Event: People, planet and prosperity: Why the UN Sustainable Development Goals matter for Australia

6:00-8:00 pm, Monday, 19 October 2015
Deakin Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne
Event website

Video now available:

• Part 1: Welcome and overview of what the SDGs are and why they matter for Australia
• Part 2: Panel discussion on opportunities for the SDGs in Australia

On 25–28 of September, world leaders came together to adopt the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an ambitious set of priorities for making a better world that will guide global development over the next 15 years.

The Goals aim to bring an end to extreme poverty, promote prosperity and well-being for all, protect the environment and address climate change, and encourage good governance and peace and security. They are considered by many to be the most important agreement of the 21st Century.

The Goals will apply to all countries, but are they really relevant and useful for a prosperous and developed country like Australia?

This event brought together leading thinkers from a diverse range of perspectives to discuss why these Goals are so important for Australia, the opportunities they bring for creating a better future for Australia, and how we can all contribute to making them happen.

Speakers:

• John Thwaites – Chair, Monash Sustainability Institute; Co-Chair, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
• Sam Mostyn – President, Australian Council for International Development (ACFID); AFL Commissioner; non-executive Director
• Tim Costello – CEO, World Vision Australia
• Cr Cathy Oke – Deputy Chair of Environment, City of Melbourne
• Lee Joachim – Chairperson, Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative; Research Manager, Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation
• Sam Loni – Global Coordinator, SDSN Youth
• Cate Turner – Director, Futureye
• Erin Watson Lynn – Graduate student, Monash Business School; Australian delegate to G20 Youth Summit 2015
• Haleh Homaei – Advisor on Post-2015 Development Agenda to Government of Timor-Leste
• Rebekah Brown – Director, Monash Sustainability Institute

Presented by:

• The Monash Sustainability Institute
• SDSN Australia/Pacific
• The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID)
• The School of Social Sciences, Monash Faculty of Arts
• The Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability, Monash Business School
• SDSN Youth and #KnowYourGoals campaign
• The Global Compact Network Australia

Supported by:

• Harold Mitchell Foundation
• City of Melbourne