Luis Gomez-Echeverri - Senior Research Scholar, Transition to New Technologies (TNT) Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

1. ISCN 2016
Leadership for a Sustainable Future
Higher Education’s Contribution to
Actionable Sustainable Development
Goals
Luis Gomez-Echeverri
Senior Research Scholar
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

2. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
A Major Achievement
Source:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

3. THE KNOWLEDGE GAP
• SDGs (and Paris Agreement) resulted partly from a recognition that the
current system is not delivering on key major outcomes despite major
global efforts (e.g. poverty eradication, climate change, equity, food
security, energy for all) –
– 2.9 billion people are without access to clean energy and 1.1 billion without electricity
– 1.2 billion people are still living in extreme poverty
– 783 million people have inadequate access to safe freshwater.
– Global temperature change is likely to exceed 1.5 degree Celsius by the end of
century
– By 2030, the world’s population will have increased by one billion and by 2050 with
estimated new consumers
• What is required is a major transformation - SDGs are meant to help bring
this transformation - but the knowledge gap on what this transformation
entails is immense - an important role for universities to help in this regard

4. SYNERGIES AND TRADEOFFS BETWEEN AND
AMONG SDGs
• The implementation challenge: Success will depend on integrated
approaches and solutions that bring several goals together - but will the
institutional and governance fragmentation be an obstacle?
• The inter-linkage challenge - how the SDGs relate and link to one another –
the inter-linkages between the economy, technology, environment – and
the potential tradeoffs and synergies are really not well understood – major
inter-disciplinary research and teaching required
• Universities could play an important role in bringing an inter-disciplinary
perspective and analysis as well as in providing a platform for partnerships
among several stakeholders including public, private and non-
governmental - and including inter-disciplinary research and techning

5. Framework for Examining Interactions among SDG
Source: Waage et al. 2015 The Lancet

6. Goals most closely linked to Energy
Goal
SDG7-
Affordable &
Clean
Energy
SDG2-
Food
security
SDG3-
human
health
SDG11-
resilient
cities
SDG13-
Climate
changeSDG6-
Water
&
Sanitation
SDG1-
Poverty
eradication

8. Goals most closely linked to Water
Goal
SDG6-
Water and
sanitation
SDG2-
Food
security
SDG3-
human
health
SDG11-
resilient
cities
SDG15-
Ecosystem
and
biodiversity
SDG12-
Sustainable
consumption
and
production
SDG7-
Energy
security

9. Complexity in quantitative analysis of trade
offs – e.g., The WEF nexus
Integratedanalysisof
WEFandcost/benefitbalanceswith
considerationofclimatechange
-Water needs for food, fiber
and fodder crops
(rain-fed and irrigated)
-Water for biofuel crops
(rain-fed and irrigated)
-Energy for water
processing and treatment
-Energy for water pumping
-Energy for desalination
-Water available for hydropower
-Water for power plant cooling
-Water for (bio)fuel processing
-Energy for fertilizer
production
-Energy required for agricultural
activities
-Biomass for biofuel feedstock
and other energy uses
Land-use &
food system
Water
Energy
Modified based on Howells et al., 2013. Integrated analysis of climate change, land use,
energy and water strategies. Nature Climate Change. Source: eawag aquatic research

12. Synergies are everywhere...
”If gender gaps, in participation, hours
worked and productivity were all bridged,
the world economy would be $28.4 trillion
(26%) richer”
(McKinsey Global Institute)

13. 13
IIASA RESEARCH FRAMEWORK

14. Thank you
For further information:
http://www.iiasa.ac.at
gomez@iiasa.ac.at