In 2015, the United Nations established 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) for member nations to reach by 2030, such as taking urgent steps to combat climate change and using clean energy. Then came COVID-19.
The pandemic shifted countries’ priorities from sustainability to survival, but the United Nations’ (UN) high-level political forum on sustainable development is bringing together scientists, policymakers and leaders to address the pandemic’s impact on progress toward the SDGs and discuss practical ways to get on track for the 2030 deadline.
Irena Creed, vice-principal, research and innovation at U of T Scarborough, is at the United Nations’ (UN) headquarters in New York as a member of the Canadian delegation. She is attending meetings to write a report for the Canadian government, and is supporting a side event on water diplomacy.
U of T Scarborough’s commitment to the SDGs manifests across the campus, including in the recently established SDG Scholars Academy, part of the Institutes for Resilient and Inclusive Societies and Ecosystems (iRISE). iRISE, the SDG Academy and the UN forum share a core goal — to gather experts in the pursuit of actionable solutions that advance progress toward the SDGs.