Global urgency requires Swiss leadership

Switzerland’s 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy is not ambitious enough

Around 60 organisations joined us for our Open Forum to strengthen Switzerland’s 2030 Sustainable Development strategy on January 20, 2021. We were very happy to see stakeholders from all sectors represented: economy, science, politics, public administration, culture and civil society including, for example, economiesuisse, the Swiss Academies, Umweltallianz and Plattform Agenda2030. The tenor of the discussion was very clear: The strategy presented in the consultation is not ambitious and concrete enough to induce change which according to science, is urgently needed. SDSN Switzerland Co-lead Océane Dayer underlined in her welcoming address: «The Swiss Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 is Switzerland’s one-shot to reach the UN SDGs ».

In general, the presented strategy reflects a very holistic understanding of Sustainable Development and provides highly valuable guiding principles. However, anyone involved in processes around past sustainable development strategies notices: There is not much new at present to induce the needed change. The strategy is based on mainly pre-existing policies and underlying strategies and remains vague beyond that. We need to question ourselves: Can such a strategy lead to the large societal transformation needed? Does it allow us to move fast enough aligned with all other countries to avoid environmental tipping points leading us into a disaster? Does it allow us to leave no one behind?

What is missing in the 2030 strategy?

Switzerland’s cross-border responsibility

• Reflected in our negative spill-over.

• Our major leverage on the SDGs is our global impact it is therefore Switzerland’s responsibility to show leadership here.

• What is missing is the promotion of sufficiency as it is highly questionable also from a scientific point of view how to respect planetary boundaries in a society like ours without sufficiency.

• Also missing are ground-breaking pathways towards a sustainable financial system plus the future of Switzerland’s Financial Centre as a major contributor to our national well-being

Improving and embedding the system to monitor progress towards the 2030 Agenda

• Recommendation: including a mid-term review to reflect and if needed adjusting targets in an inclusive process or add interim targets to evaluate progress and give the opportunity to adjust strategic options.

A financial Plan

• Recommendation: Ensuring with a financial plan that sufficient means for transformative change are provided.

• Research for transformative change has to be financed (Sustainability Research, 2020)

• In addition, transformative implementation projects need to be enabled and supported financially.

• Therefore, we recommend federal coordinating bodies receive a budget to invest in holistic transformation.

Showing ways to overcome major blockages

• Examples: Agricultural policy and “how to bridge the gap between ecological awareness and behavioural change”

• The strategy could highlight the need for new democratic tools and social innovation to give greater weight to science-based targets in consensus-building.

No cherry-picking

• SDGs must be addressed holistically.

• It is astonishing that global health is not addressed as prime national interest during these times of the pandemic.

• Moreover, the biodiversity on protected land is with 17 percent more or less half of what is currently pledged internationally by 50 countries to tackle biodiversity crisis.

• Goal on inequality remains very vague compared to the SDG target

• SDGs 9,14 are not addressed. SDG’s 16, 17 not really addressed too despite their relevance for Switzerland.

General recommendations

• to further strengthen Swiss leadership and invest in this strategy. Moreover, according Swiss comparative advantage as a chance to tackle the current crisis and as a holistic response to the EU Green Deal and Biden’s 2 Trillion Climate Plan.

• Concretize the integration of systemic drivers and relevant actors

• include stakeholders in the development of the action plan.

We will stay in contact and continue working together as we see the need for a binding and inclusive strategy. A strategy paving the way for a joint Swiss action plan leading to the achievement of the UN SDGs as a fundamental basis for our future.

Presentations

https://youtu.be/Ur2JwWDH4Sc

Recommendations to strengthen Switzerland's 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy
by Carole Küng

Program

16:00 | Welcome & Introduction

• Océane Dayer, Founder and Vice President Swiss Youth for Climate

16:10 | How to reach the SDGs in Switzerland: Eight steps for designing 2030 Agenda Strategies

• Thomas Breu, Director Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, SDSN CH Leadership Council Member

16:20 | Recommendations to strengthen Switzerland's 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy​

• Carole Küng-Weber, Co-Director SDSN Switzerland

16:30 | Workshop & Discussion: Further developing key recommendations to strengthen the strategy together

• Jorge Tamayo, Co-Director SDSN Switzerland

• Introduction to workshop setting and table cloth on Mural

  Our focus today is on responding to questions 3 and 4 in the consultations response form

  (Question 3.: What is missing? and 4.: General comments)

• Written inputs by participants followed by a discussion (D/E/F)

  Please prepare your inputs in a written form.

