Science – Knowledge Sharing Platform

In June 2022, UNITAR and the One Ocean Hub launched a new platform – One Ocean Learn – to help transform the way ocean knowledge is produced and shared.

Read on to find out more!

It is time to reimagine and transform the way that we govern our oceans.

The ocean covers a bit more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, hosting a myriad of animals, plants, bacteria, minerals and much more, that are vital for sustaining life on our planet. Moreover, the ocean has extremely important environmental and economic roles, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and providing jobs and food for billions of people across all continents.

In this context, the use and production of ocean knowledge and resources are key to transforming ocean governance and to informing decision-making. However, both need to be more inclusive and accessible in order for all relevant actors and stakeholders directly and indirectly involved in ocean governance to have access to reliable, up-to-date and information on ocean-related topics. Towards this aim, One Ocean Learn (OO:Learn) came to life in June 2022 at the UN Ocean Conference, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Launch of the One Ocean Learn platform at the UN Ocean Conference, in Lisbon.

“It (OO:Learn) immerses users in a sea of resources where they can experience beauty and awe. The platform nourishes learning through curiosity and wonder. It inspires and challenges learners by navigating across scientific resources, different disciplines, art, and opportunities for partnerships.” – Elisa Margera, One Ocean Hub

This new platform is designed for activists, communities, development practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to share resources on how global, national and local communities depend on and relate to our oceans, coastal areas and marine life.

OO:Learn’s focuses on connecting knowledge across different sources and enhancing capacities to use integrated knowledge to address real-world questions and to understand experiences, with a view to contributing toward more sustainable decisions on the ocean. The central idea is greater inclusivity and to significantly improve the way that knowledge on the ocean is shared among the many communities and individuals that have a stake in ocean governance, which means most of us.

To do this, One Ocean Learn features Learning Pathways where different change-makers on the ocean, from activists to researchers, can embark on a learning journey to build their capacity through curated resources and quizzes. In addition, the platform has a dedicated exhibition space that hosts artworks related to the ocean, with its first exhibition on the “Traditions and tales from the sea” by artist Julia Granillo Tostada.

Illustration part of the “Traditions and tales from the sea” by Julia Granillo Tostada.

One Ocean Learn is a joint undertaking between the One Ocean Hub, a collaborative research programme for sustainable development funded by UK Research and Innovation through the Global Challenges Research Fund, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Interested in partnering up or have any feedback on the platform? Reach out to us at [email protected].

Get first-hand updates on OO:Learn on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

What are persistent organic pollutants (POPs)? Where can they be found? Why are they hazardous?

These are just a few questions that our new course will unpack for you.

Keep reading to find out more it!

Have you ever heard of the “Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants”? The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods and are harmful to both humans and the environment. The Convention was adopted in 2001 building on the principles of the Rio Declaration and aims to support countries in addressing these through a series of mechanisms and processes.

Against this backdrop, UN CC:Learn , UNITAR and the BRS Secretariat teamed up to develop the “National Implementation Plans (NIPs) and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)” e-course. This three-module learning experience takes an average of three hours to be completed and will help you understand POPs by explaining what they are, where they can be found and why they are harmful to humans and the environment. This course is geared towards everyone who wishes to learn more about POPs, as well as experts who deal with the topic day-to-day.

Learning Objectives

Each module has specific learning objectives. However, after completing the course, learners will be able to:

Describe the important contribution of National Implementation Plans (NIPs) towards meeting obligations of the Stockholm Convention
Explain steps required to prepare, review and update NIPs
Identify the challenges in the process of undertaking POPs inventories
Describe how POPs inventories are used in planning exercises
Discuss strategies to strengthen NIPs
Explain the importance of putting in place the means of regularly reviewing and updating NIPs

Target Audience

While the groups below will find it particularly useful, this course is open to everyone, and we encourage you to take it. The knowledge you will gain can help you in everyday life.

Official Contact Points and National Focal Points of Parties for the Stockholm Convention.
Members of national steering committees or coordinating bodies for developing and updating NIPs (coordination units) and their different task teams; and
Stakeholders, from government, the private sector, civil society, and the public, participating in any of the phases of NIPs preparation, review and updating.

Certification

Participants who score 70% or higher in each one of the three quizzes will be awarded an official UN CC:Learn certificate.

Take the course today!

