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ABOUT THIS EVENT

Convenience and low cost of plastic have turned it into an integral part of the modern economy, as well as into one of the major environmental challenges of 21st century, causing damage to human health, ecosystems and climate. OECD predicts that continued business as usual would triple the amount of plastics used by 2060, equally tripling the amount of plastic waste, with only one-fifth of this amount being recycled and half of that landing in the landfills, yet allowing almost 44 million tonnes of plastic to leak to the environment. Yet there’s hope - Breaking the Plastic Wave by The Pew Charitable Trusts and its partners shows that its possible to cut annual flows of plastic into the ocean by about 80% in the next 20 years by applying existing solutions and technologies.

While collective multilateral efforts to take action to reduce the production and consumption of plastics are only now taking off in the INC negotiations and BRS conventions, individual actions have already been taken by many economies that have recognized how unsustainable the current situation is. This event looked closer at the existing trade-related measures to reduce plastic pollution, targeted plastics, plastic products and materials, as well as asked questions on possible immediate next steps that WTO members could take.
 

AGENDA

13:00-13:30

• Lunch

13:30-13:35

• Introduction
• Moderator: Alice Tipping, Director, Trade and Sustainable Development, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

13:35-13:50

• Trade policy measures employed in the fight against plastic pollution: what do we know?
• Speaker: Ieva Baršauskaitė, Senior Policy Advisor, IISD
• IISD will investigate the ways trade and trade-related measures are being used to reduce plastic pollution, zooming in onto the targeted products and materials, types of measures used and WTO members who have such measures in place.

13.50-14.05

• Trade policy in the context of broader efforts to fight plastic pollution.
• Speaker: Rachel Karasik, Senior Policy Associate, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, & Sustainability at Duke University
• Duke University will provide a comparison of the information provided by and available to the WTO members on trade-related measures to the global landscape of plastics policies assessed through the Plastics Policy Inventory. This analysis will provide evidence of the diversity of policy instruments available to address plastic pollution. 

14.05-14.20

• Where next: setting priorities going forward
• Speaker: Megan Jungwiwattanaporn, Officer, Environment, The Pew Charitable Trusts
• The Pew Charitable Trusts will reflect on possible priorities going forward for the governments considering next steps, including the role of trade policy in such actions.

14.20-14.50

• Questions and answers
   

BACKGROUND

The Think2030 Dialogue Sweden 2023 will gather decision-makers and analysts from policy, business and research across Europe to debate the key sustainability issues at stake for EU policy.

Countries are attempting to decrease their climate-changing emissions, while facing the immediate and removed effects of wars, economic downturns, increasing impacts of climate change, and growing challenges to accessing food, natural resources and energy. They are doing so despite the changing geopolitical situation and the global arena, while working with clear frustration regarding responsibility and fairness in managing climate adaptation and a fair and just climate transition.

Despite facing other challenges, governments are responding to the urgency of the climate crisis, which requires immediate action to reduce carbon emissions and stop the effects of climate change. Development is in progress of trade policy tools that support climate ambitions and address the challenges of international competition. The design of these regulatory frameworks requires a balance between protecting the environment, stimulating a sustainable transition of industries, and safeguarding global relationships and supply chains.

One of these tools in the EU’s Green Deal is the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The mechanism is criticized by countries that think it entails unfair costs for producers in countries that are not responsible for the climate crisis.

ABOUT THE EVENT

This session aims to generate discussion around the following key questions:

• How should international environmental and climate work be kept alive in times of war and crisis?
• How does the geopolitical situation affect the climate transition in various parts of the world?
• What are the advantages and challenges of the CBAM and other trade policy tools for reducing emissions? 
• How can policies be drawn up in such a way that they avoid heightening the geopolitical tensions?
• What other measures are necessary to tackle the global climate challenges, and how are the political tensions addressed?
• How can the EU contribute to increasing the global sustainability standard through supply chains, policies and trade? 
• How can the EU contribute to a fair climate transition in a global perspective?

AGENDA SESSION 2

Keynote Speakers

• Henrik Carlsen, Senior Research Fellow SEI and Co-Director, Mistra Geopolitics
• Ieva Baršauskaitė, Senior Policy Advisor, IISD

Policy Panel

• Rashid S. Kaukab, International Trade, Development and Environment Expert
• Marc Vanheukelen, former EU Ambassador Climate Diplomacy, former EU Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, WTO
• Helena Hansson, Professor of Agricultural and Food Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Programme Director, Mistra Food Futures

Q&A – open to audience

Moderators

• Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Interim Co-President and Co-CEO, Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe, IISD
• Anna Jöborn, CEO, Mistra

Closing  remarks - Rapporteur

• Antoine Oger, Head of programme, Global Challenges and SDGs, IEEP 

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to fulfill a bold commitment: to create a world where people and the planet thrive. The Institute champions sustainable development around the world through innovation, partnerships, research and communications.

