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SDSN Leads Global Sustainability Discussions at SRI2025

By SDSN

From June 16–19, 2025, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) led several sessions during the Sustainability Research and Innovation (SRI) Congress — one of the world’s leading academic conferences on evidence-based, actionable, and inclusive approaches to sustainability.

SDSN Programming at SRI2025

As a lead partner of the Congress, the SDSN hosted the following sessions on critical sustainability topics, including financing for development, climate resilience, and the Leave No One Behind principle.

Plenary Session on Financing for Development

Wednesday, June 18, 2025, 9:00 to 10:30 AM CDT

On June 18, the SDSN led a plenary session on financing for development, addressing the urgent need to reform the global financial architecture to channel long-term, affordable capital toward sustainable development. The session highlighted findings from the forthcoming Sustainable Development Report 2025 and focused on strategies to unlock financing at scale, particularly for low-income and lower-middle-income countries.

Speakers:

  • Moderator: Jim Kirk, Group Publisher and Executive Editor of Crain’s Chicago Business
  • Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Professor at Columbia University and President of the SDSN
  • Scott Vogt, Vice President of Strategy and Energy Policy, ComEd
  • Estelle Winkleman, Director of Climate Philanthropy at Salesforce
  • Jessica Wollmuth, EY Americas Climate Change and Sustainability Services Deputy Leader

Breakout Sessions

Pathways to Climate Resilience

Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 1:30 to 2:45 PM CDT

This session featured innovative climate adaptation initiatives from European initiatives ARSINOE, IMPETUS, and CARMINE, highlighting tangible solutions and replicable models for building resilience.

Panelists:

  • Conrad Landis, Athens University of Economics and Business, Hybrid Financial-Sustainability Model
  • Wisse Beets, Nelen & Schuurmans, on IMPETUS Project, Heat Stress Decision Support Tool
  • Sorin Cheval, National Meteorological Administration of Romania on CARMINE Project, Digital Twins
  • María Cortés Puch, Vice President of Networks, SDSN Secretariat
  • Prof. Aaron Packman, Northwestern University, Civil and Environmental Engineering on CROCUS Urban Integrated Field Laboratory, Resilient urban landscapes: Hydrological function of embedded urban greenspaces.

SDSN Mexico as a Facilitator of Collaborations on Sustainable Development in Mexico

Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 3:05 to 4:20 PM CDT

This session highlighted SDSN Mexico’s successful multistakeholder partnerships promoting collaborative decision-making and community engagement. Representatives from its host institutions will share university-led initiatives on climate action, sustainable development, and social inclusion.

Panelists:

  • Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, Consul General of Mexico in Chicago
  • Dr. María Soledad Funes Argüello, Coordinator of Scientific Research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
  • Dr. William Lee, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
  • María Cortés Puch, Vice President of Networks, SDSN Secretariat
  • Edgar Leyva, SDSN Mexico Manager and Technical Secretary for Outreach and University Programs, Secretariat for Research and Development, CIC, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
  • Karina Ruiz, SDSN Mexico Manager and Leader of Strategic Engagement, Direction of Sustainable Development, VIIS, Tecnológico de Monterrey.

Code-Name Hope: A Voluntary Local Review of the Black Community in Greater Cleveland, Ohio

Thursday, June 19, 2025, 1:00 to 2:15 PM CDT

This session explored how cultural heritage and community assets can mobilize and empower marginalized communities to take informed action on the SDGs. It will highlight the ‘Leave No One Behind’ imperative and demonstrate how community engagement, disaggregated data, and partnerships can inform a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) for a vulnerable community.

Panelists:

  • Dr. Helen Bond, Professor in the School of Education at Howard University, Co-Chair, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN-USA)
  • Ms. Deepa Vedavyas, Co-Chair SDSN USA’s Diversity, Equity, and Justice Working Group, Harvard University
  • Justin Hansford, Professor and Director, Howard University Law (Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center), Member of The United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
  • Sonali Kagliwal, Graduate Student, Harvard University

Learn more at sricongress.org.