Jean Baptiste Katako is a UN CC:Learn Champion from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our courses inspired him to create a non-governmental organization to address erosion, the importance of reforestation, and the impact of climate change on health. Keep reading to learn how he has been working together with the community and local authorities to transform erosive sites into areas of tree planting.

My name is Jean Baptiste Katako Kayambi, and I am from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am a civil servant: previously I worked at the Ministry of Justice, and currently, I’m an official at the National Central Bureau of Interpol Kinshasa/Democratic Republic of Congo. I have always been concerned by the environmental problem. First, in Butembo, North Kivu, where I worked with students and farmers in reforestation. Then posted to Kinshasa, I was touched by the problems of climate change and erosion.

Photo: Jean Baptiste Katako Kayambi

As a result, I decided to take the following five courses on the UN CC:Learn platform: Human Health and Climate Change; Children and Climate Change; Advancing on REDD+; Cities and Climate Change; and Introduction to Climate Change. These different courses have pushed me to better understand the causes of climate change in the city of Kinshasa and personally, has led me to change my behavior in a number of ways.

Photo: Jean Baptiste Katako Kayambi

The biggest action that these courses have inspired me to take is to create a non-governmental organization that we have named Think Tank on Security, Human Rights and Development. We currently have fifty active members engaged in our activities, and are supported by hundreds of other individuals. Within our organization, we have students, government officials, pastors, doctors, teachers and women, as well as many unemployed youth. We have understood that the problems of the destruction of our environment, erosion, and other related issues are a security issue, affecting our human rights to live in a safe and healthy environment. As a first step, we have been organizing awareness building and sensitization sessions on collective tree planting and other anti-erosion activities.

We have held several meetings in our communities to talk to the local people about the need to protect our environment, the fight against erosion, the importance of reforestation, and the impact of climate change on health. We work together with the communities and in close collaboration with the local authorities, who attend our meetings. At these, we advise them on the actions and measures to be taken to protect our environment.

Thanks to our organization, we have been able to transform the erosive sites of our environment into areas of tree planting, and have educated the local population – and particularly the youth – on the need to be responsible for conserving our environment. We will continue to do so both through concrete acts, such as tree planting and by fighting all governmental and other projects that may contribute to the degradation of our environment.

Photo: Jean Baptiste Katako Kayambi

Get involved:

Are you part of an organization that deals with climate change? What results have you achieved so far? Tell us a bit more about your experience on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag UN CC:Learn. Every small step counts and can lead to a positive impact on your community. We want to learn from you!

Start your learning journey:

Access our e-learning platform on unccelearng.org and take free courses on climate change and green economy. You may be interested in learning about:

Dr. Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa from Mongolia participated in an e-learning course on green fiscal reform delivered by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy and shared with us his experience.

Dr. Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa, originally from Mongolia, studied at the University of Manchester, where he obtained a Master of Science in Environmental Economics in 2010. He gained his PhD in Agricultural Economics at the Georg-August University of Goettingen, Germany in 2016.

Dr. Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa teaching Sustainable Development Goals in the Development Economics course among undergraduate students. / © Sainjargal Zorigtbaatar 2018

Since then, he has become a Senior Lecturer at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences where he teaches three courses: Introduction to Economics, Cost-Benefit Analysis and Development Economics. In addition, he also has experience working with the UN System and the Mongolian government.

During the weeks of 8 September to 10 November 2017, PAGE delivered an e-learning course on green fiscal reform to meet the learning needs and build capacities of national stakeholders.

The interactive and practice-oriented course provided participants from government, business, civil society and academia with an introduction to various approaches and policy instruments for reforming government spending and revenue generation with the goal of supporting the transition to a green economy.

Ganzorig participated in the course and shares with us his experience:

The GFR e-course was amazingly well-prepared and organized. The course plan, evaluation methods, training materials, online discussions and receiving feedback for my submitted assignments was fantastic. It was my first time taking an e-course, and I understand better now how useful it can be to take an e-course.”

The Sunkhul Lake is salty lake located up in the mountain summer pastureland, which sustains livestock of herder households both from Khovd and Bayan-Ulgii provinces./©Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa 2012

In terms of content, Ganzorig says he “gained knowledge related to fiscal and financial aspects of the green economy for a variety of economic sectors including agriculture and transportation.”

The most important aspect of the course for him was the “chance to pool out every aspect of green fiscal reform with very practical international case studies and examples.”