The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra) plays an active part in meeting some of the world's major challenges associated with the environment, the human use of natural resources and the impact this has on our surroundings. The Foundation do it by investing in research that brings sustainable development to society.

Just over a year ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine that has resulted in a devastating loss of life and catastrophic damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and environment. A joint assessment by the Ukraine government, the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank estimated the cost of reconstruction and recovery across social, productive and infrastructure sectors in Ukraine to be USD 411 billion. The Ukrainian government previously estimated the full cost for post-war reconstruction at nearly USD 750 billion.

WATCH HERE

ABOUT THE EVENT

At this panel, organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and Rise Ukraine Coalition, attendees heard insights from both Ukrainian and international experts as they discussed how to achieve a sustainable, resilient and equitable recovery, whilst also addressing the country’s ongoing challenges. In particular, the panelists considered the role sustainability should play in Ukraine’s recovery plan and the implications this might have on the country’s development and possible accession to the EU.

• Why should Ukraine and the sustainability community focus on recovery now? 
• What are the Ukraine government’s recovery priorities? 
• What opportunities and challenges does Ukraine face if it adopts a sustainability-focused recovery? 
• How can the global community help rebuild a sustainable and resilient Ukraine and support its path toward EU membership? 

SPEAKERS  

• Oleksiy Ryabchyn, Strategic Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister for the European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine 

• Tanel Tang, Team Leader, Inter-Institutional, Coordination of Relief and Reconstruction Unit, Ukraine Service, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission 

• Vladyslav Rashkovan, Alternate Executive Director, International Monetary Fund 

• Svitlana Kolomiiets, Coordinator of the Capacity Building Office, State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine 

• Svyatoslav Pavlyuk, Executive Director, Association “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine” 

• Anna Ackermann, Policy Analyst, Green Reconstruction of Ukraine, IISD, Board member of Centre for Environmental Initiatives “Ecoaction” 

MODERATOR

• Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Interim Co-President and Co-CEO, Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe

The International Institute for Sustainable Development is an award-winning independent think tank working to fulfill a bold commitment: to create a world where people and the planet thrive. The Institute champions sustainable development around the world through innovation, partnerships, research and communications.

RISE Ukraine is a coalition of Ukrainian and international public organizations, initiatives, state institutions and activists who support the Principles for Ukraine’s Reconstruction and Modernization through constructive dialogue with the authorities and international partners.

Additionally, sustainable agrifood systems can not only provide sufficient, healthy, and balanced food to the population and have a direct impact on food and nutrition security, but also contribute to creating sustainable employment and livelihoods and to preserving the planet’s biodiversity and natural resources. Agrifood systems transformation is a fundamental prerequisite for wider sustainable development transformations and for the ultimate achievement of the SDGs. 

Against this backdrop, local authorities are gaining increasing importance in building the resilience of local communities, which includes being prepared for crises, as a prerequisite for SDG acceleration, as well as in creating momentum and enabling environment for local level actions needed to build people centered and inclusive sustainable food systems. A number of initiatives and networks are in place at sub-national and local/municipal level to strengthen the work on sustainable food systems, promoting a more holistic and multidisciplinary approach. The side event will explore some promising initiatives and projects in the ECA region, shedding light on key issues related to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), 13 (Climate action) and 15 (Life on land) and their interconnectedness.

The aim of this side event at the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region is to provide a platform to discuss individual and collective actions, policies, investments and programmes needed at sub-national level to advance the achievement of SDG 2, 13 and 15, in the context of agrifood systems transformation.

The event will explore why agrifood systems transformation is considered an SDG accelerator, looking particularly at the synergies and trade-offs among sustainable agricultural production, climate change, sustainable use of ecosystems, and halting biodiversity loss and land degradation.

Presenters will share knowledge and tools to support local governments, municipalities and other relevant stakeholders in SDG achievement. In particular, Voluntary Local Reviews will be presented as a key local initiative to monitor and report on the progress made on SDG implementation at local level, keeping momentum and commitment of local authorities on the 2030 Agenda. FAO/UNDP Guidelines to support subnational development planning and budgeting, produced in close cooperation with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), will be presented as a practical tool to guide SDG integration at subnational level and facilitate synergies among sectors.

