Blog Post

SDSN Philippines Launched in Manila

  • By Kathy Zhang
  • •
  • 05 Aug, 2015
  • •
Just a few hours after consensus was reached in New York on the SDG outcome document, SDSN Philippines was launched in Manila on Monday, August 3.
Just a few hours after consensus was reached in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outcome document, SDSN Philippines was launched in Manila on Monday, August 3. Over 300 participants from the universities, civil society, the private sector, the Philippine Government, and the international community welcomed the new network which uniquely places universities and other research and knowledge institutions to contribute to the attainment of the SDGs in this rapidly growing Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 million people.
SDSN Director, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, drew attention to the historic agreement of 193 nations earlier that same day in New York. He said that the SDGs will mark “the end of business as usual” and guide a “change in direction” for the world. Professor Sachs noted that the Philippines would be hard hit by climate change, and is especially vulnerable to typhoons, floods, droughts, and sea level rise. He highlighted the special role and responsibilities of universities in leading innovation and problem solving, while preparing a new generation of sustainable development practitioners.
Representing the Philippine Government, Professor Arsenio M. Balisacan, Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning and Director of the National Economic and Development Authority, a former Dean and Professor of Economics at the University of the Philippines at Diliman, drew attention to recent impressive economic growth in the Philippines – averaging 6.2% per annum for the past 5 years. However, Professor Balisacan argued that “economic growth is necessary but not sufficient for sustainable development”. He called on the academe, civil society, and the private sector to work with government “to invest in sustainable solutions through closer partnerships”.
Numerous high-level participants from diverse sectors gave strong vocal support for the mission of SDSN Philippines and the need for the SDGs. Speakers included: Professor Solita Collas-Monsod, convener and former Chair of the Philippine Human Development Network and former Minister of Socio-economic Planning; Secretary Florencio Abad, Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management; Mr. Jose Rocamora, renowned political activist and civil society leader and Lead Convener of the National Anti-Poverty Commission; Professor Leonor Magtolis Briones, head of the Alternative Budget Initiative of Social Watch Philippines; Mr. Metodio Maraguinot, Jr., a youth leader and founder and president of YouthLEAD Philippines; Mr. Ola Almgren, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines; and Mr. Roger Carlson, representing USAID, which provided generous financial support for the launch.
Immediately following the public launch, members of the inaugural SDSN Philippines Leadership Council (LC) signed a Pledge of Commitment and convened. They unanimously elected Professor Emmanuel S. de Dios as the LC Chair. Professor de Dios is Oscar M. Lopez Sterling Professor of Law and Economics and former Dean at the UP School of Economics. The LC further agreed to establish a Secretariat for SDSN Philippines at the UP School of Economics and to convene a multistakeholder planning meeting to develop and prioritize an SDSN action agenda within the next three to four months.

Press coverage:

UN Expert Urges PH Economic Planner: ‘Reorient strategy to sustain development’ – The Manila Times,  August 3, 2015
Political will, improved planning deemed needed for post-MDG tasks – Business World Online, August 3, 2015
Jeffrey Sachs: Philippines has much to teach world – The Rappler, August 3, 2015
 

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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