Among all the new concepts that he learned, one of the key takeaways is that the biggest challenge to fulfill country goals might be the financial gaps, and thanks to the e-course, he grasped this more clearly.

He encourages people who want to learn about GFR in a constructive manner to take the e-course.

Mr. Shagdarsuren Khalzaa — the driver of the motorcycle on the photo, had lost about 160 goats and several horses, cattle and camels during the Dzud, a natural disaster in winter that kills livestock with its low temperature, heavy snow, and strong wind, in 2010. /©Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa 2012

I was in charge of the topics on Green Fiscal Reform: Rationale and related concepts and Green Fiscal Reform: Instruments. The two topics are translated versions of the Module 1 and 2 of the GFR e-course; in addition to, a few more cases focused on the context of Mongolia. This is evidence that the course was beneficial to the participants, like myself, who can later evolve the concepts to reach more people,” he concludes.

After taking the course, Ganzorig had a chance to share his knowledge through PAGE at UN Mongolia to develop a course on Green Economy and Modelling among the undergraduate students.

The team of professors at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences, National University of Mongolia, and the University of Finance and Economics in Mongolia developed the course curriculum, and lecture and seminar materials.

I was in charge of the topics on Green Fiscal Reform: Rationale and related concepts and Green Fiscal Reform: Instruments. The two topics are translated versions of the Module 1 and 2 of the GFR e-course; in addition to, a few more cases focused on the context of Mongolia. This is evidence that the course was beneficial to the participants, like myself, who can later evolve the concepts to reach more people,” he concludes.

Some of Ganzorig’s publications include:

Ganzorig, G., Enkh-Amgalan, G., Erdenechuluun, T., Amartuvshin, O., Erdenebayar, M., Kadirbek, D., Tserendavaa, Ts., Batjargal, N., Yadmaa, Z., Gantulga, Ts., Bayarchimeg, G., Ganchimeg, G., Amar, U., Baasansuren, S., Erdenesuren, Ya. and Tumendemberel, G. (2018), Import and Export Study: Linking to Livestock and Vegetable Value Chains, Technical Paper Series 1, book in Mongolian
Ganzorig, G., Marlon, F (2015) Valuation of contribution of ecosystem services of the Orkhon Valley National Park to sectoral economic development. book in Mongolian and English, “Munkhiin Useg” Publisher, Ulaanbaatar, ISBN 978–99962–3–945–8, DOI (Eng) 10.13140/RG.2.1.4703.5288, DOI (Mon) 10.13140/RG.2.1.2344.2327
Sarthi Acharya; N.Odmaa; D.Chimeddagva; G.Bolormaa; G.Ganzorig (2015, 2016) Handbook for policy planning, monitoring and evaluation. book in Mongolian, Ministry of Finance of Mongolia, UNDP, UNEP, PEI programme, Ulaanbaatar
Gonchigsumlaa, G. (2018). Opportunities to integrate Green Economy and Sustainable Development aspects into policy planning, monitoring and evaluation processes in Mongolia. Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 21(02), 92–100, from https://www.mongoliajol.info/index.php/MJAS/article/download/914/1086;

Connect with Dr Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa on ResearchGate.

Developed in partnership with the REDD+ Academy, this course introduces participants to the basics of REDD+. It includes the elements required under the UNFCCC, how to prepare and implement REDD+ at the national level, and the financial resources available.

“The structure of the course gives the reader comprehensive knowledge of the forest and climate change for policymakers and environmentalists to design actions.” – Learner from India

Enroll

REDD+
Climate Change
Science

Self-paced course

12 hours

Welcome

The REDD+ Academy is a coordinated REDD+ capacity development initiative led by the UN-REDD Programme and the UNEP Environmental Education and Training Unit, which seeks to match the scale of the global climate change mitigation challenge and enable systematic, focused capacity development to deliver REDD+ on the ground.

The development of the REDD+ Academy responds to needs expressed by UN-REDD Programme partner countries for a regionally focused education initiative for those involved in national REDD+ programmes.

What you will learn?

After completing the course Fundamentals on REDD+, you will be able to:

Explain the role of deforestation and forest degradation in the process of climate change;
Define REDD+ aspects in the context of the UNFCCC;
Explain the importance of analysing and prioritizing direct and indirect drivers of deforestation and forest degradation;
Explain the relationship between policies and measures (PAMs) and the five REDD+ activities;
Describe the process of developing a National REDD+ Strategy or Action Plan;
Identify the variety of perceptions of REDD+ finance in each of the three REDD+ phases.

