and interacting with the online ecosystem and digital technologies.  The enthusiasm displayed by teachers who benefited from the piloting and the positive reactions from students underscored a continuous need for Media and Information Literacy training. According to the pre-training survey carried with the educators: an overwhelming 99% of the respondents strongly agree or agree (91% and 8% respectively) that there is a need for MIL in their school.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/42-schools-unescos-associated-school-network-piloted-media-and-information-literacy-curricula

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

‘By protecting students, we are protecting our future’

January 4, 2024 - Latin America and the Caribbean is the second-most disaster-prone region in the world, after Asia and the Pacific. That is why UNESCO focused on this region for its project Building Capacity to Reduce Disaster Risk in the Built Environment (BERLAC), launched in 2020. One of the pilot countries is the Dominican Republic, where the project has striven to make schools safer in a disaster. BERLAC has not only focused on mitigating earthquake risk, but also flood damage caused by the hurricanes and tropical storms which regularly batter the region. Over the past three years, UNESCO has trained local students of engineering and architecture in the Dominican Republic how to assess the vulnerability of schools to an earthquake and correct this vulnerability through retrofitting and other measures. The first step was to identify and rectify vulnerabilities in existing school structures. For these inspections, UNESCO used the methodology of Visual Inspection for defining Safety Upgrading Strategies (VISUS), which had been developed by the UNESCO Chair on Intersectoral Safety for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience at the University of Udine in Italy, Professor Stefano Grimaz. The inspectors used VISUS to identify risks and retrofitting opportunities in 85 schools across five municipalities in the Dominican Republic. They then conveyed these findings to the local and national governments, so that they could allocate targeted resources to fortify only those constructions in need of retrofitting (…)

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/protecting-students-we-are-protecting-our-future

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

Japan and Norway provide financial support to UNESCO’s Global Convention on Higher Education

The Governments of Japan and Norway will provide $238,000 to UNESCO to strengthen the implementation of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education over the next two years.

December 21, 2023 - This first United Nations treaty in higher education of a global scope aims to promote the fair, transparent and non-discriminatory recognition of higher education qualifications and strengthen academic mobility and international cooperation. Twenty-six (26) countries have already deposited their instruments of ratification to the convention. They host close to 25% of the world’s 6.3 million internationally mobile students…. This is particularly important with rising academic mobility, which has more than doubled in the last two decades and is expected to double again in the next two decades.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/japan-and-norway-provide-financial-support-unescos-global-convention-higher-education

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

From city to soil: Young graduates seek a better life in rural areas

December 20, 2023 - Youth unemployment continues to be much higher than the rate for adults, with some 73 million young people all over the world struggling to find work and make a living.In cities across the world, many university graduates are either jobless or not earning enough to survive in an urban setting. This is why some young people are leaving the city and moving to rural areas – where they are learning to live off the land. Even with a law degree, newly graduated Tamar Rurua wasn’t earning enough to make ends meet in the city of Senaki in western Georgia. In 2023, she applied for a youth grant through IFAD’s Dairy Modernisation and Market Access project. With the money, Tamar purchased a greenhouse to grow tomatoes and barley, and used the rest of the land to farm maize and hazelnuts. In Cameroon, IFAD is working to create green opportunities for young people where previously there were none. As more young people turn to agriculture, IFAD helps create employment opportunities through projects and grants, so that they can stay connected to rural life, earn a living and play a part in growing and selling nutritious and sustainable food.

https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/from-city-to-soil-young-graduates-seek-a-better-life-in-rural-areas?p_l_back_url=%2Fen%2Fweb%2Flatest%2Fstories

News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

 

Economy, finance and planning
(top)

 

Sumitomo building biodiesel demo facility in Japan using wood and cane waste

(by Meghan Sapp)

January 10, 2024 - In Japan, the Nikkei newspaper reports that Sumitomo plans to up its bet on renewables by going into biodiesel production with a focus on wood waste and sugarcane residues. Together with the University of Tokyo and Solariant Capital, it is investing in a demonstration facility on the southern island of Tanegashima that is expected to be online by 2025. Should it be successfully, the company is eyeing commercial production by 2027 with a target of eventually producing 1 million metric tons annually.

