ASI's SDG Academy: deep dive into the goals

SDG Academy Events

• Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation

  On March 30 2023, we organised another SDG Academy for the World Water Day – UN 2023 Water Conference debrief. The World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance day held on 22 March in line with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. This year, the UN 2023 Water Conference takes place nearly 50 years since it was last held, where the ‘Water Action Agenda’ is expected to be finalized. Our speakers Dr Jampel Dell’Angelo, Dona Geagea and Paulina Raniecka offered their insights on the significance of the conference, key outcomes of the Water Action Agenda and the role of stakeholders to meet SDG6 by 2030. Watch the recording here.

• Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy

  • On 17 September 2024, we discussed the steps of VU Amsterdam in their fossil-free journey. Following the signing of the new fossil-free research framework in April 2024, VU became the second university in the world to stop research collaborations with companies of the fossil fuel industry, unless certain criteria are met. This session featured Aaron Pereira, co-founder at Solid Sustainability Research, offering a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of Dutch universities. Afterwards, Mathieu Blondeel (IVM), Neele van den Bongardt (Secretary of the Central Committee for Fossil-Free Research at VU), and Philipp Pattberg (ASI Director) shared insights from their involvement in the fossil-free journey of VU. Watch the recording here.
  • On 9 November 2021, we talked about the transition to affordable and clean energy on the VU campus. Rooske Gaal, energy coordinator at the VU, gave valuable insights into the current and future energy production at the energy center on campus. Afterwards, Philipp Pattberg (director of ASI) and Daniel Petrovics (junior researcher) added interesting perspectives on energy communities and ways to improve energy efficiency on campus. Watch the recording here.

• Goal 11 – Sustainable Food Systems

  On 31 October 2022, our SDG Academy session shed light on how the food system can be regulated more sustainably. The lecture delved into how Cities2030 actively encourages the participation of citizens as involved and motivated change agents. This active participation drives community-driven solutions and greater ownership of the food environment to lead to healthier local communities. Our speakers gave us an idea on how a lab can work in practice through the Cities Region Food Systems (CRFS) and the food lab approach and introduced us to Haarlem’s food vision. Watch the recording here.

• Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

  On 8 February 2022, we talked about how the current tax system can create incentives for a circular economy. VU researchers Jan Gooijer, Albert Bomer and Henriette Scholte presented recent study findings on that topic and gave advice for how circular business models can be supported by the tax system. Watch the recording here.

• Goal 13 – Climate Action

  • On 23 November 2022, we organised a COP 27 debrief to discuss what progress has been made since last year. Moreover, we briefly touch upon the issue of accessibility which impacts participation of some actors. Our speakers shared their insights on the impact of the war in Ukraine, growing contestation against the use of fossil fuels, enhancing the 1.5°C target and establishing a loss and damage fund. Watch the recording here.
  • On 19 April 2022, we organised the SDG Academy: IPCC Report - Who does what? Insights on global climate policy. The lecture was dedicated to the IPCC report with keynote speakers one of its lead authors Prof. Elin Lerum Boasson. Prof. Dave Huitema and Prof. Philipp Pattberg also shared some critical observations for the report and governance-related topics. Watch the recording here.
  • On 8 December 2021, we organised a COP 26 debrief event to unpack and analyse the results together with attendees and researchers of the VU. They gave first-hand insights into the conference and discussed the role of large emitters and small island states, the results concerning the often cited “Article 6” and if the glass was half full or half empty. Watch the recording here.
  • On 23 September 2021, we discussed the consequences of the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Bart van den Hurk, one of the lead authors of the report, gave some first-hand insights and together with Aniek Moonen (Jonge Klimaatbeweging), Ivar Maas (VU Strategy Team) and Prof. Philipp Pattberg (VU professor for transnational governance) we spoke about the roles of different stakeholders. Watch the recording here.

• Goal 17 - Partnership for the Goals

  • On 5 June 2024, we discussed the European Green Deal in light of the European Elections that began on the same day. With a growing opposition to the EGD in the month prior to the June elections, its future was dependent on the aftermath of the voting. The session featured Mathieu Blondeel (IVM), Dr Özlem Terzi (Faculty of Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), and Dr Niels Debonne (Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands), who offered diverse perspectives on the implementation of the EGD, its past and potential future. Watch the recording here.
  • On 19 January 2023, we organised another debrief for the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) COP15 to discuss what the new Global Biodiversity Framework entails and which steps have to be taken now. Our speakers offered their insights on the relevance and key outcomes of the new framework, finance and resource mobilisation, the role of young scientists in ecosystem policies and Target 3 on increasing protected areas. Watch the recording here.
  • On 10 June 2022, we organised another SGD Academy for SDG17: From urgency to agency - Reflections of 50 Years of Environmental Policy. The event reflected on the 50 years of environmental policy, at international and national levels, with the keynote speech by Prof. dr. Joyeeta Gupta. Eszter Szedlacsek (PhD researchers at IVM, VU) and Laura de Vries (Board member of Jonge Klimaatbeweging) also joined the discussion and share their first-hand experience from joining the Stockholm+50 international meeting. Watch the recording here.