The Course at a Glance

The course on Fundamentals on REDD+ is structured around six modules. The first three modules present a general introduction on the topic. The last three modules present various REDD+ elements which are required under the UNFCCC and how to prepare and implement REDD+ at the national level, including what financial resources are available.

Forest, Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change;
Understanding REDD+ and the UNFCCC;
Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation;
Policies and Measures for REDD+ Implementation;
National Strategies and Action Plans; 6. REDD+ Finance.

Completion Requirements

The quizzes can be completed at any time. They assess the achievement of the learning objectives for each module. Each quiz can be attempted a maximum of three times. Passing a quiz with at least 70% rewards learners with a badge associated to the specific module. Once the six quizzes are passed, and learners obtain all the six badges available, they can download a certificate of completion from the course home page.

Partners

The modules have been developed and peer-reviewed by UN-REDD and UN CC:Learn.

Developed in partnership with the REDD+ Academy, this course deals in greater detail with three REDD+ elements, including monitoring systems and safeguards. It also discusses best practices for engaging stakeholders in REDD+ processes and key principles of good governance.

“So much informative course and strongly relevant for practical use in the field.” – Learner from Swaziland

Enroll

REDD+
Climate Change
Science

Self-paced course

12 hours

Welcome

The REDD+ Academy is a coordinated REDD+ capacity development initiative led by the UN-REDD Programme and the UN Environment Environmental Education and Training Unit, which seeks to match the scale of the global climate change mitigation challenge and enable systematic, focused capacity development to deliver REDD+ on the ground.

The development of the REDD+ Academy responds to needs expressed by UN-REDD Programme partner countries for a regionally focused education initiative for those involved in national REDD+ programmes.

What you will learn?

After completing the course Advancing on REDD+, you will be able to:

Describe the process and objectives of developing a National Forest Monitoring System;
Explain the importance of developing Forest Reference [Emission] Levels (FRELs/FRLs);
Explain the need for Safeguard Information Systems in REDD+ implementation;
Describe the characteristics of an Incentive Allocation System;
Describe the importance of stakeholder engagement for successful REDD+ implementation;
Describe the underlying governance factors that can affect REDD+ implementation.

The course at a glance

The Advancing on REDD+ course is structured around six modules. While how to prepare and implement REDD+ at the national level through a National Strategy or Action Plan, including financial resources available, is discussed in the course Fundamentals on REDD+, the Advancing on REDD+ course presents the other three REDD+ elements, to which it adds the importance of engaging the relevant stakeholders in the process and the principles of good governance.

The six modules are as follows:

National Forest Monitoring Systems for REDD+;
Forest Reference Emission Levels (FRELs);
REDD+ Safeguards under the UNFCCC;
Approaches for the Allocation of Incentives;
Stakeholder Engagement in REDD+; 6. Good Governance.

Completion requirements

Partners

The modules have been developed and peer-reviewed by UN-REDD and UN CC:Learn.

Download syllabus

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy has launched a series of global e-learning products that address key policy issues central to the green recovery debate. The six online courses are free, self-paced, and can act as an invaluable building block as countries plan their economic responses to COVID-19—serving to inform and shape the public policy debate around green economic reform.

Now is the Time to Build Back Green

Five UN Agencies Tap Expertise for Courses Aimed at Green Economic Recovery

UN Environment Programme, International Labour Organization, UN Development Programme, UN International Development Organization and UN Institute of Training and Research — under the auspices of PAGE, have launched a global learning campaign aimed at fostering a wide-reaching green economic recovery post-COVID-19. The online courses, developed through agency collaboration, are individual and self-paced and can serve to directly address capacity gaps in developing and implementing policies central to achieving green, inclusive growth.

With economic investment into national recovery packages estimated to reach up to US$ 20 trillion over the next 18 months, informed recovery decisions are crucial. Targeting varying starting points and thematic focuses, the courses aim to equip users with the necessary knowledge and skills to support the systematic integration of environmental sustainability in national economic recovery strategies and stimulus packages, sectoral programmes and policy reforms, as well as strengthen collective national ownership of job-rich green economic recovery efforts.

