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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Young Changemaker Incubator - Climate Action

    Description
    Description
    To lead Hong Kong in the development of "Education for Sustainable Development", Young Changemakers Incubator ("YCI") has been launched as part of Global Citizen Capital's ASCEND principle for holistic youth development. This program is designed to help young professionals and students, based on their own passions and interests, differentiate themselves through individualized initiatives and profile-building in their communities, in alignment with the United Nations and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - with a strong focus on Climate Action. In 2020, as we battle COVID-19, we have completed a cohort of 10 youth-led projects for #TurnItAround initiative of UN SDG Action Campaign. In 2021, we aim to expand the cohort to 20 youth-led projects, supported by corporate sponsorships and NGO engagement.
    Expected Impact

    There are six core objectives for implementing SDG action: (i) become a real global citizen, (ii) make a positive impact in this world, (iii) transcend the joyless box-ticking of extracurricular activities, (iv) cultivate their own initiative, foundation, or community, (v) utilize their gap year to apply themselves before apply to university or a first job and (vi) find a productive outlet during the COVID-19 outbreak while waiting to return to their high school or university abroad. Education is a basic right and elementary to human dignity. SDG 4 (Quality Education) also has reciprocal linkages across the 2030 Agenda. Access to quality education is an avenue for social mobility and reducing inequalities. Education is essential for building the knowledge base we need to tackle critical challenges like climate change. Education will help youth prepare for employment in the high-skill jobs of the fourth industrial revolution. In addition, education is a foundation for peaceful societies and effective institutions. As such, the YCI is designed to help young people connect to the real world and explore infinite possibilities, develop ideas about what they want to do, and tailor experiences to help them achieve that. During and after this starter project, students will gain access to a range of experiences such as internships, entrepreneur programs, community involvement, sustainability initiatives, sports, arts, tech and blockchain, etc. Students gain access to UN events and introductions to UN-affiliated companies and charities based in accordance with their project nature, and by joining other “live” initiatives of other global organizations aligned with the initiative. Students, who have been raised to follow, now get the chance to take the lead. All of these experiences undergird the student’s application narrative and incipient intellectualism. Students collate research. Students write weekly blogs to document their progress. Students learn to write letters of approach to professionals, academics, or other adults they have never met. Students reflect through essay writing to develop ammunition for the varied application prompts.

    Capacity

    According to World Economic Forum and its Education 4.0 initiative, the gap in quality education in the post COVID-19 world is further widened by limited innovation in learning systems, which were largely designed to mirror factory-style growth models. Public and private sector leaders to reset primary and secondary education frameworks, and co-design content and delivery that deliver on children’s needs for the future. Hong Kong and its education systems need to actively adapt and innovate in alignment with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To scale the impact of SDG innovation in education, diversity and inclusion of and protections for vulnerable groups in the context of education need to be strengthened. This requires educators, among others, are to take measures to counter discrimination and abuse against anyone no matter their race, ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, religion, belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender or language. Additionally, it should be further enshrined the right to education for persons of all minority communities, including rights to access all levels of education, to be free from discrimination in the context of accessing and participating in the education system, to be provided with teachers and materials geared toward accommodating specific conditions (with a renewed focus on mental health), and to access technical and vocational training schools and systems. These are all ideals which the YCI instills to the students through their projects. Education is essential for sustainable development, but innovation in education that are not accompanied by concurrent progress in other aspects of human well-being will fall short of enabling all people to realize their full potential in life. YCI believes that education has a transformational role to play in addressing the development challenges that the world faces today and over the next 15 years. Building Hong Kong's largest young SDG advocates community, YCI will focus on supporting local and international schools to innovate, based on a holistic SDG blueprint and on a multi-stakeholder approach, and contribute to creating a consensus for meaningful change in Hong Kong’s education sector.

    Governed

    As 2020, the year marking the beginning of the Decade of Action, draws to an end, many children and their education has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has unleashed an unprecedented crisis and caused further stress to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or the Global Goals, and their progress in quality education for all in countries around the world. In Hong Kong, the educational landscape has also been transformed, and an innovative approach to education through the lens of the UN SDGs hold the key to building back better. Students often begin by first learning about the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is important they take ownership of their curiosity or passion for three SDGs. Then, they will move towards developing their own social impact initiative and registering it on the UN SDG Knowledge Platform. The SDGs are the cornerstone for any global citizen in the Decade of Action (‘20-’30). Almost all students already have a strong moral compass. This project, however, is students’ first taste of becoming a moral actor, rectifying everyday injustices in the communities around them. Reflecting the ASCEND principle and its six core pillars of thought and action leadership, which are: (i) Accessibility for All, (ii) Success Amplification, (iii) Changemaker Empowerment, (iv) Experience Building, (v) Network Scaling and (vi) Development of Intellect, students within the YCI program can fully embrace young global citizenship and localize their impact with globalized resources. The ultimate philosophy of the YCI: Students pursue a project and detail it so profoundly that their application provides robust insight into their passions and ability to realize their goals. Through this pursuit, a student truly demonstrates his/her capacity for accomplishment beyond academics.

