UNEP’s BRS and Climate-KIC launch first-ever Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on e-waste
Climate-KIC is proud to announce the launch of the first-ever Massive Open Online Course, or MOOC, on the electronic and electrical waste, e-waste challenge in partnership with the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS).
Studies have predicted that, by 2018, there will be 50 million metric tonnes of e-waste produced per year. This amount of waste far-outstrips the capacities currently in place to manage it in an environmentally and socially sound way.
E-waste is a fast-growing concern and poses serious threats to human health and to the environment. However, if dealt with properly and in an environmentally safe way, e-waste recycling can offer sustainable livelihoods, green and decent work, and contribute to the development of a circular economy.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), says “In many countries women and children form up to 30% of the workforce in crude, e-waste processing and are therefore particularly vulnerable. When women and girls are affected in this way as the mothers of today and tomorrow, our common future is affected too. This MOOC will introduce you to the challenge of e-waste and especially to its environmentally sound recycling. The course will take you from the problem, to opportunities, and to possible actions at local, regional and national levels, and will guide you through policy tools and best practices for the collection, recycling, and final disposal of e-waste.”
Ebrahim Mohamed, Climate-KIC Director of Education
Ebrahim Mohamed, Climate-KIC’s education director, added: “Our MOOC highlights that e-waste is a societal challenge that also is part of larger opportunity to create a prosperous zero carbon future, driven by innovation, jobs, and investment. Climate-KIC is seizing that opportunity by connecting both public and private sectors with climate change-focused education, research and innovation. Ideas are the oxygen of growth in the zero carbon economy, and I am convinced that this collaboration with UNEP will spark many new ones.”
Course details
The course opens on Monday 4th April and invites students and researchers, policy makers, practitioners, entrepreneurs, e-waste recyclers and government officials to become part of the solution to this growing problem.
This course is relevant for developed and developing courties alike, the 8-week programme will cover all aspects of e-waste with a view to turn it from a global threat to an opportunity.
Pre-registration for this MOOC is open now: www.learning.climate-kic.org/courses/e-waste-mooc
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