Overall, this concerted effort promotes the benefits of a long-term strategy to align economic recovery with SDGs and 1.5 degree target for climate change. As leaders are looking towards the future, strong learning resources can become the crux for the future we want.

The courses are available to anyone and the range of topics includes green economy, fiscal reforms, trade, green industrial policy, green economy indicators, and sustainable finance.  All of the courses, which are free and self-paced, will be available on the UN CC:Learn Platform, which has almost ½ million registered users worldwide.

Follow the Partnership for Action on Green Economy’s green recovery journey:

UN Opinion Leader’s Endorsements

Sukma Impian is a young girl from Indonesia who has passionately advocating to tackle climate change through education. She told us how was her experience at the Tribal Climate Camp and how she has been collaborating with other young leaders to address climate change in their communities.

Ms. Sukma Impian Riverningtyas /©UN CC:Learn

Sukma is a 23-year-old from the Central Sulawesi province, engaging with youth to increase awareness of climate change. A while ago, she identified a lack of environmental knowledge and understanding of climate change among her community. Her concern encouraged her to take action and come up with Sekolah Avatar, an extracurricular school program focused on teaching children how to protect the environment from an early age.

Sukma also has launched an initiative, Youth for Climate Change, which brings young adults together to tackle climate change. Sukma herself embraces a climate-friendly behaviour: she uses reusable bags instead of plastic ones, upgrades her light bulbs, and reduces-reuses-recycles solid waste. The most important to her is to set an example for people to replicate these behaviors. At the Tribal Climate Camp (TCC), Sukma learned about community engagement and project formulation that she plans to integrate into her initiatives.

It is better to work collaboratively in preserving the nature. All organizations, all tribes, all countries, all of us are citizens of the Earth. All of us have to be responsible in taking care of it.” — she said.

Full interview below:

Ms. Sukma Impian Riverningtyas and her team at the Youth Leadership Camp for Climate Change 2017. /©UN CC:Learn

1. What issues are you trying to solve and how do you think you can contribute?

In my community, there is a lack of environmental education. I am trying to solve that. The impact of climate change is so big but some people still do not understand what climate change is — this is terrible. My friends and I believe that many adults do not understand climate change because they were not educated on this topic when they were in school. Therefore, my friends and I established an extracurricular environmental education programme for children in primary school called Sekolah Avatar. We aim to give basic understanding about how to protect our environment from an early age so that children can grow up remembering to protect their environment. We also organized Youth for Climate Change (YFCC) Sulawesi Tengah to engage youth concerned with climate change issues and to learn together on how to tackle this challenge.

2. How do you think you can address climate change?

As a young person, the way that I address climate change is by changing my personal behaviour from high carbon to low carbon activities. For example, replacing plastic bags with reusable bags to carry goods from the market and shop, upgrading lightbulbs, reducing-reusing-recycling solid waste, and most importantly by showing those behaviours to my friends and persuading them to do the same. Since I became the chairperson for Youth for Climate Change in Central Sulawesi, I have tried to show that leadership is not the same as having followers, it’s more like having partners. For youth, addressing climate change has become very important since we are the future generations of the world.

The three Indonesian students had a chance to present the projects they carried out as a follow-up to the training received through the Youth Leadership Camp for Climate Change 2017. /©UN CC:Learn

3. Can you briefly present your experience with the YLCCC?

During the 3-day Youth Leadership Camp for Climate Change (YLCCC), I learned about our carbon footprint, combatting climate change globally, changing “business as usual” behaviour into environmentally friendly behaviour. We also learned how to develop a communication strategy and campaigns to raise public awareness of climate change through short movies and posters. After the camp, my team implemented post-camp activities to disseminate our experiences and knowledge to other youth in our hometown.

4. How was your experience at the Tribal Climate Camp?

It was wonderful! I met native people from the Nisqually Tribe, visited their territory, ate their food, talked to them, and exchanged ideas. I also learned from the other indigenous people coming from North America and New Zealand. I got to learn about the way they formulate programs that contribute to the preservation of natural resources. During the TCC, we developed a vision and a mission to address climate change in our communities, building on an asset mapping. Through this exercise, I learned about defining the goals I want my climate change programme to accomplish, creating a strategic planning agenda, as well as establishing an evaluation method that could measure the success of my program. I also learned about many ways to promote community engagement, such as finding my core work/planning group and community to include the elders and work with youth, and to make sure that communities’ voices are heard and valued. I also learned about how to present an elevator’s pitch, which is key to getting people interested in a topic, in this case, climate change.