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e74f9b7b36d-sumitomo-building-biodiesel-demo-facility-in-japan-using-wood-and-cane-waste

News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production 

 

Polar bear fur-inspired fibers offer exceptional thermal insulation, tested in a sweater

December 22, 2023 - Inspired by the structure of polar bear fur, researchers present a knittable aerogel fiber with exceptional thermal and mechanical properties. The fibers are washable, dyeable, durable, and well-suited to be used in advanced textiles. This allowed the researchers to test them in a sweater that demonstrated impressive thermal insulation, among other features. Aerogels are an ideal material for thermal insulation. They demonstrate high porosity and extremely low thermal conductivity. (…)

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Polar_bear_fur_inspired_fibers_offer_exceptional_thermal_insulation_tested_in_a_sweater_999.html

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

This adaptive roof tile can cut both heating and cooling costs

December 18, 2023 - In an era where energy efficiency is paramount, researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) are making significant strides. A team, comprising Charlie Xiao, Elliot Hawkes, and Bolin Liao, has developed an adaptive roof tile that could revolutionize how we manage heating and cooling in buildings. Approximately half of an average American building's energy consumption goes towards heating and cooling, representing a substantial financial and environmental cost. Addressing this issue, the UCSB researchers presented their innovative solution in the journal Device. The team's adaptive tile, designed for array deployment on roofs, promises to lower heating bills in winter and cooling bills in summer, all without relying on electronics. (…)

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/This_adaptive_roof_tile_can_cut_both_heating_and_cooling_costs_999.html

News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production

 

 

Arts of living and relationships
(top)

 

ICRC and Amani Africa launch a policy brief on safeguarding the humanitarian space in Africa: analysis of current state of affairs and policy recommendations

January 12, 2024 – Across Africa, a humanitarian crisis unfolds. Spiraling conflicts, a changing climate, and restrictive government policies cast a long shadow on millions in need. A joint policy brief, a product of Amani Africa in collaboration the ICRC, illuminates this stark reality, showcasing how the very space for delivering vital aid shrinks with each passing day. The need for action is immense. (…) Amani Africa and the ICRC, in their joint effort, exemplify the power of partnership, uniting research with operational expertise. By embracing this spirit and translating proposed actions into reality, we can ensure that the lifeline of humanitarian aid reaches those who depend on it most, pushing back against the forces that seek to sever it. Ultimately, safeguarding the humanitarian space in Africa is not just about upholding principles or implementing policies. It is about the human cost of inaction, about ensuring that millions who face desperate circumstances do not remain lost in the shadows (…)

https://www.icrc.org/en/document/safeguarding-humanitarian-space-africa-analysis-current-state-affairs-and-policy

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

Rotary partnership with the United Nations puts the focus on waterways

(by Etelka Lehoczky)

January 10, 2024 – A new collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme empowers Rotary members to clean up, protect, and monitor their local waterways. The strategic partnership aligns with both the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and Rotary’s environment area of focus. The partnership “brings together Rotary’s community-based solutions and UNEP’s technical expertise,” RI President-elect Stephanie Urchick said when announcing the partnership on 10 January. She spoke at Rotary’s International Assembly, the organization’s gathering of incoming district governors. At the center of the partnership is a program enabling Rotary and Rotaract clubs to make commitments to the health of their own nearby waterways. Called Community Action for Fresh Water, the program will encourage clubs to organize river cleanup days, raise awareness in their communities about the importance of healthy waterways, conduct basic water quality tests, and report their findings. These locally based activities are crucial to protecting the environment on a global scale, says Rafael Peralta, regional director and representative for the UNEP’s office for North America. (…)

https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-partnership-united-nations-puts-focus-waterways

News related with SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation

 

Kross Kolor Records exposes young talent to music production & audio Engineering. The Creative Caribbean Project empowers young music enthusiasts in Guyana through Kross Kolor Records, offering training in music production and audio engineering

January 8, 2024- The Creative Caribbean Project is supporting Kross Kolor Records in developing young talent in the music industry in Guyana. Thirteen young music enthusiasts are now able to advance their musical talent through training in Music Production and Audio Engineering. The training include music theory, composition, functional keyboard, recording engineering, fundamentals of sound, keyboard mastery using both hands as well as performance basics including playing the piano and singing simultaneously. Founder and CEO of Kross Kolor Records, Burchmore Simon pointed out that the grant from the Creative Caribbean Project has enabled his company to generate interest in music production, the type of structured training which is not readily available to young musical talent in the Caribbean.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/kross-kolor-records-exposes-young-talent-music-production-audio-engineering

