UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD) has held the 5th Board Meeting on Wednesday night, 12th November 2008, at Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing, China. Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, Gang WAN, Minister of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China, Qidi WU, former vice Minister of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Gang PEI, President of Tongji University, Jianfu ZHAO, Dean of UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development, vice President of Tongji University have attended the board meeting. Klaus Töpfer, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations also presented at the board meeting as an observer.

In the first period, the participants re-elected the board members. Guangtao WANG was appointed as the new Chairman of the IESD board meeting, Gang WAN, Minister of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China and Achim Steiner ,UNEP Executive Director were appointed as Honorary Chairman, Young- Woo Park, Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia was appointed as the new member of the IESD board meeting after careful Recommendation and Consultations between Tongji University and UNEP. In the second period, Prof. Fengting LI, vice Dean of UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development gave an annual report of IESD, Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, Senior Advisor of UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development gave a Financial Plan of the further development of the institute and also gave a summary of the work of IESD in the past two years, including the basic information of education, research, international cooperation and the financial situation.

All the members agreed that the renewed cooperation agreement between Tongji University and UNEP in May, 2005 was a confirmation of the successful development of IESD, and was a foundation for the further stable development of IESD. The achievements that IESD had in the past two years have been fully affirmed on the board meeting. Meanwhile, the participants also gave some suggestion about the existing problems and the future development. They suggested that IESD should combine the development of itself with the development of Tongji University as well as the College of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tongji University to achieve a win-win situation. At the same time, IESD should endeavor in the recruitment of talented people to promote scientific research, academic development and exchanging of ideas. Besides, IESD should also strengthen the cooperation with other companies and universities, fully use the resources available to facilitate the better and faster development of IESD.