Evidence for Action - Online International Research Symposium

As we see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, it’s time to return our attention to urgent unfinished business. Two tasks are particularly high on this list: dealing with the Climate Emergency; and getting back on track to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both the climate and SDG agendas are enormous, requiring massive investments in new technology and infrastructure and transformative reforms in governance and management. Which raises the question: faced with shrinking resources after the pandemic, can we align and accelerate action on these two huge efforts or must they compete for scarce resources?

To provide answers to this question, the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP), a joint initiative between the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ and the  (IDS), organised an online international symposiumon 20-22 July 2021 entitled 'Evidence for Action: Aligning the Climate and SDG Agendas'. The event was co-hosted by 12 partner organisations from 10 countries, including 7 organisations in low and medium income countries: 

  • the  (CISD) at Utrecht University;
  • the  (ICCCAD);
  • the  (IESS) at the University of Ghana;
  • the  (IIED);
  • the  (RTA);
  • the  (PINCC) at National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM); 
  • ; 
  • the  (CCCD) at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (AEFUNAI) of Nigeria;
  • the (BCNUEJ);
  • and the (ICTA-UAB), Spain.

With the aim to debate policies and measures that simultaneously realise the objectives of both the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda, the Symposium provided a very successful forum for discussing and debating a wide range of cutting-edge sustainability issues, including: strategies for connecting the climate and SDG agendas; locally led climate adaptation and sustainable development; integrated assessment modelling for exploring sustainability scenarios; new ideas for ensuring climate and environmental justice for indigenous and other marginalized people; the steering effects of global goals, and many others. Special sessions were devoted to research results from India, Indonesia, South Africa and Bangladesh. 

Over the course of three days, 279 people participated in the Symposium, encompassing international academics and sustainable development stakeholders from 40 countries. More than 50% of participants were from the Global South. The event featured 9 plenary sessions with 15 keynote speakers, including internationally recognised scientists, policymakers, and directors of civil society organisations; and 18 parallel sessions with more than 50 presentations.

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The Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP), with support from 12 international co-hosts, is delighted to publish the symposium's , which is accessible to registrants only by logging into the Oxford Abstracts conference management software. Here is a document with tips on how to view the programme.

FULL PROGRAMME

The symposium took place on 20-22 July 2021, with an exciting line-up of 15 prominent keynote speakers and 18 parallel sessions with presenters from over 20 countries. The programme was organised into three streams for attendees to select the sessions most relevant to them:

  • Stream A – Climate Adaptation and the SDGs
  • Stream B – Climate and Environmental Justice
  • Stream C – Sustainable Transformations and the Green Recovery

This symposium was open to all interested academics and development practitioners around the world. Follow the ‘Evidence for Action’ Twitter account and use #EvidenceForAction in your posts in the lead up to, during, and after the symposium.

If you have any queries, please contact the SSRP symposium coordinating team at: evidenceforaction@sussex.ac.uk .

 

Prof. Isabelle Anguelovski, Prof. Frank Biermann, Dr. Francisco Estrada Porrúa, Dr. Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah

Joyeeta Gupta, Ebony Holland, Mizan R.Khan, Henry Kokofu

Lord McConnell, Helena Molin-Valdes, Peter Newell, Chucks Okereke

Andrea Ordóñez, John Thompson, Joseph Alcamo

20 July 

Plenary

How can we align the SDG and climate agendas?

Prof. Joseph Alcamo, SSRP, ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, UK

 

Power shift: From transition to transformation in energy and society

Prof. Peter Newell, ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, UK; Rapid Transition Alliance, UK

 

Parallel Session A1 

Local Adaptation Planning & Risk: Experience from Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Austria

 

Making Social Protection adaptive – insights from an integrated ASP risk assessment in Indonesia

Dominic Sett, Christina Natalia Widjaja, Angelica Greco, Simone Sandholz, United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security, Germany

 

Fostering social learning through social simulations towards linking climate adaptation planning with disaster risk reduction strategies: insights from applying the RESPECT role-play simulation

Dr. Thomas Schinko, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria

 