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art in Sarajevo, as an example of coexistence and creativity in South-East Europe Under the slogan “A vision becomes reality”

December 20, 2023-Sarajevo is a unique symbol of multiculturalism, bearing a long and rich history of religious and cultural diversity. However, growing tendencies to label and segregate people along cultural and religious lines pose a real threat to peaceful coexistence. Issues of religious and cultural heritage are difficult to separate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the recent history of the country puts these at the heart of political and social development. To overcome this, Sarajevo can use the benefits of its interculturalism to create a vibrant hub of contemporary art, supporting emerging creative industries and important cultural festivities and events. As a universal language, art can be utilised as a cohesive power, and this is reflected in the development of the Ars Aevi Museum.The Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art project provides a physical and symbolic space in which inspiration may be found in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s complexities and be actualised through art that promotes inclusivity, dialogue and pluralism. Through the progressive thinking of the Museum’s founders and promoters, individuals will be brought together, using art to break down ideological barriers and create the conditions for authentic intercultural dialogue...

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ars-aevi-museum-contemporary-art-sarajevo-example-coexistence-and-creativity-south-east-europe

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

Young Bahamians tackle gender equality through research and entrepreneurship

December 18, 2023- 20 Bahamian youth, aged 18-30, engaged in UNESCO's 'Youth As Researchers' initiative on Dec 18, 2023, in Nassau. Youth as researchers in The Bahamas, a new research initiative within the SDG Fund Project on Building Back Equal Through Innovative Financing for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, conducted in partnership with the UNESCO Chairs at Penn State University and the National University of Ireland invites participants to explore entrepreneurial potentials in the post-COVID-19 era and on closing gaps that women and youth face in agriculture, sustainable tourism, and creative and cultural industries... Running until March 2024, Youth as Researchers will continue online in small research teams and will be accompanied by UNESCO and the UNESCO Chairs through mentoring, workshops and interactive sessions on innovative research methodologies, ethical considerations, and to conduct their own research based on the following three themes...

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/young-bahamians-tackle-gender-equality-through-research-and-entrepreneurship

News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality

 

Argentina: International Meeting of Participatory Conflict Resolution Methods

(An article from the Argentine government)

December 6, 2023- An international meeting on Participatory Conflict Resolution Methods “Human Rights, democracy and culture of peace” was held in the City of Salta with more than 400 mediators from different organizations at the federal level. The event was organized by the Secretariat of Justice of Salta, the European Union Argentine Delegation, the National Directorate of Mediation and Participatory Methods of Conflict Resolution and the Federal Board of Cortes and Superior Courts of Justice of Argentina, JUFEJUS. It was developed in two days of extensive work with the aim of continuing to develop mediation in country.

https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=33109

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

Mexico: the First Conference for Peace is held at the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Cuajimalpa

December 2023- A group of research professors from the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM) has created the Research Network on Culture of Peace, Justice and Solid Institutions. Its objective is to promote a culture of peace through reflection, education and discussion of issues, as well as the implementation of actions that contribute to the strengthening of the ideals of peace. This initiative seeks to intervene and have a social impact in solving problems from various disciplines.In commemoration of the International Day of Peace, established by the UN on September 21, the Network organized the First Days for Peace. The opening ceremony took place on September 18 at the Cuajimalpa Unit of the UAM, and was attended by authorities from the different academic units that are part of this university. Dr. José Antonio de los Reyes Heredia, general rector of the UAM, inaugurated the conference and highlighted that universities and Higher Education Institutions have the responsibility of addressing priority issues, satisfying specific needs and accompanying society in its adaptation to current challenges. This involves promoting perspectives of peace, working to eradicate violence and assuming environmental responsibility (…)

https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=33302

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

 

Work, science and industry
(top)

 

Green ammonia could decarbonize 60% of global shipping when offered at just 10 regional fuel ports

January 11, 2024 - A study published in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability has found that green ammonia could be used to fulfil the fuel demands of over 60% of global shipping by targeting just the top 10 regional fuel ports. Researchers at the University of Oxford looked at the production costs of ammonia which are similar to very low sulphur fuels, and concluded that the fuel could be a viable option to help decarbonise international shipping by 2050. (…)

https://www.oilgasdaily.com/reports/Green_ammonia_could_decarbonize_60%25_of_global_shipping_when_offered_at_just_10_regional_fuel_ports_999.html

