UTA's Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact invites sustainability stakeholders to meet March 1 to create a Regional Center of Expertise. Courtesy of Storyblock.

Feb. 19, 2018

Environmental entities abound in North Texas and UTA’s sustainability director wants to unite them to boost their regional impact.

Recently, Meghna Tare, executive director of the Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact at the University of Texas at Arlington, invited local sustainable leaders from a variety of sectors to a stakeholder meeting March 1 at the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The purpose is to create a Regional Center of Expertise on sustainability.

Tare says that each North Texas environmental group has their own “space” of proficiency. The Regional Center of Expertise aims to bring people together to work toward sustainability as a whole in DFW. Hopes are to include educational, nonprofit, local government, foundation, school district and private sector entities in Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties. The group would meet every quarter.  

The idea comes from a United Nations University’s Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability initiative. In 2003, it launched its Education for Sustainable Development project. The program designs and implements research and development activities through a multi-stakeholder global network of Regional Centers of Expertise that aim to prepare leaders with needed tools and information to make smart sustainable future choices. The Regional Centers of Expertise also provide structure for addressing the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, while allowing each regional group to tailor its approach to the Sustainable Development Goals within a region.

Tare and her associates have met with representatives from Regional Centers of Expertise in Atlanta and Portland and learned of their success. Thus, they propose the program for North Texas in an effort to increase sustainability. The core elements of a Regional Center of Expertise are collaboration, research and development, transformative education and governance.  

“We want to bring all these people together and establish a group of stakeholders who can help educate sustainability adopted goals in a collective effort,” she said.  

Practical reasons for this type coalition in North Texas are to promote collaboration; increase grant funds opportunities; advance sustainability policies; align local initiatives with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals; connect people with diverse expertise; and engage in communities throughout North Texas

Across the world, there are 164 Regional Centers and of that number, six are in the United States.    

 

Regional Center of Expertise for Education in Sustainable Development

Hosted by: UTA's Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact 

About: Sustainable stakeholders from Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties are invited to join a new region-wide environmental network to collaborate on sustainable solutions for North Texas.

When: March 1, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A networking happy hour will follow.  

Where: North Central Texas Council of Governments, Transportation Council Room, 616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington.

Contact: Meghna Tare, mtare@uta.edu


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