The SDSN and GeSI Partner to Accelerate Global Sustainable Solutions
December 1, 2025 (New York, New York) — The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), a leading global organization driving digital solutions for sustainable development. This collaboration will strengthen the SDSN’s efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, under the direction of SDSN President Professor Jeffrey Sachs.
“This partnership with GeSI comes at a pivotal moment,” said Jeffrey Sachs, President of the SDSN. “It allows the SDSN to scale initiatives, strengthen research, and drive action on the SDGs, demonstrating the transformative power of digital solutions in advancing global sustainability.”
GeSI brings more than two decades of experience in harnessing digital innovation to address society’s most pressing sustainability challenges. Its work spans cross-sector engagement, strategic partnerships, research initiatives, and digital transformation programs. By convening industry, government, and society at global and local levels, GeSI fosters collaboration that translates technological potential into measurable sustainability impact.
“This partnership between GeSI and the SDSN reflects our shared conviction that digital innovation must serve as a driver of sustainable development,” said Luís Neves, CEO of GeSI. “By combining SDSN’s global expertise in research and policy with GeSI’s experience in mobilizing the digital sector, we can accelerate real progress toward the SDGs. Together, we aim to show that technology, when guided by purpose, can help build a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable world.”
Through this partnership, the SDSN will expand its global programs to address critical areas of sustainable development, including sustainable food and land-use systems, sustainable finance, urban development, data and monitoring, education, and the conservation of tropical forest biomes. Together, the SDSN and GeSI aim to drive evidence-based solutions and innovative approaches to the world’s most urgent social and environmental challenges.
About the SDSN
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) works under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to mobilize universities, think tanks, and research centers to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. Established in 2012 by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and economist Jeffrey Sachs, the SDSN promotes evidence-based solutions, policy analysis, education, and global cooperation at the intersection of science, policy, and practice.
About GeSI
The Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) is a member-driven, cross-industry business association dedicated to leading the movement that defines, demonstrates, and acts on the enabling role of digital solutions in sustainability. GeSI focuses on the greatest opportunities at the intersection of digital innovation and sustainable development, from circularity and smart cities to water digitization and artificial intelligence. By uniting diverse sectors through collaboration, programs, and partnerships, GeSI advances a shared vision of realizing the full potential of digital technology to create a more sustainable and inclusive world.