News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production 

 

Port of Virginia becomes first East Coast port entirely powered by clean energy

January 5, 2024 - The Port of Virginia rang in the New Year by celebrating an impressive accomplishment: it is now entirely powered by clean energy, becoming the first East Coast port to accomplish the feat. The Port of Virginia is powering all of its terminals with electricity from clean resources and accelerating its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2040. This milestone puts the port eight years ahead of its original 2032 benchmark of using clean energy to power operations. (…)

https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/wind-power/port-of-virginia-becomes-first-east-coast-port-entirely-powered-by-clean-energy/

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

New research illuminates more efficient phosphorus-consuming algae for wastewater treatment

(by Juan Pedro Tomas)

January 3, 2024 - Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a team of scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Gross-Wen Technologies, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago examined the unique properties of phosphorus uptake in the algal strains living in the Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) systems. The RAB system by Gross-Wen Technologies is an emerging technology that leverages the natural ability of algae to harness solar energy to efficiently accumulate and remove phosphorus from water. The grown algal biomass can then be harvested from the belt and dried for use as agricultural fertilizer or as feedstock for the manufacture of biofuels and bioproducts, according to the report. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e74858e789d-new-research-illuminates-more-efficient-phosphorus-consuming-algae-for-wastewater-treatment

News related with SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation

 

Cotton has a waste problem: This startup says it can solve it

(by Jesse Klein)

December 29, 2023 – (…) Textile recycling today is basically non-existent. Ninety-two million tonnes of textiles are thrown away each year. About 87 per cent of all that material ends up in landfill. The emerging textile recycling industry is poised to take another step forward in January when Seattle-based startup Evrnu breaks ground on a cotton recycling facility in South Carolina. The facility, which is set to run primarily on renewable energy and have the capacity to create the equivalent of 80,000 T-shirts every year from recycled cotton clothing, is scheduled to come online by the end of 2024. (…)

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4159708/cotton-waste-startup-solve

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

 

Society and communication
(top)

 

Celebrities have helped make beekeeping the new trendy hobby.

January 2024- Stars creating buzz around this pastime include Beyoncé, Scarlett Johansson, David Beckham, Sting and Flea of ​​the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The survey, conducted in 2024 among 2,000 adults, revealed that nearly half (47%) are looking for more unusual hobbies, such as origami and foraging for food in nature. The OnePoll randomized double opt-in survey was commissioned by Sky ahead of the release of the action film The Beekeeper, starring Jason Statham.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/celebrities-have-helped-make-beekeeping-the-hot-new-hobby/

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

Utilizing open educational resources (oer) for the revitalization of indigenous languages

December 2023, UNESCO is actively promoting the adoption and development of OER in indigenous languages to foster digital inclusion. Aligned with the objectives of the International Decade for Indigenous Languages (IDIL2022-2032) Global Action Plan, there is a call to leverage Open Educational Resources, as outlined in the 2019 Recommendation on OER. The aim is to integrate Indigenous Peoples’ culture, history and knowledge into educational curricula. The Consolidated Report on the Implementation by Member States of the 2019 Recommendation on OER underscores the transformative role of OER in linguistic revitalization. Notably, 71% of participating Member States reported the incorporation of OER in national languages. The report identifies various examples illustrating the impact of OER.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/utilizing-open-educational-resources-oer-revitalization-indigenous-languages

News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities

 

Embracing technological innovation for the inclusive education of students with disabilities.