Parallel Session B1

Reframing Climate and Environmental Justice

 

Livestock and climate justice: challenging mainstream policy narratives

Fernando García-Dory, Ella Houzer1 Prof. Ian Scoones2, 1Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK, 2ESRC STEPS Centre, ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, UK; IDS, UK

 

Parallel Session C1

The Steering Effects of Global Goals: Fostering System-Level Transformation to Address Climate Change and Other Sustainable Development Challenges

 

An integrated approach to global issues? Effects of the Sustainable Development Goals on issue integration in international organisations

Maya Bogers, Prof. Frank Biermann, Dr. Agni Kalfagianni, Dr. Rakhyun Kim, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Netherlands

 

The role of the Sustainable Development Goals in shaping the transformation of multiple social and technological systems to face climate change.

Oscar Yandy Romero-Goyeneche1, Gaston Heimeriks2, Cristian Matti3

1Utrecht University Center for Global Challenges, Netherlands. 2Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Netherlands. 3EIT-Climate KIC, Belgium

 

Can the SDGs foster integrated sustainability? An expert survey

Francesco S. Montesano, Prof. Frank Biermann, Agni Kalfagianni, Marjanneke J. Vijge, Utrecht University, Netherlands

 

Are the SDGs steering the textual content of departmental policies? Quantitative empirical evidence from mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda in the European Union and its Member States

Matteo Spinazzola, Prof. Frank Biermann, Dr. Thomas Hickmann, Utrecht University, Netherlands

 

Plenary

 

International policies to jointly protect climate and health

Dr. Helena Molin-Valdes, Former Head of UN Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat

 

Parallel Session B2

Advancing Climate Change Adaptation, Sustainable Development, and the Rights of Marginalised Peoples

 

Can we tackle the SDGs without dealing with inequality? Towards sustainable equitable development of marginalized groups in the Global South

Lisa Hiwasaki, University of Rhode Island, USA

 

Relevance of autonomous agricultural adaptation to climate change: Survey analysis of Bihar

Saheli Das, Prof. Meeta Keswani Mehra, Jones Paulson, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

 

Parallel Session C2

Cities as Catalysts of Sustainable Transformation

Everyday climate action: mapping the ordinary spaces of low-carbon transitions in cities

Dr. Enora Robin Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, UK

 

21 July 

Plenary

Introductory remarks

Dr. John Thompson, SSRP and IDS, UK

 

Locally led Adaptation: Can it become a vehicle for transformative adaptation?

Prof. Mizan R. Khan, Deputy Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), Bangladesh

 

Parallel Session A3

Legal, Financial and Institutional Aspects of Combining Climate Adaptation and Sustainable Development

 

A framework for defining local delivery of finance: a case study of the Green Climate Fund

Dr. Jessica Omukuti, University of York, UK

 

Climate adaptation and SDG 6: measures on water use efficiency in international water law and state practice

Dr. Chenjun Zheng1, Dr. Nadia Sanchez Castillo-Winckels2, 1Wuhan University, China. 2Earth System Governance Project, Netherlands

 

Creating Synergies between Climate Change Law and International Water Law: Challenges and Opportunities

Dr. Imad Antoine Ibrahim, Center for Law & Development, College of Law, Qatar University, Qatar

 

Parallel Session B3

Indigenous Peoples, Climate Change Adaptation and Protected Areas: Lessons from South Africa

 

Providing evidence to inform a climate smart adaptation pathway for Indigenous communities in the arid zone of South Africa

Dr. Igshaan Samuels, Agricultural Research Council, South Africa

 

Climate Change Adaptation and Implementation in relation to SDGs by protected areas, Indigenous Communities & Partners

Dr. Mmoto Masubelele, South African National Parks

 

The value of climate science to impoverished communities- experiences from a grad student

Jodene Foster, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

 

Parallel Session C3

Towards Green Recovery and Sustainable Transitions in India

 

Global Ambition for Climate Change Mitigation: How Achievable are the Net-zero Goals?

