Issued by the UN University Institute for Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)

PRESS RELEASEEMBARGOED UNTIL 4 NOVEMBER 2021, 12:00 GMTPress Conference: 4 November 2021, 12:00–12:30, COP26 Press Conference Room Giant'sCauseway
To join online: https://go.unu.edu/kPBdEUN University to Launch Postgraduate Degree Specialisation on theParis Agreement
Specialisation on the Paris Agreement under Development by UNU Institute for
the Advanced Study of Sustainability in collaboration with UNFCCC
GLASGOW, 4 November 2021 — The UN University (UNU) has begun developing a newpostgraduate degree specialisation on the Paris Agreement on climate change, to be deliveredfrom Autumn 2023. It will be the first of its kind to be offered by a UN organisation. The master’sand doctoral degrees will educate students and experts from across the globe, developing skills
and knowledge to play a leading role in implementing the Paris Agreement — the 2015
commitment by the international community to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees
Celsius, and strive for 1.5 degrees.
As the international community gathers in Glasgow for critical negotiations on efforts to avert theclimate crisis, there is increasing recognition that education plays an essential role in the deepsocial transformation that is needed to deliver on the Paris Agreement and achieve theSustainable Development Goals.
This specialisation aims to develop future leaders who will be at the forefront of these vital efforts.
The initiative is led by the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), aUN research and teaching institute based in Tokyo, Japan. It will build on the existing Master ofScience in Sustainability and PhD in Sustainability Science programmes of UNU-IAS.

The new specialisation will focus on implementation of the mechanisms of the Paris Agreement,such as the enhanced transparency framework, nationally determined contributions, national
adaptation planning process, global stocktake, and credit market mechanism. By strengthening
national capacity in these areas it aims to become an essential means of implementation for theagreement.
“There is an urgent need for technical expertise and leadership in all countries to deliver on thepromises made in the Paris Agreement,” said UNU Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General Dr.
David M. Malone. “This new initiative will harness the power of education and research toaccelerate climate solutions, particularly in developing countries that are on the front line of theclimate crisis.”
UNU-IAS Director Prof. Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi emphasised that “this new specialised
programme will add unique value to the existing postgraduate education programmes of ourinstitute by fostering vital skills to bridge science and policy. It will contribute to advancing thetransformative climate action that is needed across every sector in every country.”
UNU-IAS is in discussion with partners including the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop the specialisation through technical advice
and outreach activities.
UNU-IAS plans to invite applications from prospective students by the end of 2022. The course
is scheduled to launch in the Academic Year 2023–2024, which starts in September 2023.

Contact
English: Nicholas Turner, turner@unu.edu
Japanese: Miwa Higashimuki, higashimuki@unu.edu

Note to Editors
Press Conference: 4 November 2021, 12:00–12:30, COP26 Press Conference Room Giant's
Causeway
To join online: https://go.unu.edu/kPBdE

The United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
is a research and teaching institute dedicated to realising a sustainable future for people and ourplanet. Based in Tokyo, Japan, UNU-IAS serves the international community by producing
evidence-based knowledge and solutions to inform policymaking and address priority issues for
the UN system. UNU-IAS conducts policy-oriented research and capacity development in fourthematic areas: governance for sustainable development, biodiversity & society, water & resource
management, and innovation & education. The institute offers postgraduate education thatadvances the broader transformation towards sustainability in society — producing thepolicymakers and researchers of tomorrow, who will be at the forefront of global efforts forsustainability. UNU-IAS offers master’s and doctoral degrees, postdoctoral fellowships, andinnovative short courses, in close collaboration with leading universities in Japan and othercountries.

UNU-IAS is an institute of the United Nations University (UNU) with a specific mandate toaddress sustainability issues. UNU is a global think tank and postgraduate teaching organisation
comprising 14 institutes, located in 12 different countries. Its mission is to contribute, throughcollaborative research and education, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems of humansurvival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations, its Peoples andMember States. In carrying out this mission, UNU works with leading universities and research
institutes in UN Member States, functioning as a bridge between the international academic
community and the United Nations system. As part of the UN family of organisations, UNU
maintains close working relationships with other UN agencies, programmes, commissions, funds
and convention secretariats.