Blog Post

Presentation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in Berlin

  • By Lauren Barredo
  • •
  • 21 Mar, 2013
  • •
Berlin, 19 March 2013
Today, renowned economist Jeffrey D. Sachs launches the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in Berlin. Within the scope of the event “New pathways towards global sustainability”, which is carried out by SDSN, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and ICC Germany, high-ranking representatives from research, business, politics and civil society discuss solution initiatives in support of sustainable development around the globe. “The current global challenges such as the climate crisis, escalating food prices, and instable world financial markets call for sustainable solutions and new alliances”, states DIE-Director Dirk Messner in Berlin. “Traditional role allocation between the State and business, between North and South, or between science and praxis needs to be changed by groundbreaking networks of stakeholders that are willing and able to act.”
The Solutions Network, founded under the patronage of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in August 2012 and headed by Jeffrey Sachs, develops these practical solutions: “We will mobilise new technologies and co-operations worldwide to achieve breakthroughs in health, agriculture, energy, and governance. For this purpose, we bring together science, civil society and the private sector”, said Jeffrey Sachs in Berlin. To exert influence on various processes on the global policy agenda, the network provides expert advice, e.g. to the High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. One of the central questions is how the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed upon at the Rio+20 Conference can be combined reasonably.
In facing the challenges of sustainable development, the private sector plays an important role: “Companies contribute through innovative business models, technologies and services to the global changes,” says Manfred Gentz, President of ICC Germany. “However, significant efforts are needed to promote these solutions and their distribution,” continues Gentz. “Fora like SDSN can start right here by targeted interchange on suitable framework conditions for their accelerated implementation.” German business leaders and academics already participate in the Solutions Network. Within the framework of the German launch event in Berlin and together with representatives from politics and civil society, they will discuss experiences and lessons learnt from the German energy transition.
“Especially German companies play a pioneering role in terms of innovation and commitment to an economic and ecological evolution that takes over social responsibility at the same time”, emphasizes Gentz at the SDSN launch event in Berlin. What contribution can the German approach make for sustainable energy solutions in other countries? Do we need a Club of Low Carbon Pioneers playing a leading role in the transition to a low-carbon global economy?
With former German President Horst Köhler, who is actively working in shaping a long-term development programme as a member of the UN High-Level Panel on the post-2015 development agenda, SDSN-Director Jeffrey Sachs, DIE-Director Dirk Messner and Klaus M. Leisinger, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, will then discuss the question of how the international community can go its way to a global sustainability agenda. “We do not only need common development objectives, we have to transform our societies towards sustainability. Therefore, it is necessary to agree upon binding targets to face global challenges now and in the future”, says Dirk Messner.
The Institute in Brief:
The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) is one of the leading Think Tanks for development policy world-wide. It is based in the UN City of Bonn. DIE builds bridges between theory and practice and works within international research networks. The key to DIE’s success is its institutional independence, which is guaranteed by the Institute’s founding statute. Since its founding in 1964, DIE has based its work on the interplay between Research, Consulting and Training. These three areas complement each other and are the factors responsible for the Institute’s distinctive profile.
Every Monday, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) comments the latest news and trends of development policy in The Current Column.
The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) is headed by Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner (Director) and Dr. Imme Scholz (Deputy Director).

SDSN Newsletter - July 2021

By SDSN Secretariat • 03 Aug, 2021 •
This month, SDSN celebrated its growing network, talked about the incredible amount of media coverage on the 2021 SDR, and reflected on this year's High Level Political Forum

WRI Report Spotlight: “Unlocking a Renewable Energy Future: How Government Action Can Drive Private Investment”

By Fiona Laird • 02 Aug, 2021 •
World Resources Institute recently released Unlocking a Renewable Energy Future: How Government Action Can Drive Private Investment, a report outlining key challenges to increasing clean energy investment and deployment. This report digs into the financial and regulatory mechanisms available to support policy frameworks like that outlined in SDSN USA’s Zero Carbon Action Plan (ZCAP), released in October 2020.

