Towards sustainable development:
Interlinkages calling for systems transformations
Eeva Furman, Finnish environment institute, Finland
Regional Forum for Sustainable Development , UNECE
Geneva 22.3.2019
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Much good still exists and for many things humanity has made great progress…
Green infrastructure in European cities
Many countries have made their way out of extreme poverty Rosling et al. Factfulness, 2018
Pal
on
iem
i, T
iitu
& V
iinik
ka
SY
KE
Helsinki metropolitan
World Bank. 2016.
Social turning points:
poverty and inequality
Environmental turning
points:
climate change and
biodiversity
KNOWLEDGE –
SCIENCE AND BEYOND
TRANSFORMATIONS –
WAYS TO TACKLE ARISING PHENOMENA
AGENDA 2030 –
A VISION FOR HUMANITY IN THE ANTHROPOCENE
5
SYKE & Sitra 2018
GSDR 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report
• Strengthens the science-policy interface
• Incorporates scientific evidence in a multidisciplinary manner
• Supports the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
• Considers regional dimensions and diversity
The Independent
Group of Scientists
Gonzalo Hernández
Licona
Katherine Richardson
David Smith
Amanda Glassman
Jurgis Staniskis
Eun Mee Kim
Peter Messerli
Jean-Paul Moatti
Endah Murniningtyas
Muhammad Saidam
Eeva Furman
Jean-Pascal van
Ypersele
Parfait Ekoundou-
Enyegue
Wolfgang Lutz
Ernest Foli
Systems thinking: SDG interactions by transnational flows
• Environmental impacts arise at both ends of the flows , and at different pace
Yu
et
al.
20
13
• Present action is unjust and distorts national strategies for sustainable development
Systems thinking : more synergies but challenging trade-offs among SDGs
GSDR draft: six areas for systemic transformations
• Human potential and wellbeing
• Sustainable economies
• Energy decarbonisation and access
• Food and nutrition
• Urban and peri-urban development
• Securing the global commons
• Role of science
Pathways and levers for transformation
Human potential and wellbeing • Mission: leave no one behind
• Inequalities in opportunities
• Education, ageing
-> More balanced economic paths
Approaches to economic activity and systems of production and consumption
Ranking of top 30 economic units by revenue
Babic et al. 2017)
states
multi-national companies
fossil-fuel based industries
Levers: leadership from the
private sector,
targeted policy
interventions and shifts in
lifestyle preferences
Energy decarbonisation and access
European energy policy impacts in global context - Systemic implications from EU-supported renewable energy technology (RET)
• Complex but balanced effects on SDGs
• Benefit on all climate-related SDGs
• Negative impacts on SDG15 Life on Land
• Complex spillover effects must be assessed
www.EKLIPSE-mechanism.eu
GOVERNANCE ECONOMY AND FINANCE BEHAVIOUR
• Enabling distributors and consumers to reduce food waste
• Changing dietary habits
• Insurance
• Trade agreements
• Market access small- and medium-scale farms need better market access, credit and finance
• Greater transparency within food supply chains
• Legislation, land tenure
• Safety nets and social protection programmes
Food and nutrition
Urban and peri-urban development
● from government to governance decisions ● innovative financing
● urban metabolism ● nature-based solutions
● digital connectivity ● infrastructure ● transport ● food
● active citizenships ● partnerships ● city networks
Securing the global commons
Levers:
transrormations in the previous areas
+
interconnections across earth systems
at global levels
+
value to humanity in economic and
non-economic terms
Hild
en
et a
l. S
YK
E p
olic
y b
rie
f 2017
Black carbon and the arctic
Implementation of SDGs requires sustainability science and science capacity worldwide
UNESCO 2018. (www.peer.eu)
Addressing pathways for sustainability transformations
in national policies:
Example of Finland
Evaluation of the Finnish sustainable development policies and transformation pathways (Path2030)
Present model
Strengths Weaknesses
● Inclusive model of coordination for sustainable development supports policy coherence
● Sustainable development streamlined in the strategies and performance management of various ministries
● Sustainable development has not been sufficiently resourced in the government administration
● Silo mentality is still a problem ● Sustainable development is disconnected from
“real politics” and key arenas for decision-making
● Sustainable development is widely shared and mainstreamed as a vision
● In practice, dissonance prevails over hard choices related to sustainable development
● Conflicts of interest reduce policy coherence and impact
● Short-term goals are prioritized over long-term goals
● Wealth of information available on the state of sustainable development
● A gap in the science-policy interface; inadequate application of indicator-based and science-based knowledge in decision-making
Thank you!
www.syke.fi
