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Sustainable Futures

Kategorie: Event

  • SDSN Germany: what role does science play to achieve the SDGs and how can EU-policies be aligned with the SDGs?

    Bild Podium Global Goals Forum
    Global Goals Forum ©DIE

    The secretariat of SDSN Germany participated in the Global Goals Forum on 10 October 2019 in Berlin by conducting the Workshop ‘Science and the SDGs’. The Global Goals Forum was organised under the headline ‘2030 Agenda: are we running out of time?’ by the macondo foundation and the German Global Compact Network (DGCN) in order to take stock of the progress being made since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and to point out the need for action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) given the fact that there are only 10 years remaining.

    During the workshop of SDSN Germany, representatives of HOCH-N (Sustainability at Universities), econsense, Scientists for Future and Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) explored the role science can play in achieving the SDGs and how science can best position itself in that regard. This interface topic was discussed in keynote speeches and parallel round-table discussions.

    Runder Diskussionstisch
    10th Extended Leadership Council of SDSN Germany ©DIE

    On 14 October 2019, the 10th Extended Leadership Council of SDSN Germany took place under the leadership of Gesine Schwan (Co-Chair of SDSN Germany) at the Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) in Berlin. For SWP, Marianne Beisheim introduced the topic of the meeting and reported on her impressions of the SDG summit. During the meeting, Peter Becker (SWP), Udo Bullmann (MdEP), Christine Hackenesch (DIE), Andreas Lenz (PBNE), Eefje Schmid (EIB) and Guido Schmidt-Traub (SDSN) discussed in depth the question of ‚German European policy for the SDGs?‘. It was debated how the new EU Commission could orient its work more towards the climate targets and the SDGs.

    In three rounds of talks ‘From reflection to action – where should the new EU Commission start’, ‘How can the economic and financial instruments of the EU be aligned with the SDGs’ and ‘How can German European policy support the alignment of the new Commission with the SDGs’, an intensive exchange took place between the participants. It was discussed to what extend the creation or modification of budget structures at the European level (e.g. the Multiannual Financial Framework or the European Semester) can initiate and accelerate transformation processes.

    The discussion made it clear that considerable efforts are still needed to ensure that SDGs and climate targets are taken more into account in European financial plans in the area of the European executive and policy advice in general.

    For more information on SDSN Germany, please visit them here.

  • MGG Conference in Brazil: The Power of Cooperation: Shaping a positive narrative of global governance

    Gruppenfoto MGG Academy
    MGG Alumni in Brasil ©DIE

    On 18 until 20 September 2019, the Managing Global Governance (MGG) network organised together with the National School of Public Administration ENAP (Escola Nacional de Administração Pública) the conference „The Power of Cooperation: Shaping a positive narrative of global governance“ in Brasília.

    Alumni from all years of the MGG Academy, – the training and dialogue format of the MGG network – partners from the MGG network, and guests from politics, academia, civil society and the private sector discussed how to hold open spaces for dialogue in times of increasing polarisation and nationalist tendencies. Participants dealt with various fields of global governance, including biodiversity, digitalisation and the future of work. Another focus was the implementation of instruments of successful cooperation in institutions and professional life.

    The conference was part of a series of events in all MGG partner countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa) to examine positive narratives of global governance. The conference in Brazil built on the discussions in India (28 – 29 April 2019) and Mexico (25 – 26 July 2019). Its results will feed into the follow-up event in South Africa (4 – 5 November 2019).

    Further information can be found here.

  • Taxation and digitalization: new challenges for tax authorities

    Gruppenfoto Workshop Taxation and Digitalization
    Group picture ©DIE

    On 1-2 October 2019, the 8th International Workshop on Domestic Revenue Mobilization took place at the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitk (DIE) in Bonn. This year’s workshop was organized jointly with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and had a specific focus on “Taxation and Digitalization”.

