Headline: Conference: Jump-starting the SDGs in Germany

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by UN Member States in September 2015 introduced ambitious and universal goals for sustainable development. In 2016 all countries face the task of implementing the SDGs at home, taking into account national circumstances and priorities, while maintaining the global level of ambition.

The conference “Jump-starting the SDGs in Germany: Natural Resources and Sustainable Consumption and Production” will explore Germany’s responsibilities as a major consumer of natural resources in a globalised world. The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., and, as co-hosts, the Stockholm Environment Institute, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), Germanwatch e.V. and the World Centre for Sustainable Development (RIO+Centre) invite national and international representatives of governments, science, civil society and business to discuss the challenges of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Germany. The thematic focus of the conference will be on natural resources and sustainable consumption and production.

Given today’s complex consumption and production patterns, national implementation of the SDGs must reach beyond borders. A promising step in this direction is a revitalised global partnership for sustainable development, as outlined in the SDGs. The conference aims to assess the potential role of partnerships for collaboration and mutual learning for sustainable development both within and outside Germany. Special attention will be given to the Swedish Government’s initiative on ‘Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A Call to Action’, which represents a partnership of nine countries, including Germany. This initiative strives to actively support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and promote the sharing of experiences and best practices. The work of the Independent Research Forum and similar initiatives that aim to provide strategies for an effective SDG implementation will also be discussed at the conference.

The 2030 Agenda emphasises that natural resources, like fertile soils, safe drinking water and healthy ecosystems, are an indispensable basis for sustainable development. A wide range of SDGs call for serious efforts to secure these resources and use them more sustainably by changing consumption and production patterns. Integrated nexus-based approaches are widely regarded as a sensible approach to both analysing and governing complex natural resources. The conference invites participants from a wide range of backgrounds to discuss the challenges inherent in implementing such approaches.

The conference will include interactive panel discussions and parallel dialogue forums to deepen understanding of core topics such as efficient resource use, food security and nutrition, bioenergy, land use, the rural-urban continuum, and follow-up and review. There will be simultaneous translation into English and German.

Date and venue: 2–4 May 2016, Andel’s Hotel, Landsberger Allee 106, 10369 Berlin, Germany

Registration: More information on the conference and registration is available on the conference website: http://sdgsgermany.de/

Contact: SDGconference [at] iass-potsdam [dot] de (SDGconference[at]iass-potsdam[dot]de)

More information: IASS Renewable Resources and the SDGs Forum