European Commission launches proposals to reach 55% emissions reduction by 2030

By Sam Van Hoof • 30 Jul, 2021 •
The ‘Fit for 55' package includes a ban on combustion engines from 2035, a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and a Social Climate Fund among other provisions.

SDSN Canada 2021 Members Meeting Recap

By Giovanni Bruna • 29 Jul, 2021 •

SDSN Canada reconvened the network membership on June 16th, 2021 for the annual Members Meeting.

This year's meeting featured conversations on the current state of the SDGs in Canada, emerging opportunities for post-secondary institutions, networking breakout sessions, and a featured joint presentation by the Brookings Institution and Rockefeller Foundation on mobilizing campuses and communities for the SDGs using the 17 Rooms initiative. A lightning round of member initiatives was also included to highlight a portion of the SDG work happening across the network.

Recap the discussion by reading the meeting notes   or listening to the audio recordings for each session.

Meeting Highlights:

  • The SDSN Global annual Sustainable Development Report 2021  was released June 2021, tracking progress on the SDGs by country (Canada ranked 21st in the world). The report outlines the short-term impacts of COVID-19 on the SDGs and describes how the SDGs can frame the recovery.
  • The Government of Canada has released Canada’s National Strategy for the SDGs, Moving Forward Together. The strategy outlines a set of 30 actions towards the SDGs, including localizing the SDGs, supporting partnerships with Indigenous initiatives, and advancing research into the gaps in Canada's efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
  • The 17 Rooms initiative  is a tool for advancing SDG collaboration, community-centric conversations, and bottom-up action. There are three key principles of consideration:
    • Every SDG gets a seat at the table (a dedicated room).
    • Identify what the next step is, and not the perfect step. What are things you can do together over the next 12 to 18 months that you can implement action on the SDGs?
    • It is about conversations, not presentations. The goal is to learn from each other and create a community of practice.
    • Join the 17 Rooms-X Community of Practice to access the beta toolkit.
  • A ‘lightning round’ of presentations by members spotlighting SDG work from Colleges and Institutes Canada, the Interdisciplinary Research Center in the Operationalization of Sustainable Development (CIRODD), Vancouver Island University, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Waterloo.

The meeting was also a chance to invite the membership into initiatives designed to be more intentional about the network’s collective presence and impact. In this vein, the network thinks that the 17 Rooms process can be a critical resource for campus conversations on the SDGs. It also relaunched the Member Challenge , is starting the ‘SDG Teaching Community’ for faculty across the network, and is convening a small working group of interested members to talk about an enhanced governance structure for the network.

Public Consultation on SPA Report

By Lauren Barredo • 29 Jul, 2021 •
We encourage stakeholders to provide meaningful input to aid the development of a better and more complete report. We invite feedback from individuals and organizations, from all sectors.

Environmental and Agricultural Impacts of Dietary Shifts at Global and National Scales

By FABLE • 28 Jul, 2021 •
The FABLE Consortium is releasing two policy briefs over the coming months intended to advise national governments on sustainable land-use and diets. The first brief, entitled “Environmental and agricultural impacts of dietary shifts at global and national scales'' is now available.

Media Coverage of the Sustainable Development Report 2021

By SDG Index • 23 Jul, 2021 •
The Sustainable Development Report 2021 has been covered by the BBC, the Guardian, Washington Post, and more than 100 other media outlets.

The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

By Isabella Massa • 21 Jul, 2021 •
SDSN together with the United Nations Resident Coordinators in SIDS and the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda hosted on 12 July 2021 a High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) side event to discuss the issue of measuring multidimensional vulnerability, and its relevance for international financing mechanisms.

SDGs Today Launches My School Today!

By SDGs Today • 20 Jul, 2021 •
SDGs Today recently launched their My School Today! call to action, meant to support students and local communities to geo-reference their schools and education facilities as part of an effort to promote timely information on school locations in Africa

SDSN at the 2021 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF)

By SDSN Secretariat • 20 Jul, 2021 •
SDSN and our networks are hosting a number of events alongside the UN's High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). We are thrilled to invite you to join us at the following events, which SDSN is hosting or are organized by our partners.
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