Times of Crisis, Times of Change: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at half-time

23 January 2024, 6.00 – 8.00 pm

WU Wien, Festsaal 2 (LC.0.200), Library Center (Welthandelsplatz 2, 1020 Wien)

When the global community adopted the 2030 Agenda in September 2015, they committed to “Transforming our World” for people, planet and prosperity. Despite impressive engagement around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is far off track. Much more effort, investment and systemic change are required. The COVID-19 pandemic, rising conflicts and a global cost-of-living crisis have compounded the already relentless and inequitable effects of climate change, and undermined the pledge to leave no one behind. The 2023 UN Global Sustainable Development Report helps to shine new light on transformative processes and practices that can help move the world from commitment to action, and from declaration to delivery. In the public event the co-chair of the scientific panel writing the report, Professor Imme Scholz, will present its main findings and in conversation with a distinguished panel of experts and policy-makers outline opportunities for critical social science to help achieve the SDGs.

18.00    Welcome Address

Vice-Rector Harald Badinger, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien

Simon Ilse, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Vienna

18.15     Keynote: Times of Crisis, Times of Change: Science for Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Development. Lessons from the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023

Imme Scholz, President of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (Berlin), and Co-Chair of the Independent Group of Scientists 2023, responsible for the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023

19.00 – Panel discussion: Political priorities for achieving the SDGs until 2030

Panelists:

• Imme Scholz, President of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (Berlin) (confirmed)

• Johannes Rauch, Federal Minister of the Republic of Austria for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer protection (confirmed)

• Sigrid Stagl, Professor and Head of the Institute for Ecological Economics, WU Wien (confirmed)

Moderation: Werner Raza (ÖFSE)

20:00 – End of conference/wine reception

Organizers: ÖFSE, Institute for Ecological Economics (WU), Heinrich Böll Stiftung

Speakers:

Imme Scholz is Co-President of the Heinrich Böll Foundation and former Deputy Director of the German Development Institute (DIE; now IDOS – German Institute of Development and Sustainability). She is also Honorary Professor of the Centre for Ethics and Responsibility at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. Dr Scholz holds a doctorate in sociology from the Freie Universität Berlin. At DIE, Dr Scholz was very active at the science-policy interface, within the T20, the European Think Tanks Group, in policy dialogues with China on sustainable development and in the sustainable development community. She was a member of the German Sustainability Council for nine years and of the German Committee Future Earth (DKN Future Earth). Currently, she is a member of the extended steering committee of SDSN Germany and of the Bioeconomy Council.

Johannes Rauch is Federal Minister of the Republic of Austria for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer protection since March 2022. From October 2014 to March 2022, he was Member of the Government of Vorarlberg, and from 2004 to 2014 he was the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of the Green Party in Vorarlberg. Mr Rauch is a qualified social worker by profession and has worked in various positions related to social work and employment during his career.

Sigrid Stagl is Professor of Environmental Economics & Policy at WU, the Vienna University of Economics and Business where she is the founder of the Institute for Ecological Economics. She is currently Head of the Institute for Ecological Economics and Director of the Competence Centre STaR, Sustainability Transformation and Responsibility. Her work addresses societal challenges such as the climate crisis, environmental problems and inequality.  She holds a PhD in Ecological Economics from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy/New York). Dr Stagl has published extensively in academic journals, and also serves as an advisor and regular media commentator.