CEPA Fair 2022 - Virtual Exhibitions - COP15

Ocean Literacy Programme for coastal communities in Ecuador

Sharing local experiences implementing an EcoClub programe as part of a pilot model of a sustainable community project in Ayangue (Santa Elena province) in Ecuador, based on ocean literacy to encourage, develop and implement action plans for sustainable living and the use of resources.

Videos

• Lanzamiento Kit de Educacion Oceánica
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBjZB9nyfiE
   
• Iniciativa Fundación Amiguistos del Océano
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU1VdIsMBbE
   
• Corto sobre actividades en los EcoClube
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF2PhL3gFns

Amiguitos del Océano Foundation: Website | Instagram
Contact: daniela@amiguitosdeloceano.com

The Brahma Kumaris and Biodiversity

The Brahma Kumaris celebrate the progress made in raising global consciousness about the triple threat of biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change. However, the Earth, the blue pearl, is in great danger and it may only be a spiritual consciousness that gives us the power to make further advancements and implement a benevolent change.

To truly awaken a flourishing future something is needed to bring about an attitudinal shift and deep commitment in peoples’ hearts and minds. The spiritual power from within can impart hope and help everyone make difficult yet essential sustainable choices.

Since 1937 the Brahma Kumaris, a worldwide spiritual University (Organization) have been dedicated to helping awaken people to a set of higher values for the common good. As an International NGO accredited to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) we have brought our spiritual knowledge to many of the environmental contexts in which the UN serves.

As a contribution to the UN CBD COP15 in Montreal, we offer some inspirations and examples of initiatives through this Virtual Exhibition platform, and we invite everyone, who cares for the Mather Nature to join us.

Sister Jayanti Kirpalani, Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris shares her understanding of how spiritual awareness impacts human actions and the importance of upholding the integrity of our rich, biodiverse and inter-dependent home (planet) – the intricate web of life. How our thoughts, feelings and attitude create vibrations which affect all aspects of Mother Nature.

We humbly invite you to learn about our practical initiatives such as Sustainable Yogic Agriculture, where natural farming is coupled with the fertilizer of positive thoughts to bear greater results; India One Solar Thermal Power Plant, a 1MW electrical research and demonstration project, where locally developed storage enables continuous power generation; and KalpTaruh an innovative forest restoration program.

In this presentation, examples of environmental actions in the physical world are intertwined with moments of reflection and contemplation, powered by spiritual consciousness.

We do hope you will enjoy with us this journey toward life in harmony with nature.

Brahma Kumaris: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube |

Contact: Aneta Loj : aneta.loj@pl.brahmakumaris.org | WhatsApp: +91 8890051145

Best practices and lessons learnt from 10 years of Capacity Development in Africa

CEBioS presents a sample of best practices and lessons learnt from 10 years of Capacity Development in Africa, with some examples about the Global Taxonomy Initiative, Monitoring-Reporting-Verification (MRV), Awareness raising, Habitat Monitoring and the Clearing House Mechanism. All this also fits into our efforts to mainstream Biodiversity into the realm of development Cooperation and the Sustainable development Goals. CEBioS also presents a new practical manual on ecosystem services assessment in African Biosphere reserves: the ‘EVAMAB’ Manual.

EVAMAB Manual

CEBioS: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn  | Youtube | COp15 Side-Event News | Brochure

Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences
www.naturalsciences.be/en/museum/home
 
Belgian National Focal Point to the GTI
https://taxonomy.naturalsciences.be

Belgian National Focal Point to the CBD
https://www.biodiv.be/

Belgian Federal Public Service for Public Health and Environment
https://www.health.belgium.be/en

Belgian Science-Policy Office (BELSPO)
https://www.belspo.be

Introducing Tracking Green Commodities - A Scalable Innovative Model

“Tracking Green Commodities” is an innovative application that promotes biodiversity conservation and rural development that would transform the lives of smallholder producers to complement for the low prices on the world commodity markets.

This international initiative focuses on zero carbon emissions and biodiversity conservation and the impacts of responsible tourism destinations. Consumers sourcing for eco - labelled chocolate must crave to visit cocoa production sites in Ghana as deforestation-free community-tourism destination to help improve the livelihoods of cocoa communities.