    Partners
    Global Citizen Capital, KIDsforSDGs, The MXA Group, ITS Education and Better Together Foundation

    Goal 4

    Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

    Goal 4

    4.1

    By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

    4.1.1

    Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex

    4.1.2

    Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)

    4.2

    By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

    4.2.1

    Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex

    4.2.2

    Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex

    4.3

    By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

    4.3.1

    Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex

    4.4

    By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

    4.4.1

    Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill

    4.5

    By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
    4.5.1

    Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated

    4.6

    By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

    4.6.1

    Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex

    4.7

    By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

    4.7.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment

    4.a

    Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

    4.a.1

    Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service

    4.b

    By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries
    4.b.1

    Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study

    4.c

    By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States

    4.c.1

    Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level

    Goal 10

    Reduce inequality within and among countries

    Goal 10

    10.1

    By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average

    10.1.1

    Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the bottom 40 per cent of the population and the total population

    10.2

    By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

    10.2.1

    Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

    10.3

    Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard

    10.3.1

    Proportion of population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed within the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law

    10.4

    Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality

    10.4.1

    Labour share of GDP

    10.4.2

    Redistributive impact of fiscal policy

    10.5

    Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations

    10.5.1

    Financial Soundness Indicators

    10.6

    Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions
    10.6.1

    Proportion of members and voting rights of developing countries in international organizations

    10.7

    Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies

    10.7.1

    Recruitment cost borne by employee as a proportion of montlhy income earned in country of destination

    10.7.2

    Number of countries with migration policies that facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people

    10.7.3

    Number of people who died or disappeared in the process of migration towards an international destination

    10.7.4

    Proportion of the population who are refugees, by country of origin

    10.a

    Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements
    10.a.1

    Proportion of tariff lines applied to imports from least developed countries and developing countries with zero-tariff

    10.b

    Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes
    10.b.1

    Total resource flows for development, by recipient and donor countries and type of flow (e.g. official development assistance, foreign direct investment and other flows)

    10.c

    By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent

    10.c.1

    Remittance costs as a proportion of the amount remitted

    Goal 5

    Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

    Goal 5

    5.1

    End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

    5.1.1

    Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex

    5.2

    Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
    5.2.1

    Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age

    5.2.2

    Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence

    5.3

    Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
    5.3.1

    Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18

    5.3.2

    Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age

    5.4

    Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate

    5.4.1

    Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location

    5.5

    Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

    5.5.1

    Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments

    5.5.2

    Proportion of women in managerial positions

    5.6

    Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences

    5.6.1

    Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care

    5.6.2

    Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education

    5.a

    Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws

    5.a.1

    (a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure

    5.a.2

    Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control

    5.b

    Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
    5.b.1

    Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex

    5.c

    Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

    5.c.1

    Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment

    Goal 17

    Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

    Goal 17

    17.1

    Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection

    17.1.1
    Total government revenue as a proportion of GDP, by source
    17.1.2
    Proportion of domestic budget funded by domestic taxes

    17.2

    Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries

    17.2.1
    Net official development assistance, total and to least developed countries, as a proportion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee donors’ gross national income (GNI)

    17.3

    Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources

    17.3.1

    Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources 

    17.3.2
    Volume of remittances (in United States dollars) as a proportion of total GDP

    17.4

    Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress

    17.4.1
    Debt service as a proportion of exports of goods and services

    17.5

    Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries

    17.5.1

    Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries

    17.6

    Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism

    17.6.1

     Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed

    17.7

    Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed

    17.7.1

    Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies

    17.8

    Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology

    17.8.1
    Proportion of individuals using the Internet

    17.9

    Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation

    17.9.1

    Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries

    17.10

    Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda

    17.10.1
    Worldwide weighted tariff-average

    17.11

    Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020

    17.11.1

    Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports

    17.12

    Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access

    17.12.1

    Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States

    17.13

    Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence

    17.13.1
    Macroeconomic Dashboard

    17.14

    Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

    17.14.1
    Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development

    17.15

    Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development 

    17.15.1
    Extent of use of country-owned results frameworks and planning tools by providers of development cooperation

    17.16

    Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries

    17.16.1

    Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

    17.17

    Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships 

    17.17.1

    Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure

    17.18

    By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts

    17.18.1

    Statistical capacity indicators

    17.18.2
    Number of countries that have national statistical legislation that complies with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
    17.18.3

    Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding

    17.19

    By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

    17.19.1
    Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen statistical capacity in developing countries
    17.19.2

    Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration

    Goal 13

    Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

    Goal 13

    13.1

    Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

    13.1.1

    Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

    13.1.2

    Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

    13.1.3

    Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

    13.2

    Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

    13.2.1

    Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    13.2.2

    Total greenhouse gas emissions per year

    13.3

    Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

    13.3.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

    13.a

    Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible

    13.a.1

    Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025

    13.b

    Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities


     

    13.b.1

    Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    Name Description
    Submitting 25 youth-led projects across the intersectionality of the 17 SDGs to UN SDG Action Campaign 2021
    Creating a cohort of 25 Young Changemakers in Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area through the YCI
    Educating a group of 250 middle school and high school students on Sustainable Development and the SDGs
    Building an online Young Changemakers community of 2,500 members to create ownership and rapport
    Financing (in USD)
    10000
    In-kind contribution
    USD 50,000 in academic consulting and mentorship contributed by the MXA Group
    Staff / Technical expertise
    A team of 20 full-time and part-time teachers and volunteers to mentor the Young Changemakers
    Other, please specify
    Strategic Intelligence and Insights provided by World Economic Forum and World Humanitarian Forum
    Staff / Technical expertise
    Local and regional arts and culture experts
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
    False
    This initiative does not yet fulfil the SMART criteria.
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    Timeline
    01 January 2021 (start date)
    01 December 2022 (date of completion)
    Entity
    Global Citizen Capital
    SDGs
    Geographical coverage
    Hong Kong
    Countries
    China
    China
    Singapore
    Singapore
    Contact Information

    Kenneth Kwok, Founder and CEO