The event will also offer an opportunity to reflect on the immediate actions needed at sub-national level to promote agrifood systems transformation in the context of SDG 2,13 and 15, by showcasing key initiatives implemented by local governments and other relevant actors in ECA in support of agrifood systems transformation. In particular, the discussions will address issues including greening agricultural value chains and reduced use of chemicals, knowledge sharing on agroecology practices and farmers seed systems, and alignment of sub-national strategies to SDGs.

Lead organizers: FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub 
Contributor: International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
Focal points: Valeria Rocca ([email protected]) and Elena Danilova-Cross ([email protected])

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In this final session on water in our NBI Deep Dive series, we demonstrate the benefits of forest restoration through a case study on the Brantas River basin in Indonesia. Here, deforestation for agriculture has led to increased soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and decreased water retention. These impacts have made floods more severe, reduced groundwater recharge, and exacerbated water scarcity in the dry season. The project aims to restore the degraded land and improve water management in the Brantas River catchment—for example, by establishing upstream agroforestry systems and constructing wells and biopori holes to increase water absorption.

In this webinar, we take you step-by-step through the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of forest restoration in the Brantas River basin. The assessment quantified the ecosystem services and economic impacts of the planned reforestation and water retention wells. We explain how we developed a causal loop diagram and spreadsheet-based model, how we integrated climate data and results from spatial modelling, and how we calculated financial indicators for the project. Taking all these elements into account, we conclude with an integrated cost-benefit analysis of the interventions and explain how stakeholders can use the results.

SPEAKER

• Emma Cutler
  System Dynamics Analyst for Economic Law and Policy, IISD

MODERATOR

• Ronja Bechauf
  Policy Analyst for Economic Law and Policy, IISD

About the NBI Deep Dive Series

This series will focus on the technical aspects of our Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, providing in-depth explanations of our process as well as applied examples in the form of case studies. The first three sessions will feature Nature-based Infrastructure (NBI) projects that address water-related challenges, alongside the UN 2023 Water Conference.

We will look at systems modelling, spatial modelling, and financial modelling of various case studies to give the method context and explain its practical application.

These sessions are intended as a further building block from our training sessions, providing technical depth on the methods of assessing the value of specific NBI projects. We also hope to raise awareness on the importance of integrated assessments and scenario analysis, valuing all social, economic and environmental risks and opportunities for NBI projects.

Nature-based infrastructure (NBI), such as sand dunes and mangroves, provides cost-effective infrastructure services while also delivering a wealth of economic, social and environmental co-benefits. Despite these benefits, we do not see NBI deployed at the scale needed to adapt to increasing climate impacts and meet global needs for water infrastructure. Integrated valuations and scenario analysis prove to be a key tool for helping investors, planners and policy-makers make informed decisions about investing in nature-based and conventional grey infrastructure.

In the first webinar of the NBI Deep Dive series, we explain our Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, which uses a combination of system dynamics and spatial modelling, climate data, and financial analysis to assess the environmental, social, and economic performance of infrastructure assets. We use case studies of mangrove restoration in Indonesia and natural stormwater solutions in Johannesburg, South Africa.

SPEAKER

• Emma Cutler
  System Dynamics Analyst for Economic Law and Policy, IISD

MODERATOR

• Liesbeth Casier
  Lead, Public Procurement and Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Coordinator of the NBI Global Resource Centre

Watch the event here:

About the NBI Deep Dive Series

This series will focus on the technical aspects of our Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, providing in-depth explanations of our process as well as applied examples in the form of case studies. The first three sessions will feature Nature-based Infrastructure (NBI) projects that address water-related challenges, alongside the UN Conference on Water.

We will look at systems modelling, spatial modelling, and financial modelling of various case studies to give the method context and explain its practical application.

These sessions are intended as a further building block from our training sessions, providing technical depth on the methods of assessing the value of specific NBI projects. We also hope to raise awareness on the importance of integrated assessments and scenario analysis, valuing all social, economic and environmental risks and opportunities for NBI projects.

In the second session of our NBI Deep Dive series, we focused on a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) case study of wetland restoration in La Mojana, Colombia. The region’s complex wetland ecosystem is under pressure from population growth and climate change. Local communities face devastating floods as well as increasing water scarcity, putting their livelihoods in fishing and agriculture at risk. Planners and policy-makers are therefore considering different infrastructure options to mitigate flood risks and improve the water management in La Mojana, such as restoring wetlands, rehabilitating indigenous drainage channels, and building dikes along rivers.

