2 December, the 2014 Board Meeting of UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD) was held successfully in Beijing, China.

The Vice Dean of IESD and Tongji College of Environmental Science and Technology, Prof. Li Fengting briefed to board members the work of IESD in 2014, including the CMA Key Lab of Shanghai Urban Responses to Climate Change and Shanghai Key Lab of Chemicals Analysis, Risk Assessment and Management, the MoST-UNEP-Africa Cooperation Programme on the Environment under the framework of South-South Cooperation, the sustainability-oriented university development of Tongji among others. The Vice President of Tongji University, the Dean of IESD, Prof Wu Jiang reported the work plan and priorities in 2015. In the year to come, IESD will strengthen the collaboration with UNEP through training programmes for young researchers, environmental policy, information and experience sharing, deepen the MoST-UNEP-Africa Cooperation Programmeand the development of the two key labs, and promote the sustainable development education reform in Tongji.

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, Mr. Achim Steiner and the Board members affirmed the achievement of IESD in 2014. The sustainable development theory and practice were identified as the principles for IESD since its establishment, and it provides new thoughts for Tongji’s development, actively responds to the Ecological Civilization of China, and serves as a powerful force for global green development agenda. The Board Members encouraged IESD to seize the opportunity when Shanghai is located at the joint of the Two Belts and One Road development strategy of China, and build IESD into a globally recognized think tank and promotes it into a new level.