December 2023- UNESCO promotes the Sustainable Development Goals by leveraging technology, deeply resonating with Goal 4 (SDG 4) of the 2030 Agenda: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all”. It is estimated that around 700 million people with disabilities reside in the Asia-Pacific region, of which 43 million are children (UNICEF, 2023). Technological advances are playing a crucial role in achieving this goal, especially for people with disabilities. To make the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for people with disabilities, renewed efforts and stronger collaboration are needed from Member States, the United Nations system, civil society and the global community of people with disabilities.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/embracing-technological-innovation-unesco-advances-sdgs-through-inclusive-education-learners

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education and SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities

 

 

Rules, regulations and environment

(top)

 

ZeroAvia and ScottishPower team up to advance hydrogen airport refuelling plans

(by Michael Holder)

January 10, 2024 - ompanies to explore potential to provide hydrogen refuelling services at Scottish airports. Plans to operate zero emission commercial flights in the UK received a further boost today, as energy firm ScottishPower announced it has teamed up with hydrogen aircraft pioneer ZeroAvia to explore the potential development of green hydrogen supply services and infrastructure at a number of UK airports. (…) The partnership announced today will see it work with ScottishPower to develop green hydrogen solutions to test and power ZeroAvia's zero carbon aircraft engines using electrolysers powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity generated by UK wind farms, the firms explained. (…)

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4162122/zeroavia-scottishpower-team-advance-hydrogen-airport-refuelling-plans

News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals

 

Spain generated record 50% of power from renewables in 2023

January 4, 2024 - Spain generated more than half of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar power in 2023 in a "historic" record, the national power grid said Thursday. According to data from the Red Electrica Espanola (REE), the production of electricity from renewable sources reached nearly 135,000 GWh last year, the equivalent of 50.4 percent of the overall national energy mix. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e74fa1c1276-spain-generated-record-50-of-power-from-renewables-in-2023

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

Germany’s coal power production drops to lowest level in 60 years in 2023 after nuclear exit

(by Benjamin Wehrmann)

January 4, 2024 - Germany’s lignite power production fell to the lowest level since 1963 last year, while hard coal power production even dropped to the lowest level since 1955, an analysis by research institute Fraunhofer ISE has found. The country’s entire coal-fired power production fell by almost one third (48 TWh), cutting coal’s share of total net power generation to 26 per cent. Meanwhile, the country sourced nearly 60 percent (59.7%) of its net power production from renewables, which generated a total of 260 terawatt hours (TWh), an increase of 7.2 percent compared to 2022. (…)

https://reneweconomy.com.au/germanys-coal-power-production-drops-to-lowest-level-in-60-years-in-2023-after-nuclear-exit/

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

Portugal's renewable power generation hit record level in 2023

January 2, 2024 - Portugal obtained a record quantity of its electricity from clean sources in 2023, with renewables accounting for 61 percent of power use, national grid operator REN said on Tuesday. Wind provided 25 percent of the electricity consumed in Portugal last year, ahead of hydropower (23 percent), solar photovoltaic (7.0 percent) and biomass (6.0 percent), REN said. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e7485a96f44-portugals-renewable-power-generation-hit-record-level-in-2023

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

40% of US electricity is now emissions-free

(by John Timmer)

December 28, 2023 - Just before the holiday break, the US Energy Information Agency released data on the country's electrical generation. Because of delays in reporting, the monthly data runs through October, so it doesn't provide a complete picture of the changes we've seen in 2023. But some of the trends now seem locked in for the year: wind and solar are likely to be in a dead heat with coal, and all carbon-emissions-free sources combined will account for roughly 40 percent of US electricity production. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e7480e92242-40-of-us-electricity-is-now-emissions-free

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

UK installed a record 16,000 public electric car chargers in 2023

(by Jasper Jolly)

December 26, 2023 – (…) he UK installed a record number of public electric car chargers in 2023 as the size of network of ultra-rapid chargers for longer journeys doubled. Almost 16,000 public chargers were installed in the year to 12 December, pushing the total above 53,200, according to the data company ZapMap. That represented a 43% increase on 2022, significantly faster than the last three years. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e74817206cb-uk-installed-a-record-16000-public-electric-car-chargers-in-2023

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

H2U and De Nora reach agreement to discover high-performance materials for green hydrogen production

(by Juan Pedro Tomas)

December 21, 2023 - In California, H2U Technologies, an electrolyzer developer and De Nora, a supplier of high-performing catalyst-coated membranes, announced an R&D agreement to identify and develop low-cost, high-performance electrocatalysts for hydrogen production through water electrolysis. These catalysts will enable the market presence of affordable green hydrogen, thereby addressing a specific market need, facilitating the expansion of the hydrogen value chain and driving the energy transition, the companies said. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e74830e62cf-h2u-and-de-nora-reach-agreement-to-discover-high-performance-materials-for-green-hydrogen-production

News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals

 

 

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