17:15 | Wrap-up and Closure

• Carole Küng-Weber, Co-Director SDSN Switzerland

17:30 | End of the Event

At the invitation of SDSN Switzerland and several research institutes, a conference on illicit financial flows in commodity trading was held at the University of Bern. The results of two research projects were discussed with representatives from science, policy, industry and civil society, and courses of action were identified.

Media release (English) (pdf)

Media release (German) (pdf)

Societies still follow unsustainable pathways despite concrete action already proposed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. At this event, we
will discuss the role of science 30 years after ‘Rio’ and specific challenges and opportunities for research at the University of Zurich based on research priorities suggested by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences.

This event is co-organised by University of Zurich, SCNAT, and SDSN Switzerland. Please register here.

Program:

17:30 Opening and Introduction

LORENZ HILTY, Sustainability Delegate at UZH

17:40 Priority themes for Swiss sustainability research: Development and criteria

PETER EDWARDS, President, Sustainability Research Initiative, SCNAT

18:15 30 years after ‘Rio’: Non-sustainable development and the role of sustainability research

MARK HALLE, Principal, NatureFinance, former member of SDSN Switzerland's Leadership Council

19:00 Panel discussion: Ideas and requirements for sustainability research at the University of Zurich

OLIVER STRIJBIS, Dept. of Political Science, UZH

MARTINA EBERLE, Institute of Social Anthropology, University of Bern

INA SCHELLING, Student, Sustainability Committee, UZH

CORNELIA KRUG, Department of Evolutionary Biology
and Environmental Studies, UZH

20:00 End of discussion, followed by an apéro

21:00 End of event

Moderation: JEANNETTE BEHRINGER, Sustainable Development in Research and Teaching, University of Zurich, and GABRIELA WÜLSER, Head of Sustainability Research Initiative, Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT)

How can Switzerland's food system become more sustainable?

In the months leading up to the Food Systems Summit, this question was discussed intensively by both the scientific committee Food Future Switzerland and the participants of the Citizens' Assembly for Food Policy. At the Swiss Food System Summit, their recommendations were handed over to stakeholders and politicians. The proposals were also discussed with representatives of the value chain and politicians. Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin gave a speech at the start of the event.

The recording of the morning programme can be found here (German/French, no translation):

We are especially pleased to present the guide “Pathways to Switzerland’s Future of Food” by the scientific panel Food Future Switzerland (in German and French). It was handed over to politicians and stakeholders at the summit together with the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly for Food Policy (German/French/Italian) and discussed with them. We can also provide you with a summary of the guide (German/French).

Furthermore, here are the presentations of the summit.

Alljährlich setzt sich der Spirit of Bern zum Ziel, wichtige gesellschaftliche Themen breit und interdisziplinär zu beleuchten und zu diskutieren. Dieses Jahr geht es um das Thema «Ernährung – Probleme, Trends und Innovationen». Nach einer Begrüssung durch Bundesrat Guy Parmelin geben unter anderem Lukas Fesenfeld und weitere Mitglieder des
wissenschaftlichen Gremiums Ernährungszukunft Schweiz inhaltliche Inputs. Zudem gibt es eine Paneldiskussion mit Carole Küng, Co-Direktorin SDSN Schweiz, zur Transformation der Landwirtschaft.

Programm und Anmeldung

Eine zukunftsfähige Ernährung erfordert ein nachhaltiges Ernährungssystem, das sozial gerecht ist, ausreichend gesunde Lebensmittel liefert und die Ernährungssicherheit gewährleistet. Mit dem Leitfaden Ernährungszukunft Schweiz hat ein wissenschaftliches Gremium aus 42 Forschenden einen Weg zu diesem Ziel vorgeschlagen. Die Schweizer Politik soll die Massnahmen bis 2030 umsetzen. Nebst anderen Referenten und Referentinnen, gibt uns Carole Küng, Co-Direktorin SDSN Schweiz, eine Übersicht über die Ernährungszukunft in der Schweiz.

Anmeldung /
Programm

The focus of this conference is on Education for Sustainable Development. It focuses on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching and learning approaches. You will be able to develop your knowledge on how to integrate sustainable development themes, perspectives, mindsets and learning methods into courses. The goal is to promote knowledge, understanding, and competencies for sustainable development, as well as transformative learning theory, which encourages reflection on  values, attitudes, thought patterns, and emotions.

