From June 1 to 3, Earth Charter International Executive Director Mirian Vilela attended the C40 meeting in Sao Paolo and was part of a roundtable addressing the role of cities on Education for Sustainable Development. The C40 is a coalition of the world’s leading large cities that have recognized the need to address climate change and other sustainability issues. The meeting was hosted by Gilberto Kassab, the Mayor of Sao Paolo, and attended by other important dignitaries including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chair of C40, World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick, and former US President Bill Clinton.
The city of Sao Paolo endorsed the Earth Charter in 2005 and has used it extensively in citywide education programs developed by the Open University of the Environment and the Culture of Peace (UMAPAZ). Through the training of educators in Earth Charter principles, the Charter’s message has been heard by more than 1 million school children in Sao Paolo. The use of the Earth Charter in Sao Paolo’s education system is a great achievement and was presented as an example at the C40 meeting.