“The UN Sustainable Development Goals are not only a global roadmap for all people in the world. It is also a roadmap for a safe Planet. And if we fail with our Planet we fail with all people", says Johan Rockström. "This means that the only chance to succeed with the SDGs is by ramping up governance for Earth, and realise that success means major social and economic transformations of all sectors in society. It is a big mistake to see the SDGs as a Swedish “smorgasbord” where countries pick their favorite goals. All 17 goals need to be kept together as a universal whole, seeing the SDGs for what they are – Humanity’s survival kit."
"While stabilizing our climate is key for a safe and just future for all, we need to achieve a broader sustainable development in a number of intricately interlinked sectors”, says Hermann Lotze-Campen, co-author of the report and Chair of the PIK research domain Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities. “Food is a good example for this. Farmers are both contributing to and suffering from global warming; we see a clear need for a comprehensive climate policy here. Yet at the same time we need to take care that we better integrate various policy areas to balance out land use for agriculture, bioenergy production, and ecosystem protection - and we need to do it in a way that allows us to reach zero hunger as quickly as possible."
From July 9 to 18, more than thousand government, business and civil society leaders gather at the High-Level Political Forum at UN Headquarters in New York to discuss progress towards the SDGs and discuss challenges and successes, with a special focus on the transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies. Following the first week with numerous panels, roundtables and side events will be a 3-day ministerial meeting from July 16-18. The aim of the Forum is to ramp up engagement on the goals and provide opportunity for countries, civil society and business to highlight their efforts.
TWI2050 is a global research initiative launched by International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC).The initiative brings together a network of more than 150 participants that includes leading policymakers, analysts, modelling and analytical teams from 60 organizations from around the world to collaborate in developing pathways toward sustainable futures and the policy frameworks needed for implementing the SDGs, and more importantly, for achieving the needed transformational change.
“It is my hope that this report will provide policy- and decision-makers around the world, with invaluable new knowledge to inform action and commitment towards achieving SDGs and thereby resolving the 21st Century’s greatest challenges," says IIASA Deputy Director Nebojsa Nakicenovic. "Key elements include investments in capable public institutions, active civil societies, sustainability-oriented alliances, science, engineers, the private sector and governments, and the formulation of action plans and roadmaps to achieve the SDGs.”
Weblink to the report prepared by The World in 2050 initiative: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/twi/Report2018.html
Details on the programme, side events and other activities on the margin of the HLPF: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2018