Join us for an exciting conference!
Registration

Um die weltweite Bevölkerung langfristig zu ernähren, bedarf es einer Landwirtschaft, die für sämtliche Altersklassen, insbesondere die jüngere Generation, attraktiv sowie ökologisch und sozial verträglich ist. Das Ziel muss es sein, die steigende Weltbevölkerung mit hochwertiger, erschwinglicher Nahrung zu versorgen und gleichzeitig Umwelt und das Klima langfristig zu schützen. Carole Küng, Co-Direktorin SDSN Schweiz, hält hierzu einen Vortrag mit dem Titel «Interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit für eine nachhaltige Lebensmittelversorgung».

Wo stehen wir global und in der Schweiz hinsichtlich der Erreichung der UN SDGs? Diskutieren Sie im «Sustainable Finance Talk» an der FHNW oder online mit Carole Küng-Weber, Co-Direktorin SDSN Switzerland.

Anmeldung via FHNW

DIALOG2030 meets SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE FORUM

How should and can science participate in shaping a sustainable future? What form can effective cooperation between politics, administration and science take in order to achieve the SDGs, and to what extent should the roles of these actors interlock?

The event will explore these and other questions. It combines the "Dialogue 2030" of the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) with the "Sustainability Science Forum" of the Initiative for Sustainability Research of SCNAT.

We are happy to be a co-organizer of this event and look forward to exciting keynotes and presentations, among others the presentation on food systems of SDSN Co-Director Carole Küng-Weber.

Please refer to the official website for additional information, where you can also find the complete program. You can register until the 5. November through this link .

The event will be held tri-lingual and simultaneous translations will be available.

We hope to see you there!

On Thursday 23. November, B-Lab will hold its annual Impact Forum Event. This year, the focus will be of impactful change to achieve the Agenda 2030.

The SWISS IMPACT FORUM is an annual forum on regenerative economy and systemic change, supported by the Swiss Confederation and various business partners. It connects the entire B Lab ecosystem, our partner organizations, as well as inspiring experts, and provides national visibility to Swiss business actors who are committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

This year's forum promises collaborations on policy change, that enables businesses to increase their impact. During the day, you have the chance to take part in dynamic breakout sessions and workshops designed to demonstrate the most effective methods for developing a sustainability strategy.

Carole Küng, Co-Director of SDSN Switzerland, will be part of the panel "Food for the Future", where she will talk about the importance of the planetary health diet to achieve sustainable foodsystems. We look forward to an insightful panel discussion with Philippe Aeschlimann (Danone) and Judith Wemmer (Planted).

Please register through the website.

On 19 June 2024, SDSN Switzerland and the Institute for Economy and the Environment at the University of St. Gallen (IWÖ-HSG) hosted a conference on regenerative economy. The conference was supported by B-LAB Switzerland, the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland, and Purpose Schweiz as partners.

"We should not run companies for shareholders, we should run companies for stakeholders", said André Hoffmann, vice-chairman of Roche, in his keynote speech. Furthermore, he pointed out the importance of finding ways to measure social and nature capital. "We have to put a price to nature. We use it because it’s for free."

André Hoffmann on the response of global leaders to the need for urgent transformation:

Judith Walls, Director of the Institute for Economy and the Environment, University of St. Gallen, explained that the current understanding of sustainability is no longer sufficient to avert the crises. "It’s not about mitigation anymore, is really about regeneration." In a white paper, her research group makes an initial proposal for the definition of the term regenerative economy.

Carole Küng, Jorge Tamayo (SDSN Switzerland), Judith Walls, Kerrigan Unter and Leo Luca Vogel (University of St. Gallen) (from left) presenting their new White Paper. (Photo: Caroline Krajcir)

Judith Walls and Kerrigan Unter, University of St. Gallen, on achieving regenerativity:

In our Co-Creation Labs, impactful leaders, visionary thinkers, leading scientists, and personalities from thriving companies met for mutual learning and inspiration. Find the full list of input speakers in our programme.

Philipp Scharfenberger (University of St. Gallen), Fanny Frei (VBZ), Thomas Hug (urbanista.ch), Daniel Wiener (Cargo Sous Terrain / GIB) (from left). (Photo: Caroline Krajcir)

Christian Kägi, Co-Founder of Qwstion, on using regeneratively grown resources:

The conference concluded with a panel discussion, where Sarah Dubreil (founder circl.earth and researcher at HEC Paris), Simon Berkler (co-founder TheDive), and Stephan Hankammer (professor at Alanus University) talked about inspiring regenerative approaches from Germany and France.

Simon Berkler, Sarah Dubreil, and Stephan Hankammer. (Photo: Caroline Krajcir)

Stephan Hankammer on companies benefitting from regenereative economy:

SDSN Switzerland's co-directors Jorge Tamayo and Carole Küng on the urgency of a shift towards a regenerative economy: