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Midway to meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a newly established GYA working group, as of January 2024, aims at connecting outstanding young researchers with well-informed impact-oriented policy-making. The group delves into the untapped potential of the interdisciplinary GYA when it comes to working towards the achievement of the UN SDGs. Group members conduct relevant research that informs policy-making and provides practical solutions to global challenges. Group members lead to innovative approaches that address the complexities of sustainable development by developing cross-disciplinary partnerships. Additionally, group members participate in advocacy and outreach to raise awareness about the SDGs through public discussions, workshops, and social media. By providing evidence-based recommendations developed on scientific research findings, members of the group aim at influencing policy and decision-making processes at local, national, and international levels.
The GYA and its members are active in many SDG-related areas (see our page highlighting SDG work here). Interlinkages and connections with the SDGs might not always be apparent. The group therefore raises GYA members’ awareness of the SDGs and the work that is already happening on the SDGs in the GYA, through workshops, trainings, connecting to partners, etc.
This activity was introduced by Encieh Erfani in 2022. The GYA&SDGs incubator was revitalized by Stella Tsani and Jane Yau in 2023. The group was first co-chaired by Stella Tsani and Jane Yau. Stella Tsani and Wilson Alavia serve as current co-chairs of the working group in 2024/25.
For a list of group co-leads since the group was established in 2022, see here.
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Projects 2024/25
In November 2024, group co-leads Stella Tsani and Wilson Alavia Medina, together with group members and with members from several other GYA working groups, jointly published a statement on “Young researchers and scholars’ proposals for action for a sustainable present and future”. GYA Alumnus Renard Siew presented the statement during the “Climate Science: key take aways in 2024” event co-organized by the International Science Council (ISC) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) on 12 November 2024.
In October 2024, group co-lead Stella Tsani was part of a COP29 side event on “A farewell to fossil fuels? Perspectives and dialogues pre-COP29” in Baku, Azerbaijan. This was organized by Khazar University, the British Embassy in Baku, the University of Reading, Reading Youth Council, the Centre for EuroAsian Studies at the Henley Business School, and this GYA working group, and discussed prospects and achievements on fossil fuel phase-out in the light of developments in the international policy dialogue and actions, the position of hydrocarbon exporting countries, and the role of youth in catalysing the necessary transformations.
In October 2024, group member Peter Gan Kim Soon participated in the “Act on Climate: A Convening on Planetary Health and Just Transition”, held in Bogotá, Colombia, and organized by the Atlantic Institute and Dejusticia, a Colombia-based research and advocacy organization dedicated to the strengthening of the rule of law and the promotion of social justice and human rights in Colombia and the Global South. This event brought together a diverse group of researchers, activists, and policymakers dedicated to exploring the intricate relationship between climate change and equity. The discussions were framed around the urgent need for a just transition, and frameworks and approaches were developed that will provide a robust foundation for action and collaboration on effective climate action. Read Peter’s report here.
In September 2024, group co-leads Stella Tsani and Wilson Alavia together with members from the GYA working group on Climate Change issued an intervention relating to the 5th Global Climate and SDG Synergy Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. You can read their Intervention here.
In September 2024, group co-leads Stella Tsani and Wilson Alavia Medina launched a collaboration with the Science Education for Youth group, consisting of a series of talks and training sessions aimed at raising awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and putting them into practice in higher education institutions in various countries. You can find more information here.
In September 2024, group co-lead Stella Tsani presented on “Improving the science-policy nexus to accelerate the sustainability transition” at the 12th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD).
Earlier in 2024, group members Stella Tsani and Alex Godoy-Faundez were invited as lead authors of the 7th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) flagship environmental assessment.
Group member Luisa Diele-Viegas participated at The Fifth Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.
Led by group member João Borges, the group explored synergies with the Global Conversation on Sustainability (GCS).
In September 2023, on the occasion of the SDG Summit during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, group co-leads and co-leads from various GYA Activities Groups compiled an overview of current GYA activities relating to the UN SDGs.
Also in 2023, group co-lead Stella Tsani was an invited contributor to the International Science Council delegation to the UN2023 Water Conference; a policy brief can be found here.