    As in previous years, the workshop brought together people from different institutions shaping the international tax agenda. Petra Schmidt, Head of division at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), introduced the topic by referring to the challenges domestic revenue mobilisation encounters when facing an increasingly digitalized economy. Alex Klemm, Deputy Division Chief at the IMF, and Christian von Haldenwang, senior researcher at DIE, highlighted in the opening of the workshop the game-changing role that digitalization could play for tax policy and tax administration.

    The subsequent presentations, discussions and panels shed light on two key dimensions of the topic: First, digitalization has the power to lead to a profound reshaping of the fiscal contract between taxpayers and the state. Second, tax authorities world-wide are challenged by new business models. Public debate tends to focus on big global players such as Google or Amazon, but the digitalized economy is a universal phenomenon that permeates all economic sectors in all countries.

  • DIE and SDSN Germany at the UN Day in Bonn

    Zwei Personen am Stand vor Banner
    DIE’s colleague from the communication department ©Barbara Frommann

    On 12 October 2019, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), together with the German Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Germany), participated at the United Nations Day on the market square in Bonn. Thanks to good weather conditions, many visitors came to the small tent city and informed themselves about the work of the UN, the SGDs and other Bonn-based actors in the field of international sustainability.

    In the spirit of United Nation’s „Urban October“, DIE focused on SDG 11, sustainable cities and communities. We got into contact with visitors talking about our infographic on the global trend of urbanisation, the Klimalog project and various publications such as the Current Column on the role of cities in the Global Refugee Pact by Eva Dick or the recently published Discussion Paper by Charles Martin-Shields et al. on digitisation and migration.

    SDSN Germany gave visitors a general overview of its networking activities at both national and global level. The focus was set on the communication of the SDGs, their importance for Germany and the role of the network in their implementation. Factsheets on the network were provided, just as the EU brochure „New Awakening for Europe“ prepared by SDSN Germany, the Humboldt Viadrina Governance Platform (HVGP) and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), which highlights the challenges and opportunities of the SGDs. In addition, the global network report was handed out, so that interested visitors could learn about the significance of sustainability around the world.

    The interest was especially high among the international guests and so we were able to exchange with many exciting citizens and inform them about the work of DIE and SDSN Germany. In addition, guests of all ages could test their knowledge at the booth and quiz for our new sustainable and vegan gummi bears.

    Our partners within the Bonn Alliance for Sustainable Research, the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) and the Right Livelihood College of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) had the neighboring booths presenting their workshop programmes, research and their yearly report. In addition to the UN, a large number of other actors working in development cooperation such as KfW, GIZ, German Doctors, Oro Verde, Rotary and Engagement Global were present. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) was also there. In their tent, you could see a 360-degree film on the consequences of climate change in Madagascar with VR glasses.

    On the United Nations Day, the City of Bonn put great importance to the implementation of its sustainability policy. They provided regional catering for the participants and a zero waste packaging.

  • Empirical Research on Peace and Conflict

    Gruppenfoto vor Haupteingang DIE
    Group picture ©DIE

    On 26th and 27th September 2019 the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) hosted a workshop that brought together empirical researchers from peace and conflict studies. The workshop enabled in-depth discussions of cutting-edge research papers. It connected researchers from diverse institutions to promote networking and exchange, especially across different methodological approaches. The papers centred around a variety of topics reflecting the diversity in the field: the effects of aid in post-conflict contexts, elections and conflict, post-conflict peacebuilding and transitional justice, peacekeeping, governance during conflict, repressive tactics of authoritarian regimes as well as new data relevant for conflict dynamics.

    The workshop was the fourth annual workshop of the working group on empirical methods of the German Association for Peace and Conflict Studies (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung – AFK). Participants came from a large variety of universities and institutions, including ETH Zürich, DeVal, GIGA, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Leiden University, University of Cologne, University of Essex, University of Göttingen, University of Konstanz, University of Mannheim and University of Oxford as well as DIE.