Reflect on Opportunities to Achieve SDGs.

A conference on a Sustainable Europe to 2030 highlighted the need for “deep economic and societal transformation” and changes in key systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. To capture the conclusions of the conferences, the European Commission has published a series of short essays on topics ranging from circular economy to artificial intelligence (AI) as key ingredients for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at the European Commission. putting in place sustainable food systems.

More than 1,000 participants attended the conference entitled “A sustainable Europe 2030: from goal to achievement”, which met on 8 April in Brussels, Belgium. The event was organized by the European Political Strategy Center (EPSC), the European Commission’s “internal think tank”. In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the EU “a key partner for the realization of the 2030 agenda in Europe and beyond” and praised the commitment of the EU for the commitment and empowerment of young people and women.

In his essay, Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission, reflects on Europe’s priorities for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: moving rapidly towards a circular economy, putting food systems on a sustainable path, greening the environment energy, mobility and the built environment. He added that the Commission had recommended to ensure that education, research and innovation, finance, taxation and trade policies promote sustainable transitions. Timmermans concludes by pointing out that transitions to sustainability must leave no one behind.

In his essay “Europe and sustainable development goals: not quite ready,” Aart de Geus, CEO of Bertelsmann Stiftung, warns that time is running out for sustainable development goals. De Geus looks at the findings of the report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Index Report 2018) and states that Europe “will fail if many goals continue if we continue as we are”. Nevertheless, de Geus writes that the Commission’s initiatives around the concept paper and the SDG implementation strategy “Important steps in the right direction” and recommends that Europe build on its strengths to become a leader in sustainable development and “playing a pivotal role” in helping developing countries to achieve the SDGs.

Gayle Schueller, Global Sustainability Leader at 3M, presents 3M’s Strategic Sustainability Framework, which aims to set ambitious goals for air, energy, water and waste. Schueller explains that the Sustainable Development Goals are integrated into the “first steps of developing each new product” and announces 3M’s commitment to renewable energy, including 100% renewable energy at its headquarters.

On food systems, Olivier De Schutter, former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (2008-2014), describes the challenges facing Europe’s agricultural and food systems. It highlights the links between agriculture, the environment, health, trade, development cooperation, research and innovation, explaining that the Commission regards each of these policy areas as distinct. Yet they all affect how we produce and consume food and the future. our food systems will look like.

De Schutter stresses the need for a food policy that aligns these policies and shapes food systems to ensure sustainability. Betina Bergmann Madsen, Procurement Officer of the Municipality of Copenhagen, also writes that Copenhagen uses food purchases “as a tool to help us achieve political goals”, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Madsen describes how purchasing can help teachers and students associate sustainable development goals with sustainable development goals and better understand how public procurement can contribute to sustainability.

The essays address a number of other topics, including awareness of sustainable development in supply chains, the role of education in achieving sustainable development goals, research and innovation, and piracy. sustainable.

Source: SDG Knowledge Hub.