Tejal Kanitkar, National Institute of Advanced Studies, India

 

Energy Use in Agriculture: The potential for Solar Irrigation in India

Juhi Chatterjee, National Institute of Advanced Studies, India

 

Plenary

Which political effects have the SDGs had so far? Evidence from a global science assessment

Prof. Frank Biermann, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Netherlands

 

Parallel Session C4

Circular Economy and Sustainable Consumption Approaches to Achieving the Climate and SDG Agendas

 

The social economy: a means for inclusive and decent work in the circular economy? 

Esther Goodwin Brown1, Luis Sosa1, Kris Bachus2, Odul Bozkurt3, Antonius Schroeder4, 1Circle Economy, Netherlands. 2KU Leuven, Belgium. 3ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Business School, UK. 4TU Dortmund, Germany

 

How countries take action on SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production. A content-analysis of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) from 2016-2020

Stan van Ginkel, Utrecht University, Netherlands

 

Opportunities and Challenges for Circular Innovation in African Food Systems towards Climate Mitigation & Adaptation and SDGs

Peter Desmond, Institute of Development Studies, UK; University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

 

22 July

Plenary 

Climate and the SDGs: Views of two governments

 

Aligning the Climate and SDG agendas: The view from Ghana

Hon. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, CEO of the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 

Parallel Session A5

From the Ground Up: Advancing SDGs and Climate Adaptation at the Local Level

 

‘Going Digital’ - Lessons for future coastal community engagement and climate change adaptation

Dr. Emma McKinley1, Dr. Philip Crowe2, Dr. Fernanda Stori3, Tim Brew4, Alex Cameron-Smith4, Lauren Blacklaw-Jones5, Dr. Saul Crowley2, Dr. Chiara Cocco2, Dr. Karen Foley2, Dr. Cathal O'Mahoney3, Dr. Brenda McNally2, Dr. Rhoda Ballinger1, Pauline Power2, 1Cardiff University, UK. 2University College Dublin, Ireland. 3University College Cork, Ireland. 4Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, UK. 5Port of Milford Haven, UK

 

Parallel Session B5

Integrated Approaches to Converging Climate and Health Crises

 

Drought, Poverty and HIV drug resistance: threat to resilience in climate vulnerable rural settings

Dr. Kingsley Orievulu Africa Health Research Institute, South Africa

 

Parallel Session C5

Strategies and Frameworks for Aligning the Climate and SDG Agendas

 

General and specified vulnerability, resilience and adaptation to extreme temperatures

Dr. Ana Raquel Nunes, University of Warwick, UK

 

Modelling national transformations to achieve the SDGs within planetary boundaries

Dr. Cameron Allen, UNSW, Australia. Monash University, Australia

 

The SDGs as an Integrative Framework to Assess Coherence of Transnational Multistakeholder Partnerships for SIDS

Dr. David Horan, Marie Curie IRC fellow, School of Politics and International Relations, UCD

 

Plenary

Cities: Convergence of risks and propagation of impacts

Dr. Francisco Estrada Porrúa, Climate Change Research Programme, National Autonomous University of Mexico

 

Parallel Session A6

Evidence for Action on Biodiversity, Bioeconomy, and Climate Change

 

Mainstreaming 'paraecology' - Civic Science and the transition to sustainability

Dr. Mika Peck, ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, UK

 

Nature-based Solutions for Jobs, Livelihoods, and Market Resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean

Laura Kuhl, Alaina Boyle, Northeastern University, USA

 

Parallel Session B6

Refugees and Energy Access: Policy Proliferation and Institutional Confusion

 

Introduction to session theme

Hajar Al-Kaddo, Coventry University, UK; Dr. Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen, Oxford University, UK; Global Platform for Action

 

Parallel Session C6

Climate Ambition and Sustainable Development for a New Decade: Catalytic Frameworks and Models

 

EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Joins the Decade of Action

Zane Šime, OSCE Academy, Riga, Latvia

 

How to bring the SDGs into the business realities of the agribusiness and food production sector? – Insights from a European project

Larissa Jaeger1, Marco Rieckmann1, Hannah Maxie Frost2, 1Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, University of Vechta, Germany. 2University of Business and Economics, Austria

 

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