Leaders from Global Sustainability Network Unite to Call for G20 Action on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ahead of the G20 Antalya Summit

ISTANBUL, November 11, 2015 – The upcoming G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey is an opportunity for world leaders to commit to the implementation of the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs set time-bound, quantitative goals for all countries across the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic development and ending poverty, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability – all to be achieved by 2030.

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has put forth a declaration for action highlighting the role of G20 countries in achieving the SDGs. The SDSN underscores that the SDGs are stretch goals for every country, regardless of its development stage, and that early action towards the goals is key to sustaining interest and support from national governments. Signatories to this declaration include the leadership of Regional and National SDSNs in several G20 countries.

“The globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals point the way to a more prosperous, healthier, fairer, and more peaceful future. As the world’s leading economies, the G20 countries should take the lead in implementing the SDGs in their own countries and in supporting the goals globally. The G20 meeting in Antalya offers an important opportunity to agree on initial steps by the G20 to implement the SDGs, including a strong climate agreement at COP21 in Paris in early December,” said Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Director of the SDSN.

The Declaration calls on the G20 leaders to commit to localizing the SDGs, support international mechanisms for cooperation, and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development – engaging government, business, academia, civil society, and youth. G20 support for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the political, governance and operational levels will be crucial over the next year.

In the week before this year’s G20 meeting, the global SDSN and SDSN Turkey(hosted by Bogaziçi University) will convene the first SDSN20 – a meeting of international sustainability academics and experts. Drawing upon the perspectives from SDSN’s Regional and National Network leadership, the meeting will address the localization of the SDGs in G20 countries and how the G20 process can support the SDGs. The SDSN20 will conclude with the signing of the Declaration for Action.

Video recording of the first SDSN20 meeting, “What the Sustainable Development Goals Mean for G20 Countries,” is available here.

The Declaration signatories include:

Zakri Abdul Hamid – Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Chair of the SDSN Malaysia Network

Paul A. Baker – Dean of the School of Geological Sciences and Engineering at Yachay Tech University, Chair of the SDSN Andean Network

Emma Torres Becker – Senior Adviser to the United Nations, Co-Chair of the SDSN Amazon Network

Ustun Erguder – Director at Professor at the Istanbul Policy Center, Honorary Chair of SDSN Turkey

Hironori Hamanka – Chair of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Board of Directors, Chair of the SDSN Japan Network

Israel Klabin – President of the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development (FBDS), Chair of the SDSN Brazil Network

Siamak Sam Loni – Global Coordinator of SDSN Youth

Dirk Messner – Director: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Co-Chair of the SDSN Germany Network

Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Spain; Co-Chair of the SDSN Spain Network

Birahim Bouna Niang – Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Dakar; Co-Chair of the SDSN Sahel Network

Cherie Nursalim – Vice Chairman of GITI Group, Co-Chair of the SDSN Southeast Asia Network

Aromar Revi – Director of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Co-Chair of the SDSN Leadership Council

Teresa Ribera – Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), Co-Chair of the SDSN Spain Network

Angelo Riccaboni – Rector of the University of Siena, Chair of the SDSN Mediterranean Network

Jeffrey Sachs – Director of the SDSN and the Earth Institute at Columbia University

Gesine Schwan – President of the HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform, Co-Chair of the SDSN Germany Network

Jatna Supriatna – Chairman of the Research Center on Climate Change University of Indonesia, Chair of the SDSN Indonesia Network

John Thwaites – ‎Chair of the Monash Sustainability Institute; Chair of the SDSN Australia/Pacific Network

Virgilio Viana – Director General of the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS); Co-Chair of the SDSN Amazon Network

Wing Woo – Professor of Economics at the University of California at Davis, Co-Chair of the SDSN Southeast Asia Network

Lan Xue – Cheung Kong Chair Professor and Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM) at Tsinghua University in China, Co-Chair of the SDSN Leadership Council

Soogil Young – Visiting Professor of Green Growth at the Korea Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy and Management, Chair of the SDSN South Korea Network

About the Sustainable Development Solutions Network: The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was commissioned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2012 to mobilize scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector to support practical problem solving for sustainable development at local, national, and global scales. The SDSN operates national and regional networks of knowledge institutions, solution-focused thematic networks, and is building SDSNedu, an online university for sustainable development. More information available at www.unsdsn.org and www.sdsnedu.org.