Search results for 'sachs' (21)
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, President of SDSN and Prof Woo Wing Thye, Vice President for Asia, SDSN, spoke at the Global Intellectual Discourse at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. They emphasized the importance of advancing the SDGs for Malaysia and the ASEAN region, as well as the need for peace and cooperation in our time.
The SDG dashboard projects - led and supported by the Jeffrey Sachs Center at Sunway University, the host institution of SDSN Malaysia- serves as a tool for education, policy planning, and academic research on the SDGs. The state-level SDG dashboard launched in March 2022 includes data that Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) makes publicly available and utilizes the methodology developed by the team who works on the annual Sustainable Development Report (SDR). This first dashboard included qualitative assessments from academic experts from within the Malaysia network to elaborate on the progress of and recommendations for achieving the SDGs in Malaysian states.
On September 15th, alongside the opening of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) organized an event, The Amazon We Want: Science Based Pathways for a Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Amazon. In light of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, the Science Panel for the Amazon gathered to cover the state of the Amazon since the launch of their landmark Amazon Assessment Report at COP26, what is at stake with the loss of the Amazon, and solutions that can catalyze sustainable development. The speakers included Prof. Jeffrey Sachs (SPA Convener and President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network), Dr. Carlos Nobre (SPA Co-Chair and Senior Researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies of the University of Sao Paulo), Dr. Dolors Armenteras (SPA Co-Chair and Professor at the National University of Colombia), Dr. Marina Hirota (SPA Lead Author and Professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina), and Dr. Adalberto Val (SPA Science Steering Committee member and Senior Researcher at the Brazilian Institute for Research of the Amazon), with moderation provided by Ms. Ilona Szabó de Carvalho (Co-founder and President of the Igarape Institute). Jeffrey Sachs highlighted the motivation behind the establishment of the SPA , which began with the 2019 fires and the subsequent adoption of the Leticia Pact. He emphasized the importance of decision-makers utilizing the data behind the 2021 Amazon Assessment Report, compiled by the top scientists in the world, and how policy needs to reflect the data, stating that goals should be practical and achievable. According to Prof. Sachs, “We need to put our knowledge to work to solve problems and set goals on the value, ethics, and the future we want… Most of us don’t know critical things and the scientists that do are often not asked. We need science to create long-term pathways. Luckily, it seems that the decision makers in the Amazon are open to hearing the data and luckily, the Science Panel for the Amazon is leading the way.” Ilona Szabó thanked Jeffrey Sachs for his points and noted that “ if we haven’t paid attention enough as a society, COVID-19 and climate change have shown us how fundamental science is, so let’s work to increase the public policy-science interface. ” Carlos Nobre noted that “more than 95% of the people living in the Amazon want to protect the forest, so the big challenge is why, for the political systems of the Amazonian countries, their policies do not reflect the Amazon we want”. Dr. Nobre detailed the rich diversity of the Amazon, which contains more than 13% of the world’s plant and vertebrate species, and contrasts how the Amazon has been historically presented as a “green hell”. Dr. Nobre presented various climate science data, showing that the Amazon is a key player in the global carbon cycle and crucial for global climate stabilization. It is also crucial forhydrology and water recycling, as well as cultural and ethnic diversity. In summary, science stands with IPLCs showing that the Amazon is indeed a “green paradise” for planet Earth in many aspects. Dolors Armenteras began her presentation by reminding us that ⅔ of the Amazon is in Brazil and ⅓ is distributed through seven other countries and one national territory, to illustrate how important it is to consider the differences in politics, history, diversity, and policies in those countries. It is also an important reminder that what happens in the northwest of the Amazon is important for the whole system to work. Dr. Armenteras focused on the data behind the many threats that the Amazon is facing, with the largest impact being deforestation, driven mostly by agricultural expansion. She presented the data behind the various other drivers and impacts of deforestation, including mining, elicit crops, oil infrastructure, and dams. Marina Hirota continued with the conversation focused on the macro effects of these impacts: the tipping points in Amazonian ecosystems. Dr. Hirota presented a map of rainfall-related tipping points,warning that if we continue to decrease the water amount and lengthen the dry season, we are at risk of losing a forest state, even without factoring in the other impacts Dr. Armenteras presented. She addressed the question “how far are we from reaching the tipping point?”: It is well recorded that climate has been changing within the Amazons. However, disturbances are highly heterogeneous, as well as forest responses and changes in composition and structure. We are seeing many changes already, and it’s due to a puzzle of many intersecting factors and the potential projections depend on the disturbances. We should take a precautionary approach, since shifts at any scale can cause tremendous damage to communities, countries, and the planet. Lastly, Adalberto Val began by emphasizing that the only path forward is by considering the connectivity of the whole region. The Amazon was formed over 65 million years, following the uplift of the Andes. Its history includes significant tectonic and climatic changes, and the adaptations developed to face these variations are written in native species’ genomes. In other words, many of the solutions to climate adaptation are in the history of these genomes. If we burn their environment, we lose this information. The Amazon is a goldmine for the better living of the region’s population and to the entire humanity. The event ended with a Q&A that covered the role of private markets and of Indigenous peoples and local communities. If you missed it, rewatch the event on the SPA's youtube channel:
Indonesia and the United States are expanding their collaboration to accelerate Indonesia’s renewable energy transition and delivery of net zero carbon emissions. On Wednesday, 23 June, H.E. Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs, and The Hon. John Kerry, Special Envoy to the President of the United States for Climate, witnessed the announcement of several key initiatives.