During the camp, I presented my team’s project. For three months, we engaged youth in Central Sulawesi to increase awareness of climate change through youth discussions, visiting elementary schools to provide environmental education. We also collaborated with other youth organizations in town to roll-out a seminar and a workshop. At TCC, I also shared about my experience on how to spread the news using a communication strategy (video and poster). We used social media like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for effective outreach.

Ms. Saraswati Siahaan, Mr. Aditya Pradana, and Ms. Sukma Impian Riverningtyas embarked on their journey to the Tribal Climate Camp at the University of Washington Pack Forest Conference Center in the United States. /©UN CC:Learn

5. What’s your biggest take away from participating in the Tribal Climate Camp?

Participating in the Tribal Climate Camp has taught me so many things culturally, environmentally, socially, and politically. My biggest take away from this event is the way the Nisqually Tribe pledge to protect the water and watershed of their Nisqually homeland. I saw their spring is clean and clear as crystal. I witnessed how they take care of their fish. I am amazed by their consistency, perseverance, and spirit to protect the environment. I want to share this lesson with my friends in my hometown and I hope this could inspire them too to improve and develop our climate change youth program.

Ms. Sukma Impian Riverningtyas was one of the three young leaders to receive the “Tribal Camp Award” and participated at the Tribal Climate Camp (TCC), hosted near Seattle, United States from 30 July — 4 August, 2017.

Mariel Bueno, a trained Agroindustrial Engineer from Cochabamba, Bolivia, is a motivated youth that never stops learning. She started questioning herself, her work and her contribution to the world and after taking a UN CC:Learn course, she discovered a new truly fulfilling career path.

If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”

Mariel interacting with the participants of the Second Gastronomic Business Round. Here she is advising two producers. /©Wilder Córdova.

This inspirational quote kept Mariel Bueno, a trained Agroindustrial Engineer from Cochabamba, Bolivia, motivated to continue learning, and lead her to discover a new truly fulfilling career path.

Mariel graduated from Agroindustrial Engineering with excellence. Equipped with a door-opening diploma, she began her career in agribusiness. She gained firsthand experience and technical skills in logistics, agro-productive chains, and supply and demand of agri-food products. She had the opportunity to interact with many of the key industry stakeholders, producers from different regions, executives, and entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector.

And yet, despite her quick progress up the career ladder, she soon started questioning herself, her work and her contribution to the world.

From an early age, I immersed myself in two realities of which I learned a lot: the countryside and the city, the production of food and the food industry, small farmers, peasants and merchants, scarcity and abundance. This is how I grew up, appreciating each world with its differences.”

Mariel’s childhood memories drew her back to the countryside, where she ventured into the world of dairy products with a private company. But even there she could not find an answer and fulfillment. Feeling lost again, she was determined to search and learn.

Despite everything I was living, I decided to continue learning. I firmly believe that we always have to go ahead and make our existence worthwhile. I took several courses online and the light finally came through the NAP-Ag MOOC.”

This is how Mariel discovered the Massive Open Online Course on National Adaptation Plans: Building Climate Resilience in Agriculture (NAP-Ag MOOC) on UN CC:e-Learn platform. Throughout the course, she learned about adaptation planning, food security and she focused on her own country for the peer assessment project. Bolivia is experiencing its worst water crisis in the last 25 years and is vulnerable to droughts and pollution of rivers. Mariel chose the province of Capinota, previously known for its vast potential for productive diversity, which was recently declared as “Zone of Natural Disaster.”

“At the beginning, it seems that it [the MOOC] will give you some great new ideas about climate change, the importance of adaptation plans, and agriculture for food security. However, in the end, beyond increasing your awareness and knowledge about these issues, it opens your mind and a little bit, your heart.”

Mariel learned a lot from the course. But beyond that, she actively transformed the theory into her new reality. By taking the NAP-Ag MOOC, it became clear to her that she would like to support her community in adapting to severe changes in the climate, help farmers develop new skills and use better technologies and advocate for policies that strengthen the productive sector.