Project: Eco - Labelling, Global Agrifood Chains And Agro – Tourism Destinations: Significance Of Cocoa Farm Tours To Ghana (West Africa), 24/01/18

Focus on Indigenous issues, youth, climate justice in the global south

This virtual exhibition involves numerous NGOs related to biodiversity with focus on Indigenous issues, youth, climate justice in the global south, etc. The exhibition is hosted on Bramble, mimicking a physical exhibition space where guests can visit exhibition booths and learn more about various calls to action. Time and space is also provided for networking among NGOs and guests.

What: The Green Action Global Connection Zone (online) will connect NGOs, activists and institutions working on the ground in North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania to protect our biodiversity. The online zone is a part of the CEPA Fair and a side event to the official COP15 Biodiversity conference taking place in Montreal from December 7-19.

The entire event will have a strong Indigenous perspective, featuring Indigenous Peoples from around the world. The intention is to have broad land-based learnings be shared with participants and attendees.

There will also be opportunities for interactive, hands-on activities, such as those offered by Biodiversity and Climate Fresks, to introduce a powerful and fun way to learn more about the complex implications of biological diversity and climate crisis.

Audience: action-oriented Indigenous groups and NGOs seeking to connect, strengthen ties, exchange knowledge and experience and coalesce around concrete action.

We are seeking participants interested in networking with like minded groups around the world and working together to hold governments accountable to the goals they set at COP15, as well as pursuing our own biodiversity goals potentially set on this forum.

Format: workshops, meetings, presentations, and debates around major themes Space will be available for exhibition booths, theatre-style guests and keynote speakers, small conference room discussions and presentations, and even a “rooftop” setting for casual networking.

When: Dec 11-12, 2022, continuously around the clock to accommodate all timezones Programming on the main stage and in conference rooms will be periodic throughout the event.

Who: The event is co-organized by Climate Action Works, Peace Innovation Institute and the Global Greens. Associate co-organizers include MasseCritique.ca, Ohneganos, and other NGOs.

Where: The Bramble.Live platform: https://www.bramble.live/

Contact: contact@climateaction.works.

Animal Population Decline in Québec: A Performance

This video documents the creation of a performance in the public space whose goal is to raise public awareness of the decline in biodiversity. In collaboration with the artist Dominique Paul, 150 students in the arts program of the Jacques-Rousseau secondary school created a structure for embodying the 150 endangered or vulnerable animal species in Quebec.

To communicate the causes of the declining populations of birds, insects, mammals and others, they held a poetry slam on the occasion of Quebec’s National Celebration Day. Between these spoken word poems, they strolled about to the rhythm of the Brazilian percussion group Ritmistas MTL to create a North-South connection between the boreal and Amazon forests, two great forests being clear-cut. There is still time to preserve them and to restore their habitats.

Dominique Paul thanks the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the agglomération de Longueuil for their financial support.

Exposition « Le printemps silencieux »

Les œuvres de l’artiste Dominique Paul, qui représentent des espèces d’oiseaux du Québec et du Canada vulnérables — principalement faute d’insectes (à cause des pesticides) et d’habitats —, côtoient les projets créés par des jeunes de l’école secondaire Jacques-Rousseau. Cette démarche engagée nous rappelle qu’il y a urgence d’agir pour la santé de tous. Une bande sonore de chants d’oiseaux en péril dans la région est également présentée près du pavillon d’accueil du parc Michel-Chartrand.

Ce projet, présenté par la Ville de Longueuil, a été réalisé en collaboration avec l’école secondaire Jacques-Rousseau et le Club d’ornithologie de Longueuil. L’artiste a reçu le soutien du Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) et de l’agglomération de Longueuil ainsi qu’une contribution d’Encadrex.
 