To the Members of the SDSN Community, These are deeply troubling days for the United States, which is a country of deep contradictions. The nation was born in soaring hopes of freedom and the harsh realities of genocide against Native Americans. It champions the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and yet built a society on the basis of mass slavery and mass discrimination. It champions diversity for the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” and yet its officers of the law kill African-Americans at will on our streets and rip children from the arms of mothers desperately seeking refuge in the U.S. Our nation has passed through repeated paroxysms of protest and violence related to the scourge of racism. As a child in the 1960s, my early political awareness was shaped by the murders of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, Jr., the primary-election victory of racist George Wallace in my home state of Michigan in 1972, and the wanton and gratuitous violence of the Vietnam War, itself stoked by ignorance and anti-Asian bigotry. The Detroit area, where I grew up, was wracked by widespread and persistent bigotry and violence against African-Americans. Thanks to brave and remarkable champions of social justice, our nation has made important and crucial advances in human rights, but it has also suffered cruel reversals, including the current disastrous and dangerous presidency of Donald Trump. Our job and responsibility is justice for all, whenever and wherever we can pursue it. The lines of Deuteronomy in my daughter’s Bat-Mitzvah reading summarized it perfectly: “Tzedek, Tzedek, Tirdof,” meaning “Justice, Justice, shall you pursue.” This is our highest calling as individuals and as citizens. We are blessed in our work and in our collegial life to be dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals (blessed in the original sense of being happy and fulfilled). The SDGs are based on the core injunction of justice: “Leave no one behind.” We therefore act on behalf of a universal agenda grounded in the great moral charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is good to recall the first article of the Declaration: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” Today’s brave fighters against police brutality towards African-Americans speak to the highest calling of equality in dignity and rights. With Trump as President, America is perilously close to despotism in the service of racism and hate. The world is perilously close to a new cold war deliberately stoked by racism and nativism. And yet the very brave protestors throughout the U.S., who have inspired activists for racial justice around the world, are bearing witness to the overwhelming desire of humanity to 2 live in peace, social justice, and sustainability, and give us great hope for progress on these shared aspirations. I thank you, colleagues, for your daily efforts for global justice. This work never stops, and it is obviously more urgent than ever. Let us together do our part to honor the memories of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and all who suffer wantonly and unnecessarily because we have not yet achieved the soaring aspirations of the United States, the Sustainable Development Goals, and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Your grateful colleague, Jeff Sachs
Between October 31 and November 2, 2019, Prof. Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs visited Istanbul to discuss the current state of SDG implementation with representatives of government, industry, academia, and NGOs on the occasion of the launch event of the SDG Index at Boğaziçi University, host of SDSN Turkey. The Program began with Prof. Sachs’ keynote speech at the 6th Sustainable Finance Forum held by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Turkey (SKD) and Global Compact Turkey, in partnership with UNEP Finance Initiative, Istanbul Stock Exchange and SDSN Turkey. Professor Sachs delivered a speech on the SDGs and the economic and political relations of Turkey with neighboring countries pointing towards peace as a baseline condition for sustainable development and green investment. You can read some takeaways from an attending student here . A full report of the forum is available here (in Turkish). Later on October 31, 2019, Prof. Sachs visited Yeditepe University on the occasion of the launch of the Turkish translation of his book “The Age of Sustainable Development”. His keynote remarks emphasized Turkey and its importance as an agent for sustainable development in the region. The following panel discussion featured examples of successful implementation of the SDGs in different areas of society. On November 1, 2019, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs gave a keynote at the Conference on “ How Can We Accelerate Action on Sustainable Development ”, organized by the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD). The event continued with a panel that elaborated the subject with the participation of SDSN Turkey, Global Compact Turkey, BCSD Turkey and B4G Representatives. A full account of the event and Prof. Sachs’ remarks can be found here (in Turkish). Following this event, Prof. Sachs met his Excellence Dr. Berat Albayrak, the Minister of Treasury and Finance of Turkish Republic at the Dolmabahçe Palace and discussed global trade and Turkey’s economic structure. In the afternoon, Prof. Sachs delivered a speech at Boğaziçi University on the occasion of the Launch of the SDG Index and Dashboard Report 2019 in Turkey. Prof. Sachs analyzed the current state of SDG implementation in the country by emphasizing the areas in which the country is currently lagging behind: those SDGs which Turkey scored red in the Sustainable Development Report. You can read a full report on the Launch Event here .
Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of SDSN, recently visited Greece together with Dr. Sonia Sachs, Director, Health Sector, Center for Sustainable Development. During his stay he attended a two-week program organized by SDSN Greece and SDSN Black Sea. On July 25, 2019, Prof. Sachs met with professors from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUoT) and presented his […]
Earlier this month, 700 leaders from around the world convened in Washington, D.C. to discuss the future of climate action at the Climate Action 2016 Summit. Global thought leaders outlined ways to turn the ambition of the Paris Climate Agreement into action on the ground and highlighted the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to climate implementation.
April 11th, 2016 – Today, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network Association announced a strategic collaboration on sustainable development as the United Nations enters the first year of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[...]