Meeting Summary:

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.

Key Takeaways:

The current state of US politics is holding back progress on the SDGs at the national level. This provides an opportunity for universities to engage a younger generation and launch a whole new set of leaders that can carry this agenda. State and city level efforts need support and may be a path forward. Participants also suggest pursuing progress at US Federal Agencies, though others report significant challenges on that pursuit.
Diversity, Equity, and Justice or using a DEAI model in pursuit of the SDGs is important in ensuring that no one is left behind and the SDGs are achieved.
Mobilizing youth: More and more young people want to make a difference are not happy with the way things are. Harnessing the power of this network to help mobilize them at local, regional and/or state levels. Education may be an avenue for supporting youth action, and not just at universities. Mission 4.7 and other initiatives work to get the SDGs embedded in K-12 curriculum; there is appetite for this to be integrated into undergraduate and graduate education as well.
Green/SDG financing initiatives and private sector engagement: States, counties and cities are getting involved in setting up Green Banks, which can allow for increased energy efficiency, wind power, and solar power projects; promoting green investment, corporate partnerships and CSR programs.
SDG localization: Several cities have created roadmaps to the SDGs including LA and NYC. Huge appetite for localizing the SDGs but SDG branding is applied differently in different contexts. Suggestions include mention of the Global Goals, local sustainability, social justice framing.

Meeting Notes:

Welcome & Opening Remarks

The network update meeting opened with introductions from the SDSN USA co-chairs Helen Bond (Howard University), Dan Esty (Yale University), Gordon McCord (UC San Diego), and Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University). Jeffrey Sachs, president of SDSN and professor at Columbia University, gave opening remarks on the state of national and global affairs, stating that the Sustainable Development Goals are the only globally agreed upon framework for social, economic, and environmental sustainability, especially in the face of the multiple intersecting crises we are facing. He announced he is currently co-chairing a task force for the Secretary General on financing the SDG Agenda. At the US level, Sachs gave sobering remarks about the current state of the SDGs, with agenda items such as a clean energy transition politically blocked in Washington. Due to this standstill at the national level, Sachs suggests the network shift to local, city and state based, initiatives. The network has the power to harness the knowledge and expertise from Universities and institutions from across the US, as well as build connections with mayors and local officials across the country, to support and create initiatives that chart a path forward.

Dan Esty adds that through his experience as a state level commissioner, he sees opportunities for progress more locally, and states that there is no room in this agenda for despair. Many network members are working at their institutional level, as well as connecting students with mayors, and environmental advocacy groups to help create leaders out of the next generation.

Network Update

Caroline Fox, head of SDSN USA, gave an update on the network and results from the latest US SDG State Index, which revealed that no state is currently on track to achieve the SDGs. Based on SDSN USA’s member survey, less than half of network members reported that their institution has made any kind of public commitment to the sustainable development goals or this agenda. Over 70 percent responded that they are working on SDG related curriculum materials. Fox also shared areas where members felt that the strongest network contributions could be made to the 2030 Agenda, including in education, climate action, and sustainable cities. Based on member input, SDSN USA hopes to expand its body of work, and this meeting is an opportunity for information sharing, collaboration across initiatives, and building trust between network members.

Network Activities

SDSN USA’s Zero Hunger Pathways Project has held a series of dialogues over the last year. The White House Hunger Summit poses an opportunity to present the outcomes of this project, which include research and evidence that can translate into policymaking. (Chaired by Bassel Daher, Asma Lateef, and Alicia Powers)
America’s Zero Carbon Action Plan was published in 2019, and focuses on getting to net zero by mid century, from a technology, infrastructure, and financing perspective. Focus has shifted to localization of the decarbonization framework, with efforts currently in San Diego County. (Chaired by Elena Crete)
The Diversity Equity and Justice for Sustainable Development Working Group, established the summer of 2021, gave a number of updates, including the recent release of the Poor People’s Pandemic Report in partnership with the Poor People’s Campaign and in anticipation of the upcoming Moral March on Washington. The working group hopes to continue to increase SDG awareness and action in underserved communities, and hopes to partner with the Cleveland Foundation, which is already aligning its programmatic efforts and social impact investment with the SDGs. (Chaired by Dr. helen Bond, Deepa Vedavyas, Victor Udo, and Claudia Romo Edelman)
SDSN USA’s newest initiative, Mission 4.7, builds upon existing efforts through UNESCO to increase education for sustainable development and bring climate education to the forefront. The working group hopes to involve the network in creating resources, sharing ideas, and engaging in political advocacy for global citizenship education. (chaired by Radhika Iyengar)
SDSN Youth USA is the newly formed US chapter of SDSN Youth. It works to engage and mobilize youth (university students) towards the SDGs, and so far has a podcast and upcoming global blog.

Keynote
Celeste Connors of Hawai’i Local 2030 Hub gave recorded remarks and shared a video on the Aloha+ Dashboard. Connors urged attendees to “think and act like islanders,” in order to harness innovative practices grounded in indigenous knowledge to effectively manage resources, build back from the pandemic, and deliver the SDGs. The Hawai’i Local 2030 Hub is a trust-based public private partnership, and a model for others hoping to localize the SDGs, and measure progress with reliable data that provides transparency and accountability.