Coral reefs in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

Resources produced in the context of the work of the ICRI ad hoc Committee coordinating input to the CBD process for the inclusion of coral reefs in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
 

• Infographic (2022) – ICRI’s 3 Asks for the inclusion of coral reefs in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity framework
   
   
• Infographic (2020) – Healthy coral reefs indicators for inclusion in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity framework
  
   
   
• Infographic (2020) - Illustrating the value of coral reefs globally (language versions: Spanish, Portuguese, Persian, French, Indonesian)
   
   
• Video (2020): The value of healthy coral reef ecosystems
• Library: CEPA resources for the work of ICRI on the inclusion of coral reefs in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Monitoring the status & trends of the world’s coral reefs: the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)

Resources produced in the context of the work of ICRI’s operational network, the GCRMN, for the dissemination of its flagship report, the Sixth GCRMN Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020 report.
 

• Report (2020): Status of Coral Reefs of the World
• Video/animation (2020) - The Sixth GCRMN Status of Coral Reefs of the World (more language versions)
   
• Online resource (2020): UNEP Data Visualisation

Restoration of coral reefs & related ecosystems

Resources produced in the context of the work of the ICRI Ad Hoc Committee on reef restoration
 

• Guide (2022): A Guide to Coral Reef Restoration for the Tourism Sector: Partnering with Caribbean Tourism Leaders to Accelerate Coral Restoration
• Video (2022): About the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP)
• Video (2021) - Coral Reef Restoration: what is it and why is it important?
• Guide (2020) - Coral Reef Restoration as a Strategy to Improve Ecosystem Services - A guide to Coral Restoration Methods
• Guide (2020): Training Guide for Coral Reef Restoration
• Report (2019): Mapping Current and Future Priorities for Coral Restoration and Adaptation Programs
• Factsheet (2019): Restoration and Adaptation

Resilience-Based Management of coral reefs

Resources produced in the context of the work of the ICRI Ad Hoc Committee on Resilience-Based Management
 

• Policy brief (2021): Building Resilience into Coral Reef Conservation A Policy Brief for Decision Makers
• Video (2021): What is Resilience-based Management and why do we need it?

The Climate Crisis: Education for Climate Awareness

Organizers

• Sanjana Singh, Centre for Sustainability, Environment, and Climate Change (CSECC), FLAME University, India
• Nathalie Fomproix, International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)
• L S Shashidhara, International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and Indian Institution of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune
• Bayona Lily Rodriguez, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Speakers

• Dr. Rahul Chopra, Dr. Rahul Chopra is the Director of the Centre for Sustainability, Environment, and Climate Change (CSECC), FLAME University, India
• Sanjana Singh is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Sustainability, Environment, and Climate Change (CSECC), FLAME University, India
• Dr. L S Shashidhara, President of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and professor of Biology at Indian Institution of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune
• Dr. Nathalie Fomproix, Executive Director of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)
• Dr. Lily Rodríguez Bayona, Director of Institutional Development and Member of the Board of Directors of Centro de Conservacion, Investigacion y Manejo de Areas Naturales, CIMA

Contact: Dr. Rahul Chopra: rahul.chopra@flame.edu.in

Theme: Methods of awareness raising and behaviour change
 
Climate change is one of the most significant concerns of our times, threatening the lives of people and affecting the entire biosphere. In this presentation, we will demonstrate how education plays a vital role in increasing the awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change. We will showcase how our free-to-use climate change education platform, TROP ICSU, has made quality climate change education accessible to all. We will further discuss our training programs that empower all educators to equip current and future generations of learners with the necessary skills to combat the climate crisis. TROP ICSU is part of the vision of democratization of knowledge that can be used by all such that all humanity will invest their talent, skills, and ambition in a focused way to address the problems of climate change.

TROP ICSU: Website | Twitter | @TROP_ICSU |

Cameroons efforts in meeting the Biodiversity Targets

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnvironnementNature

Verão no Clima

Organizers: Environmental Education Coordination from the Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment of São Paulo State Government – Brazil (SIMA)

Speakers: Maria de Lourdes Rocha Freire, Rita Zanetti an (SIMA).

The "Verão no Clima" Project is a campaign of the government of the State of São Paulo which was started in the late 1980's to raise the awareness of visitors on the beaches along the coast of São Paulo, regarding the correct disposal of garbage in these areas. Over the years, the Project includes public awareness actions on various environmental issues, such as the conservation of local biodiversity, coastal conservation units and marine litter and its impacts.

