PAST NETWORK MEETINGS
SDSN USA 2022 Network Update Meeting
On May 6th, 2022, SDSN USA held a virtual Network Update Meeting, convening network members, partner organizations, and potential members for two hours. The meeting included network updates from SDSN USA staff and co-chairs Helen Bond (Howard University), Dan Esty (Yale University), Gordon McCord (UC San Diego), and Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University), as well as a discussion of SDSN USA network activities, including America’s Zero Carbon Action Plan, the Zero Hunger Pathways Project, the Diversity Equity and Justice for Sustainable Development Working Group, research activities Tracking Progress on the SDGs in the US, and SDSN USA’s newest initiative, Mission 4.7, promoting education for sustainable development in the US.
The purpose of the meeting was to share updates on SDSN USA initiatives, hear from SDSN USA members and partners on their work, and to discuss opportunities and gaps in the US for progress on the SDGs. This meeting was a unique opportunity to bring members and partners together across the network to engage in a high-level discussion of sustainable development localization and best practices, complementing SDSN USA’s monthly informal networking meetings and February SDG Localization Networking Event.
Participants joined from 55+ institutions from 22 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Topics included: decarbonizing the U.S. energy system; addressing social justice and inequities; ending hunger in America; and advancing new tools to track SDG progress across states, counties, cities, and universities.
SDSN USA 2021 NETWORK MEETING
On February 18th and 19th, 2021, SDSN USA held its annual Network Meeting, a convening of network members, partner organizations, and potential members, led by SDSN co-chairs Helen Bond (Howard University), Dan Esty (Yale University), Gordon McCord (UC San Diego), and Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University). The purpose of the meeting was to share updates on SDSN and SDSN USA initiatives, collaborate on solutions to the great sustainable development challenges the U.S. is facing in the years ahead, and to create opportunities for engagement and networking among SDSN USA members and partners.
Over the course of two days, 250 people engaged with us virtually to hear from over 25 experts and leaders on our current high-priority projects. Topics included: decarbonizing the U.S. energy system, addressing social justice, ending hunger in America, and advancing new tools to track SDG progress across states, counties, cities, and universities.
SDSN USA 2020 NETWORK MEETING
On February 23rd and 24th, 2020, SDSN USA members and partners met to discuss “America in 2020: Mobilizing for a Decade of Sustainable Development.” This two-day event featured discussions on deep decarbonization; metrics and indicators for universities, cities, and states; lessening hunger; education and curriculum for sustainable development; localizing the goals; and more. The meeting included ample opportunity for networking and brainstorming, culminating in an invitation to contribute to SDSN’s US Deep Decarbonization Plan and commitments for exploratory working groups in four areas of activity: (1) Hunger in the United States; (2) Indigenous Science; (3) University Metrics & Reporting on the SDGs; and (4) SDGs and Curriculum. Read more about the meeting here.
SDSN USA LAUNCH 2018
On 4 December, 2018 SDSN USA was launched at Columbia University in New York. The chapter is co-directed by academic centers at Columbia University, Yale University, and the University of California San Diego. The SDSN USA joins 29 existing SDSN networks that are creating new online courses, educating their students and the general public, working with governments, engaging and empowering young people, and offering innovative solutions for the SDGs.
SDSN USA will help to mobilize and support America’s colleges, universities, and other leading research institutions to promote the SDGs in the United States, and US’s contribution to the SDGs globally. In the opening meeting of the SDSN USA on December 4, representatives of more than 60 leading academic institutions around the nation developed a work plan for the new network, focusing on priority SDG challenges facing the United States.