The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outline globally agreed-upon objectives to ensure a balance between socio-economic interests and ecological sustainability until 2030. However, many of these goals are unlikely to be achieved due to inherent contradictions, non-knowledge-based policies, and geopolitical conflicts. There is no turning back to purely national or regional perspectives, as the future will increasingly rely on global cooperation and consensus-building.

With only five years left to define the next set of UN goals, it is imperative to initiate an in-depth discourse on shaping future objectives now.

This public lecture aims to synthesize experiences from implementing the SDGs, particularly through case studies in the Global South. It will explore potential new goals, strategies for their implementation, and ways to enhance the integration of scientific research into policy processes to strengthen science-policy interactions.

This session is part of the Let’s Talk Climate Change talk series.