Following different local situations since its creation, as well as different names used for the campaign, the project observed the progress in the conservation and environmental quality of the beaches in the sixteen coastal municipalities of the state. Currently, the management and care of the municipalities is much more efficient than in past decades. However, it is still necessary to work for a better awareness of the population, especially the tourists and visitors that increase significantly the population in these locations, during the high season of Summer.
 

Toward this objective, the "Verão no Clima" Project operates in partnership with municipalities and the private sector in order to keep teams of local instructors for the execution of direct approaches to beachgoers and local mobilization actions, such as clean-up campaigns and awareness raising actions in social media, among other possible activities to be carried out in each edition of the project. In the last four years, from 2018 to 2021, about 500,000 people were reached by the on-site and virtual actions, and about 1,245 instructors worked on behalf of the project, becoming the main multiplying agents of this initiative, learning about the environment and environmental education, with emphasis on

(i) solid waste and conscious consumption;
(ii) marine litter and microwaste;
(iii) biodiversity and preservation of the coast of São Paulo;
(iv) domestic animals on the beach;
(v) vectors and diseases;
(vi) Sustainable Development Goals; and
(vii) climate change.

“Verão no Clima” Project : Website | Twitter | Instagram

São Paulo Strategic Plan for Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Litter (PEMALM)

Organizers: Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment of the State of São Paulo – Brazil (SIMA), Environmental Company of Sao Paulo State (CETESB), Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo - Brazil (IO/USP)

Speakers: (SIMA) Ana Maria Panarelli, Ana Maria Neves, Maria Fernanda Romanelli, Maria Teresa C. Mansor, Rita Zanetti; (CETESB) Omar A. Cardoso (OI) Carla I. Elliff, Mariana M. de Andrade, Natalia M. Grilli, Vitória M. Scrich, Alexander Turra.


 

• Presentation

  • Marine litter can be characterized as all solid waste of anthropogenic origin that, regardless of its origin, enters the marine environment. It is estimated that 80% of the litter found at sea originates from land-based activities and inadequate solid waste management, while the other 20% originates from ocean-based activities. The garbage found in the sea consists mainly of plastics, rubbers, metals, glass, textiles, and paper.

  • Marine litter is a transboundary and global issue that affects the environment and society in many ways. The solutions to this problem are complex and require the engagement of all sectors of society - government, private sector, university, and civil society. The theme has gained prominence in the UN Agenda 2030 through SDG 14 - Life on Water - specifically in target 14.1 - reduce marine pollution - and subsequent declaration of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

  • Considering that data and information on marine litter are fundamental to support the development of concrete and targeted actions of combat, in January 2021 the São Paulo Strategic Plan for Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Litter (PEMALM) was launched, as a result of the agreement signed between Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment of São Paulo State Government and Oceanographic Institute from the University of São Paulo in the context of the UNESCO Chair for Ocean Sustainability. PEMALM (Portuguese abbreviation) aims to combine knowledge, engagement, and interaction of key players to create a foundation of qualified information and institutions to monitor and evaluate the problem of marine litter in the State of São Paulo. This established a participatory and effective channel of communication between science and public management, with the potential to add collective learning opportunities and facilitate a longterm process of information systematization, partnerships, and mobilization. PEMALM is directly linked to the goals set in the chapter of Marine Litter on the State Plan for Solid Waste, revised and published in 2020.

  • PEMALM’s publication consolidates a joint effort of several society sectors to respond to the need to first understand the problem of marine litter in the state level and then seek ways to fight it. The process of mobilization around the issue of marine litter has enabled its insertion in different
    environmental policies, such as territorial planning, public cleaning, and environmental education and citizen awareness, in the various branches of society and at all federal levels.

  • The future that we need and that we want for the ocean can only succeed in a scenario of a clean and healthy ocean for present and future generations. In this context, the combination of efforts between science, public management, and the society is fundamental. The Ocean Decade gives place to a debate on our individual and group decisions concerning the ocean's role as a sustainer of our planet's health.

  • The São Paulo Strategic Plan for Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Litter in Portuguese, Spanish and English versions, as well as other communication materials prepared by the PEMALM team, are disclosed below.

