SDSN at HLPF 2026: Advancing the SDGs Through Science, Education, Energy, and Data

From July 7–15, 2026, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) participated in the 2026 UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. The HLPF serves as the UN’s central venue for assessing global progress on the 2030 Agenda, exchanging experiences, identifying gaps, and sharing lessons learned.

Ahead of the HLPF, 36 countries presented Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), reports that track national progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDSN is pleased to report that the SDSN — most notably the Sustainable Development Report (SDR) and SDG Index — was referenced in 12 VNRs: Albania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Estonia, Guinea, Jamaica, Italy, Mozambique, Norway, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay.

The SDSN’s Engagements at HLPF

Throughout the week, the SDSN and its partners hosted a series of events addressing a wide range of sustainable development challenges, including connecting scientific innovation with policy implementation, advancing gender-inclusive leadership in the energy transition, accelerating climate resiliency with energy transformations, and increasing partnerships between data institutions and academia.

Science Day 2026: The Science-Policy Imperative in the Final Stretch to 2030 and Beyond

On Thursday, July 9, the SDSN, International Science Council (ISC), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) organized a dynamic discussion addressing one key question regarding SDG implementation: How can the connection between science and policy be strengthened so that innovation leads to progress?

The event featured insights from experts working at the intersection of science and policy, who emphasized that addressing this disconnect requires expanded collaboration, improved knowledge mobility, accessible translations of research into actionable items, and the inclusion of local and indigenous knowledge in political discourse. The speakers echoed the need for horizontal integration, improved communication channels, incentives for research uptake in policymaking, and increased pathways for researchers to participate in politics.

Watch the recording on UN Web TV.

Women Leading the Energy Transition at HLPF 2026

On Friday, July 10, the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), in partnership with the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Gender and Women Energy Compact, hosted a conversation at the SDG Media Zone on “Women Leading the Energy Transition.” Moderated by Kathryn Clay, Lead Energy and Climate Analyst at Washington Post Intelligence, this session featured Rana Ghoneim, Director of Energy and Climate Action at UNIDO; Selen İnal, CEET Member and Founder of Eco Muse; and Catherine Suttah, Founder of Africa Climate Futures and Master's Student at Duke University. Together, they explored how leaders working across clean energy entrepreneurship, multilateral institutions, sustainable finance, and gender-inclusive energy access are reshaping and advancing progress on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).

Watch the recording on YouTube.

Accelerating Energy System Innovation and Transition for Equity and Resilience to Advance Global Sustainable Development

This high-level thematic event brought together senior representatives from the UN system, international organizations, diplomatic missions, the energy sector, academia, and other stakeholders to discuss how energy system innovation and transition can contribute to equitable and resilient sustainable development. Participants assessed current progress, identified major gaps and bottlenecks, and explored practical solutions related to policy, finance, technological innovation, governance, and international partnerships.

The event was hosted by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and co-organized by the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and the SDSN.

Watch the recording on UN Web TV.

Global Higher Ed Symposium

The Global Higher Ed Symposium (GHES) II, held on July 13, was hosted by UN Academic Impact, the SDSN, the International Association of Universities (IAU), UNESCO, UNITAR, York University, the Major Group for Children and Youth, the German Center for Research and Innovation, HESI, and the International Science Council (ISC). Together, the organizers launched the GHES Consensus Statement, developed from the 2025 GHES I and refined through a global consultation process.

The Symposium hosted several panel discussions, the first of which focused on the role of higher education institutions in a changing global landscape, exploring how recent global developments have challenged the ability of universities and institutions to contribute to the global common good. The second panel examined how partnerships, transdisciplinary collaboration, and emerging technological developments offer pathways for higher education institutions to advance the principles of the Consensus Statement. The day concluded with partner representatives reflecting on implementation pathways and collaborative action.

Data for Development: Strengthening Partnerships and Financing for the SDGs

This virtual side event, organized by SDGs Today, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and the UN Statistics Division (UNSD), brought together global leaders in statistics and data to discuss how the creation of sustainable data ecosystems in collaboration with academia is critical for expanding SDG implementation. The dialogue identified existing gaps in accessibility, fragmentation, and infrastructure while outlining pathways to invest in data as a global public good, advancing the framework of the Sevilla Platform Initiative, FfD4, and the Future of Data.

Speakers emphasized the critical importance of establishing long-term partnerships, strengthening data literacy, improving data accessibility, and aligning data accuracy with political relatability alongside the production of new data. The discussion noted that strong data infrastructure and national partnerships are necessary to expand continuous monitoring, improve accountability mechanisms, and attract private financing to be used for accelerating SDG implementation.

Watch the recording on YouTube.