This course allowed me to find my way, to define what I want to do the rest of my days. I know it is not too late to do something for Capinota, Bolivia or the world. But, I also know that there is still a lot of work to be done,” she says after taking the NAP-Ag MOOC.

Currently, Mariel and her mother work at their own urban garden Huerto Urbano Agroecológico “LaVictoria.” They produce their own food, and most of the vegetables and spices that their family consumes, such as tomatoes, oregano, celery, parsley, peppermint, pumpkin, etc, come directly from their garden. The mom-daughter duo also started the production of seedlings (eco-gardening, nursery), which they sell at local fairs. They are also planning to open an agro-ecological store at their house to sell local farmers to produce and promote agro-ecological farming, organic products and local consumption.

Mariel is also a full-time graduate student. She earned a half fee scholarship for a graduate program called, “Master of Science in Geoinformation and Earth Observation,” in part, due to her innate passion for learning. Above all, she has her mindset to cooperate in the sustainable development of her surroundings.

Mariel calls for more involvement of national institutions to provide agricultural education programs, which could provide education to farmers to support the development of technical capacities, gender analysis, and sustainable agricultural food cooperatives.

You can support Mariel and her projects! Visit:

UN CC:Learn has revamped its flagship Introductory e-course on Climate Change. New features, tools, videos, and interactive lessons have been added. The instructors will facilitate the learning experience by bringing their practical knowledge and relevant information on climate change into dynamic and engaging lessons.

After six successful years, UN CC:Learn has revamped its flagship Introductory e-course on Climate Change, making it available in three languages: English, Spanish and French. Since its launch in 2014, more than 100,000 people have registered and over 15,000 certificates have been issued, making it the most successful course in the UN CC:Learn portfolio.

From youth climate movements to the rise of environmentally friendly habits, people are more aware of climate change and its consequences than ever and are taking and demanding concrete action. In order to continue to offer the most engaging learning experience, the new course, titled Climate Change: From Learning to Action, improved on the original in several dimensions: 1) inclusion of new and up-to-date information (e.g. NDC process, youth engagement); 2) improved design and usability; 3) more practical use and interactivity for learners.

The e-course aims to enhance climate literacy across all sectors of society; therefore, it is open to anyone interested, from those who would like to learn more about the subject to those who want to turn their knowledge into action to take a stand against this issue. Upon completion of the six modules, users will be able to:

• Explain what climate change is;

• Describe how we plan to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change;

• Identify opportunities for low carbon development;

• Identify ways to plan and finance climate actions;

• Explain how climate negotiations work;

• Formulate a climate pledge, project or policy.

Each module is composed of 4 to 5 learning units featuring a mix of tools that deliver key content and engage the learners. As part of the course, participants are also invited to develop a concrete action plan or project to tackle climate change.

Each module, which can be accessed in random order, answers a specific question:

• What is climate change and how does it affect us?

• How to adapt to climate change?

• How to mitigate climate change?

• How to plan and finance action on climate change?

• How do climate change negotiations work?

• How to tackle climate change in practice?

The course remains self-paced and free of charge. It takes an average of 8 hours to complete. However, users have the possibility to take only the modules that interest them most. A quiz at the end of each module allows participants to measure the achievement of the learning objectives. A certificate of completion is awarded to learners who score 70% or higher in all six quizzes.

Take up “Climate Change: From Learning to Action” in English, Spanish and French.

New Platform to Revolutionize the Way Oceans Knowledge is Shared and Used

Tackling Persistent Organic Pollutants! Come learn more about the Stockholm Convention and its National Implementation Plans from our latest e-course

Learning Objectives

Target Audience

Certification

Building local climate awareness in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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Start your learning journey:

From an Online Course to the Classroom: Adapting the Green Fiscal Reform Concept to the Mongolian Context

Fundamentals on REDD+

Welcome

What you will learn?

The Course at a Glance

Completion Requirements

Partners

Advancing on REDD+

Welcome

What you will learn?

The course at a glance

Completion requirements

Partners

Learning for a Green Recovery E-Course Series

Now is the Time to Build Back Green

Five UN Agencies Tap Expertise for Courses Aimed at Green Economic Recovery

UN Opinion Leader’s Endorsements

Engaging Youth to Address Climate Change

Finding Your Path from Agribusiness to Agroecology and What’s a MOOC Got to Do with It

The New Intro Course on Climate Change: From Learning to Action is Now Available in English, Spanish and French