• Publication
  PEMALM: São Paulo strategic plan for monitoring and assessment of marine litter, Organizing institutions Secretaria de Infraestrutura e Meio Ambiente ... [et al.], 2021 [PDF-30 Mb] - [Version en Espanol] [versão em português]
   
• More online
  • Website: PEMALM’s Official Website
  • Youtube: PEMALM on Youtube | Webinar | Teaser Documentary

Environmental Literacy Program
 

Organizers: Environmental Education Coordination from the Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment of São Paulo State Government – Brazil (SIMA), Pedagogical Coordination, from the Secretariat of Education of São Paulo State Government – Brazil (SEDUC)

Speakers: (SIMA) Maria de Lourdes Rocha Freire; Rita Zanetti and Team (SEDUC) Viviane P. D. Cardoso; Valeria T. de Georgel and Team;

 

• The Environmental Literacy Program had its first edition in 2019, conceived by the Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment (SIMA) and the Secretariat of Education (SEDUC) to bring young students in literacy stage into closer contact with the environmental theme in an active way, leading to the practice of plantation of native seedlings at the end of the second year of elementary school.

• This partnership was made official by the publication of common legislation, considering the assignment of the government to promote formal and non-formal environmental education to all levels of education and to promote the State Policy for Environmental Education, using it as an essential and permanent component in education, owing to be developed at the state and municipal levels in an articulated and continuous manner in educational processes.

• In 2019’s edition, the Environmental Literacy Program promoted the planting of 12,517 seedlings and reached 17,945 students from public schools throughout the state of São Paulo. In its development, the secretaries aimed to integrate the program with international¹, national² and state³ guidelines of protection and restoration of biodiversity and also to the São Paulo’s K-12 Curriculum⁴, according with the pedagogical competencies to be developed by students in the literacy stage (1st and 2nd years of primary or elementary school) from the application of a pedagogical project developed by the Secretariat of Education and its PCNPs (short for Coordinating Teachers of the Pedagogical Centers⁵).

• To implement the planting of the seedlings, a task force was set up by professionals from the Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment, seeking partnerships to make available planting areas, seedlings, supplies, support, and maintenance of the species planted, with attention to match the appropriate species to each region of the engaged schools. The effectiveness of this action was only possible thanks to the support of the local municipalities and the private initiative responsible for restoration projects in progress. In this link and this link it is possible to see some record of the actions carried out.

  As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the technical team developed a new application strategy in this new context considering the continuity of the Biodiversity Conservation theme (held in 2019) and the introduction to another environmental theme: Solid Waste. Then, it was defined that the program would work on the training of the education professionals, via remote, dealing with both themes from the following lines of action:

  (I) conceptual and methodological alignment and survey of materials/publications/tools;
  (II) application of the training to the professionals, from the Media Center of the Secretary of Education⁶;
  (III) curatorship and survey of medias and complementary materials;
  (IV) specific training agendas addressing the mentioned environmental themes;
  (V) institutional dissemination strategies; and
  (VI) forms of interaction with teaching professionals.

  The elaboration and application of the training contents were built in a joint and collaborative way by SIMA and SEDUC specialists, aimed at the direct audience of professionals from the curricular teams of all knowledge areas, PCNPs from 91 teaching directorates, teachers in general, school principals and vice-principals and the school's pedagogical team in general, focusing on the professionals working in the 2nd, 4th, and 7th grades of Elementary School.

  Throughout the six bimonthly formative presentations and two specific trainings, a live and subsequent viewership (counted up till January 2022) of 10,531 people was counted, estimated to be mostly from the targeted audience.
   

Resources
 

• Video:COP15 CEPA Fair virtual exhibitions: Environmental Literacy Program
  
  
  
   
• Training presentations
  
  In the hyperlinks below you can access in Portuguese these training presentations, as well as
  the complementary freely accessible shared content:
   

  1. Formative presentations (Playlist hyperlink);
  2. Specific trainings (Playlist hyperlink);
  3. Curatorship of complementary media about biodiversity conservation (Playlist hyperlink);
  4. Curatorship of complementary media about solid waste (Playlist hyperlink)