Blog Post

Indonesia SDG Symposium: Sustainability Science and Solutions in the era of the SDGs

  • By Elena Crete
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  • 29 Apr, 2019
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On 29 April, 2019, SDSN Indonesia co-hosted a symposium at the National Library of Science of Indonesia to explore the role of science to support the SDGs, and to launch the SDG Hub at the University of Indonesia. This Hub was created to encourage a collaborative approach to implementing the SDGs. As one of the world’s largest economies, Indonesia has a critical role to play in the implementation of the SDGs. Not only does Indonesia host some of the most biodiverse-rich forests in the world, but it also maintains a massive greenhouse gas emission stock in its underground peat swamp forests, alongside a growing palm oil industry. Like most countries, Indonesia has much to gain in strategically implementing the SDGs. In order to support this work, many researchers and Universities are coming together to emphasize the role of science and research to support national planning for a sustainable future.
In addition to launching the SDG Hub, the Symposium offered a day of discussion on the implementation of the SDGs. Three keynote addresses framed the day’s discussions on the role of government and planning; the importance of evidence-based decision making; and the impact of the landscape approach for local problem-solving.
The from the Indonesia Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Prof. Bambang Brodjonegoro, the Minister of Planning, provided a thorough history of how Indonesia has integrated the SDGs into its National Planning strategies. He discussed the macroeconomics at play and the traditional role of capital and labor as inputs to increase the gross domestic product of an economy. In his remarks, the Minister emphasized the need for Indonesia’s industrial sector to be innovative and to retain more of the product development and manufacturing processes within the country. Put simply, he emphasized a need to move to higher value commodity products and to grow local labor markets within the country, limiting the export of raw natural resources. Looking ahead, the Minister emphasized the role of industry in Indonesia’s future (SDG 9) and showed how the SDGs could be used to ensure that growth within the industrial and manufacturing sectors can be achieved more sustainably when all the SDGs are considered in that planning.
Rob Hales from the Griffith Center for Sustainable Enterprise at Griffith University discussed various evidence based approaches to the SDGs. In his presentation, Professor Hales highlighted the possible roles of different stakeholders and the unique landscape we currently reside in with “Post Truth” media, where many times our emotional and personal beliefs are taking precedence over factual statements. Professor Hales also discussed the challenges of our global political environment and noted the U.S. and Australia as specific examples. He duly emphasized the fact that politically speaking, we cannot simply assume that all of our leaders are in support of the SDGs and for that reason, academia has a major role to play in elevating and showcasing the importance of integrated long-term planning and the critical role of the SDGs.
In conclusion, Professor Jeff Sayer of University British Colombia Canada presented his work on the “ landscape approach ” and shared several case studies of innovative development projects he has participated in across Indonesia.   In his work, Professor Sayer studies the interface between people and nature, and uses a “landscape approach” to reconcile environmental conservation and economic development goals. He defined the “landscape approach” as a long term collaborative process bringing together diverse stakeholders aiming to achieve a balance between multiple and sometimes conflicting objectives in a landscape or seascape – SDG16. As demonstrated by the various conservation projects Professor Sayer presented, we simply cannot attempt to conserve our natural environment without also ensuring the sustainable future of the local people. But while “industry is needed, and investment is needed, we also need care.”  The “landscape approach” which Professor Sayer has developed over the course of his career and has had published in numerous scientific journals, can be used to achieve progress toward what may seem like competing goals between our natural and human ecosystems.
The three presentations showed the incredible progress to date made in Indonesia to implement the SDGs. In the summer of 2019, Indonesia will voluntarily participate in its second SDG Voluntary National Review (VNR) process at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York. SDSN Indonesia Chair, Jatna Suprinata has been a key consultant in that process and has helped the country to map its development metrics to the relevant SDG indicators. Indonesia’s submission to the VNR process will serve as an exemplary case study for SDG integration from which other countries can learn.
The symposium was made possible by the following partners and co-organizers: the Institute for Sustainable Earth and Resources FMIPA University of Indonesia, the Indonesian Science Fund (DIPI), the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI), the Indonesia Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (Bappenas), and Perwaku (Association of Environmental Scholars).

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!

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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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