United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012. The delegates of Tongji university, including Prof. PEI Gang, President of Tongji University, Prof WU Jiang, Vice President of Tongji University and Dean of UNEP-Tongji IESD, Prof. LI Fengting, Vice Dean of UNEP-Tongji IESD and Vice Dean of College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Prof. TAN Hongwei, Executive Deputy Director of Green Building & New Energy Research Center of Tongji University, and also Prof. ZHU Dajian from School of Economy and Management, have been invited by UNEP to join the conference.

On June 19th, Prof. PEI Gang attended the Initiation Ceremonies of Sustainable Development Higher Education held by UN, delivering the speech on Tongji’s development process from constructing green campus to orientation towards sustainable development, the interdisciplinary reform of education system, university’s impact on leading and effecting the society to sustainability, and the leadership training plan of sustainable development, etc. He also introduced the themes and cooperation areas of Global University Partnership on Environment and Sustainability (GUPES) which jointly sponsored by Tongji University and UNEP, expressing his great expectations for global universities’ further cooperation in sustainable development.

During the conference, Chinese version of Green Economy Report has been launched by UNEP in Rio, June 17th. Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, and Prof. WU Jiang, Vice President of Tongji University, introduced the report together in the release ceremony. The report emphasizes that the transition of global economic investment from traditional industry to green industry can not only improve the environmental quality, but also bring the long term increasing of both income and employment opportunity, as well as the clean energy, safe drinking water, public sanitation, and health. The translation work of this report was organized by UNEP-Tongji IESD.

Prof. WU Jiang also attended three relative meetings, including the Press Conference of Sustainable Development Higher Education held by UN, “Gather in Rio•Chins-Brazil Enterprise Communicating Meeting” held by Latin American Branch of China’s Xinhua News Agency, and China Youth Delegation Meeting.

Prof. PEI Gang delivered a speech in the Initiation Ceremonies of Sustainable Development Higher Education

The release ceremony of Chinese version of Green Economy Report launched by UNEP.

From left to right: Prof .WU Jiang, Vice President of Tongji University, Mr. Achim Steiner, Deputy Secretary-General of UN and Executive Director of UNEP, Ms. CHENG Xiaoling, General Manager of China’s Xinhua News Agency.

Vice president WU Jiang gave Mr. SHA Zukang, deputy secretary-general of UN and secretary-general of UNCSD, the Chinese version of Green Economy Report as a present.