Network News - September 2016
Australian SDGs Summit
On 7 September SDSN Australia/Pacific was proud to co-host Australia’s first high-level Summit to advance national implementation of the SDGs.
We were joined by 150 leaders and decision-makers from government, business, civil society, academia and youth for an exciting and energising day exploring the opportunities and challenges of the SDGs for Australia and how we can work collaboratively to achieve them.
The Summit also celebrated the already significant interest in the SDGs in Australia, with the launch of statements of support from business, civil society, academia and youth.
Universities commit to the SDGs
SDSN Australia/Pacific has launched a landmark University Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to showcase university leadership on the SDGs and to highlight the important ways the academic sector can contribute to their implementation.
Five universities in our region – The University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, the University of Technology, Sydney, and James Cook University – have become the first signatories.
They have agreed to play their part in achieving the SDGs, including to support and promote the SDGs through their research, education and operations, as well as report on activities in support of the goals.
University action on the SDGs
Many of our members are already using the SDGs framework in initiatives to advance action on sustainable development. For example:
> Curtin University is teaching a unit on the development and implementation of the SDGs
> The University of Queensland has released discussion papers on meeting water-related SDGs in Australia
> The University of Auckland is mapping its research strengths against the SDGs to complement the drafing of a new Research Strategy
> RMIT University reported its progress on the SDGs in its Annual Sustainability Report
> Auckland University of Technology is looking at how the SDGs align with its Sustainability Goals
> Monash University is engaging students to make an SDG-inspired change through Take One Step
More network news and events
> SDSN Youth, the Foundation for Young Australians and Global Ideas are co-hosting the National Youth Summit on the SDGs in Melbourne on 17 October 2016. The Summit will bring together passionate and motivated young people to facilitate collaborative action towards the achievement of the SDGs in Australia.
> SDSN Australia/Pacific is contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals Australia 2016 (SDGA16) Conference, which aims to raise awareness, foster opportunities for partnerships and catalyse local Australian action around the SDGs. It will take place on 29-30 November 2016 in Sydney.
> The reports from the forum The SDGs in the Asia-Pacific: A shared agenda for action are now available. The reports look at how the development community can work together to best influence and inform the take up of the SDGs in our region.
Global SDSN news
> SDSN’s global education initiative, SDSNedu, has transformed into the SDG Academy. This September it is offering two exciting new free online courses – Human rights, human wrongs and Sustainable cities (taught by Aromar Revi, who visited SDSN Australia/Pacific earlier this year) – as well as several old favourites.
> SDSN’s new SDG Index and Dashboards Report has continued to generate discussion on how countries stand on the SDGs. Catch up on videos and interviews from the New York launch event and on the discussion in our region.
Member news & events
> ACFID Conference 2016 – Impact. Explore a bold, future agenda for the Australian development sector to maximise impact on sustainable development and poverty alleviation. 26-27 Oct 2016, Melbourne. (Australian Council for International Development)
> Aotearoa New Zealand International Development Studies Network Conference 2016 – ‘Pacific Currents, Global Tides’. DevNet is a networking hub and interface amongst people and organisations working or researching in the field of international development. 5-7 Dec 2016, Wellington.
> Ecocity World Summit 2017 – Changing Cities: Resilience and Transformation is coming to Melbourne in July 2017. The Summit is one of the most globally significant forums for addressing the complex challenges facing humanity in a rapidly urbanising world. Registrations and Calls for Contributions now open. (University of Melbourne)
> New Micromasters in Leadership in Global Development, covering the technical and management skills needed to tackle the demanding and complex challenges in international development. (University of Queensland)
> Progressing sustainable energy (SDG 7) in Australia: Research from the Institute for Sustainable Futures demonstrates how Australia’s energy sector can be decarbonised within one generation; and how South Australia’s Kangaroo Island could be powered by up to 100% renewable energy. (University of Technology, Sydney)
> The newly launched Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) will concentrate the University’s research, delivery and education expertise to focus on the complex global challenges posed by the SDGs. MSDI also hosts the Secretariat for SDSN Australia/Pacific. (Monash University)
