For a cleaner Mediterranean by the year 2020
This initiative is funded by the European Commission through DG EuropeAid.

The Mediterranean prominent in the Final Report of the UN Decade of ESD (2005-2014)

on 17 Nov 2014.

The Final Report of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) entitled "Shaping the Future We Want" prominently refers to the Mediterranean Strategy on ESD as a success on a global scale! The Strategy was endorsed in May 2014 by the UfM Ministers in charge of Environment and Climate Change. The Report was formally presented by UNESCO's Director General in Nagoya during the Opening Ceremony of the World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development.

The Final Report of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) entitled "Shaping the Future We Want" prominently refers to the Mediterranean Strategy on ESD as a success on a global scale! The Strategy was endorsed in May 2014 by the UfM Ministers in charge of Environment and Climate Change. The Report was formally presented by UNESCO's Director General in Nagoya during the Opening Ceremony of the World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development.

©Ai Ito, Mansai Nomura performing traditional Japanese Kyogen at the opening of the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Aichi-Nagoya, November 2014.

This report is in fact the final monitoring and evaluation of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), which has activated hundreds of thousands of people to reorient education globally towards a central goal: to learn to live and work sustainably. ESD has spread across all levels and areas of education, in all regions of the world and is widely considered key in supporting sustainable development. It mentions that "Perhaps one of the most significant lessons learned during the Decade is that strong political leadership is instrumental to advancing ESD. Leadership is essential for moving from policy commitments and demonstration projects to full implementation across the curriculum, teaching and operations, whether in formal systems or in non-formal learning and public awareness raising."

Through the technical, political and financial support of the H2020 Initiative, the region was able to show this leadership role in terms of the Mediterranean Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development. On page 37, under the heading of "Policy: ESD Actions around the World" the first entry is "The Mediterranean Strategy on ESD (MSESD)". The Strategy, Horizon 2020 and the UfM are again mentioned on page 47.

A Horizon2020 publication in English, French and Arabic dedicated to the MSESD is also available at:

http://h2020.net/resources/publications/finish/67-publications/2930-mediterranean-strategy-on-education-for-sustainable-development.html

You can in addition access the Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development here.

The Horizon2020 Initiative

Reaching its closing in 2020, the key achievements of the Initiative include: more investments, strengthened policy and legal frameworks as well as capacities to implement them, improved information and knowledge, enhanced education and awareness, higher priority of pollution reduction and prevention on national, regional and global political agendas (vs depollution) and contribution to setting the path towards green economy in the region.

The Mediterranean Sea is the largest of the semi – enclosed European seas, surrounded by 21 countries that share a coastline of 46,000 km. The region is home to around 480 million people and the environmental challenges it faces are significant. Back in 2006, the ‘Horizon 2020 Initiative’ was launched inviting all committed stakeholders to join efforts in substantially reducing pollution in the Mediterranean by the year 2020 by tackling the sources of pollution that are said to account for around 80% of the overall pollution of the Mediterranean Sea: municipal waste, urban waste water and industrial pollution.

Achievements

Investment projects

more than 1.4 billion eur mobilised

People trained

more than 5000 people trained

Common indicators to monitor progress

11 macro-indicators

Final Report of the Horizon 2020 Initiative for a Cleaner Mediterranean: 14 years of Mediterranean Cooperation on Environment

Moving forward with 2030GreenerMed

Taking note of the lessons learned from H2020, a follow-up agenda entitled “Towards 2030: Agenda for a Greener Med – Contributing to Achieving the Environmental SDGs in the Mediterranean” (2030GreenerMed) has been formulated by the UfM. This new agenda will be dedicated to support the urgently needed transition to a more sustainable, green and circular economy in the Mediterranean.

Horizon 2020 Initiative for a Cleaner Mediterranean by year 2020 HD 

Published in 2014 the Horizon 2020 video outlines the efforts and results of the Initiative in different parts of the Mediterranean. Video playtime is 48 minutes and 11 seconds and is available in HD format for high quality viewing. The video can also be found on youtube at https://youtu.be/YTaNbpRerpE

Events