Message of Minister of Science, Research and Technology

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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

All experts agree that our Environment is facing serious threats. Threats such as global warming, climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution have become so severe that their impact is felt by everyone. The mere broadcasting of environmental issues without offering solutions based on rigorous science will only trivialize the problems.

One of the solutions central to countering environmental challenges is raising awareness, which requires education on all levels. Environmental protection must become the governing principle in the public discourse. To instill a sense of responsibility among all citizens, knowledge of the environment should become widespread.

Institutes of higher education can play an integral role in promoting knowledge regarding issues confronted by humanity on a global scale. Only through the involvement of universities can we modify regulations, correct environmental policies, amend land use strategies, appropriately utilize surface and subterranean resources and define environmental standards to protect natural resources and achieve sustainable development.

Thus, it is expected that education and research institutes act as pioneers in this field, just as they have been pioneers in other areas. One of the most critical missions of institutes of higher learning is formulating comprehensive plans for effective Green Management, and fostering social justice and equal opportunities for sustainable utilization of resources in collaboration with international organizations such as UNEP, FAO, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Global Environment Facility (GEF), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN), World Food Program (WFP), Green Peace (GP), etc.

The idea of a Green University is a step towards improving these processes. Universities should be role-models for sustainable development while adding related topics to their curricula.

To become models for the general society, universities should first try to minimize environmental footprint through actions such as cutting the use of fossil fuels. Other measures can include using renewables, water conservation and recycling.
Establishment and development of green universities is an exercise for cultivating an environmentally friendly lifestyle for current and future generations.

Category: Conference Informations

Written by Hamed Bidel

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