Kategorie: From the institute

On 29 November, the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) was presented at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in Berlin. The event was organised by BMU and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) in cooperation with SDSN Germany, adelphi, DIE, GIZ and Öko-Institut.

Jochen Flasbarth, BMU State Secretary, opened the event. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Lutz, one of the co-authors of the GSDR, presented the key messages of the report. Dirk Messner, co-chair of SDSN Germany, took part in the panel discussion on impulses for the „Decade of Action and Delivery“ for the protection of livelihoods.

Further information can be found on the conference Website.

The first annual conference of the Science Platform Sustainability 2030 (WPN2030) under the title „Sustainable Development: A Question of Science“ took place on 5 and 6 December in Berlin. SDSN Germany hosted one of the expert forums dedicated to the European Semester. The new President of the EU Commission has announced that the European Semester will be realigned with the SDGs. This raises the question of how such a reorientation can be shaped and supported by German European policy. The „European Semester & SDGs“ forum brought together European and German experts from science and politics to discuss concrete starting points and possible next steps.

During the conference, the reflection paper of WPN2030 on the further development of the German Sustainability Strategy was handed over to the Federal Government.

Imme Scholz (DIE), Christian Calliess (German Advisory Council on the Environment), Patrizia Nanz (Co-Chairwoman WPN2030 & IASS) and Génica Schäfgen (Ecosia) participated in a panel discussion that focused on how to strengthen the political and social relevance of the German Sustainability Strategy.

Christa Liedtke will be representing SDSN Germany as new co-chair of WPN2030 together with Patrizia Nanz (IASS) and Daniela Jacob (DKN Future Earth). Dirk Messner who previously represented SDSN Germany as co-chair of WPN2030, announced to step back from this role as he takes up his new post as President of the Federal Environment Agency.

Acting director Imme Scholz has received an honorary professorship of the Hochschule Bonn Rhein-Sieg.

On 25 November, the acting director of DIE Imme Scholz received an honorary professorship of the Hochschule Bonn Rhein-Sieg. As part of a lecture series organised by the Centre for Ethics and Responsibility, Dr Scholz will give a lecture on the question whether the Right to Development needs to be adjusted to the Anthropocene on 16 January 2019.

For further information on the lecture please refer to the website of Hochschule Bonn Rhein-Sieg.

A delegation of the “Young Diplomats of Ghana” visited the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) for a joint session during a Study Trip on 12 November. Acting director Imme Scholz and Janina Sturm (SDSN Germany) gave an input on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Germany. Anita Breuer, Senior Researcher in the research project „Implementing the Agenda 2030: Integrating Growth, Environment, Equality and Governance“ shared insights on the research the institute is conducting on SDG implementation.

6th German SDSN Assembly: The 6th German SDSN Assembly took place on 26 November at the German Climate Consortium (DKK) in Berlin. At the annual event, which had the title ‘Achieving SDGs and climate goals together‘, member and partner organisations of SDSN Germany discussed the interfaces and challenges with participants from science, civil society, business and politics. The question how the link between climate targets and SDGs can be strengthened and how their communication in society and politics can be improved was also addressed.

Dirk Messner, Co-Chair of SDSN Germany, gave a keynote speech on the start of „our“ twenties and outlined which transformations will be necessary to achieve the SDGs and climate goals together.

In the subsequent session „Coal Exit, Climate Change and SDGs“ Clara Brandi (DIE), Jeremias Herberg (IASS), Jenny Kurwan (Wuppertal Institute) and Hannah Schindler (HVPG) introduced the topic with short impulses from their research projects and described the regional and global perspective and the linkage of climate targets and SDGs.

In the panel discussion with Marie-Luise Beck (Managing Director, DKK), Viktor Haase (Head of Department, NRW Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection), Arne Lietz (former Member of the European Parliament), Karolina Łyczywek (Head of the Office for the Coordination of Sustainability, Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy) and Imme Scholz (Acting Director, DIE), a joint discussion was held on how coal can be phased out in the context of climate change and the achievement of the SDGs.

New guidelines for the work of SDSN Germany: Last week, the steering committee of SDSN Germany has decided the new guidelines for the work of SDSN Germany „Departure into the twenties: achieving SDGs together” after a final consultation round with the members and partners of SDSN Germany. The guidelines are based on the founding paper of SDSN Germany from 2014 and describe the role, topics and working methods of the network.

The “2019 Europe Sustainable Development Report” was published on 19 November. It shows political decisions that must be taken by the EU in order to achieve the SDGs and climate targets and makes clear that both should be implemented together. Despite positive progress, the report also notes that as things stand, not a single country in the EU will achieve the SGDs and climate targets. In particular, SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (combating climate change), SDG 14 and 15 (protection and conservation of biodiversity) and SDG 2 (sustainable agriculture) pose major challenges.

The report also shows that the SDGs can only be achieved through extensive technological, social and political transformation. Among other things, the expansion of renewable energies, the promotion of sustainable agriculture and food production, the provision of more funds for sustainable investments and increased investment in education and innovation are necessary. At international level, the EU must strive for a leading position in the implementation of the SDGs, working to strengthen multilateralism and developing joint solutions in bilateral cooperation with key partners such as the African Union, China, Japan, North America and Russia.