WISDP History
UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UNESCOHK) and Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HIESD) are dedicated to facilitating and achieving UNESCO’s mission, creating conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty. It strives to work towards the building of peace and to facilitate the sustainable development of society, economy and environment through education, sciences and culture.
In year 2017, a group of professionals and academics who found a common cause in advocating the UN Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) started to initiate a campaign to find ways and means to foster their common cause. The conclusion is that positive actions can best be undertaken by establishing an international institution of sustainable development which embraces training and certification for professionals. In so doing, the institution aims to support the international communities to set targets and indicators with a view to achieving the 17 SDGs. Supported by the UNESCOHK and HIESD, the World Institute of Sustainable Development Planners (WISDP) was established in December 2017.
WISDP operates in the form of a Learned Society and a Research Institute, and works with a view to providing training programmes for professionals. It has established memberships and certification processes to recognize the training, experiences and contributions of individuals and corporations to sustainable development. WISDP was registered in Hong Kong in October 2017 as a Company Limited by Guarantee to drive the training and foster professional recognition of sustainable development in the business, education and public sectors. It has formally been launched in February 2018 and is striving to establish strategic partnerships with like-minded institutions to advocate the UN Agenda 2030.
WISDP is a Learned Society fostering advocating the UN Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in accordance with the three components of Environment, Society and Economy. Training is provided for professionals according to their needs and successful trainees are awarded professional membership from WISDP and the UNESCO HK Association, and subject to adequate relevant work experience, trainees are entitled to become Certified Sustainable Development Planners (CSDP). Opportunities are provided for awardees to apply for Fellowship status after a number of years of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
WISDP Divisions would launch training programmes leading to professional memberships. A ceremony of WISDP will be held in April to kick-start training programmes in Corporate Social responsibility (CSR), Sustainable Finance and Investment, Healthy Society and Wellness, Early Childhood Education, Sustainability in Engineering and Sustainable development in Insurance. This column will be updated from time to time to relate to you the latest development concerning WISDP.