In this webinar, we went step-by-step through the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) for infrastructure options in La Mojana. We explained how creating a causal loop diagram helped us identify the socioeconomic and environmental factors at play, and how we used this as a blueprint for the mathematical system dynamics model. We also explained the use of climate data, spatial models and financial analysis.  Taking all these elements into account, we concluded with the integrated cost-benefit analysis for the infrastructure options and explain how stakeholders can use the results.

SPEAKER

• Georg Pallaske
  Associate, IISD and Project Manager at KnowlEdge Srl

MODERATOR

• Liesbeth Casier
  Lead, Public Procurement and Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Coordinator of the NBI Global Resource Centre

You can watch the recording here.

About the NBI Deep Dive Series

This series will focus on the technical aspects of our Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, providing in-depth explanations of our process as well as applied examples in the form of case studies. The first three sessions will feature Nature-based Infrastructure (NBI) projects that address water-related challenges, alongside the UN Conference on Water.

We will look at systems modelling, spatial modelling, and financial modelling of various case studies to give the method context and explain its practical application.

These sessions are intended as a further building block from our training sessions, providing technical depth on the methods of assessing the value of specific NBI projects. We also hope to raise awareness on the importance of integrated assessments and scenario analysis, valuing all social, economic and environmental risks and opportunities for NBI projects.

The UN Secretary-General calls the SDG Summit in September the “centerpiece moment of 2023.” It takes place at the mid-point of implementing the development agenda adopted by countries in 2015: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This outcome has given the international community a dynamic blueprint for addressing multiple challenges in an integrated manner.

At the same time, the decision that called for the negotiation of the SDGs sparked additional actions that also bolstered sustainable development progress. The Rio+20 outcome was heralded as historic and forward-looking. Without that decision, we would not have the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. Voluntary National Reviews would not be prepared by over 40 countries per year, opening each presenting country to international scrutiny for their sustainable development efforts. Re-examining where the SDGs came from will reinforce the foundation that the SDG Summit’s ambitions are built upon. The Future We Want also addresses issues that are not explicitly covered in the SDGs; these ideas merit review in light of the recent challenging years.

The webinar features speakers who were central to the negotiation of the Rio+20 outcome. While celebrating the 10th anniversary of that event, the webinar's focus is on how The Future We Want can contribute to the SDG Summit outcomes.

Keynote Speakers

Paula Caballero, Regional Managing Director, Latin America, The Nature Conservancy

Paula Caballero is widely recognized as the lead proponent of the SDGs, which she conceptualized, positioned, and negotiated while serving as Director for Economic, Social, and Environmental Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. She also led the agreement to create a technical, science-based group to develop the SDGs, which broke completely with UN tradition and made it possible to negotiate a framework with concrete, implementable targets. The SDGs have changed how we understand and view development, proposing for the first time a truly universal agenda without the artifice of the distinction between “developed and developing” countries. The SDGs are a revolution in responsibility, enabling not just governments but also other stakeholders to engage meaningfully. For this work, she was awarded the German Sustainability Award in 2019 and the Zayed International Prize for the Environment in 2014 for her contributions to “environmental action leading to positive change.”

Farrukh Khan, Director General (Economic Coordination, Economic Diplomacy & OIC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan

Farrukh Khan was a senior member of the then-UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Climate team. He led global negotiations on the adoption of the SDGs, establishing the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund, promoting carbon footprinting, and incubating several market-led voluntary solutions by the financial sector to manage climate risks.

Irena Zubcevic, Director, Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future

Irena Zubcevic has worked for over 20 years in the area of sustainable development, both as part of the Croatian foreign service (from 1993 to 2007) and at the United Nations Secretariat (2008–July 2022), and has contributed to a number of reports and papers in the area of sustainable development. She has supported the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) since its inception. She has also supported countries in preparing their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) since their beginning in 2016. In her work, Irena has worked with stakeholders of all kinds, from governments to civil society, business, academia, and others, facilitating their participation in the HLPF and other intergovernmental processes.

Dr. Marianne Beisheim, Senior Associate at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), the German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Dr. Marianne Beisheim has a focus on sustainable development governance. She is an expert on the follow-up and review processes on the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Among other things, she is a member of the UN-Political Advisory Board of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Leadership Council of SDSN Germany, and the Research Council of the United Nations Association Germany.

A new study finds that it is possible to achieve sustainable food system transformation in the next decade in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Nigeria—by increasing public investment by USD 10 billion per year on average from 2023–2030 and through a more effective portfolio of interventions that achieve multiple outcomes. 

In one of the most ambitious efforts to date, researchers from IFPRI and IISD, closely engaged with the government, donors, and stakeholders in each country, synthesized the evidence base and then applied sophisticated macro- and micro-economic modelling techniques to identify pathways to provide affordable and healthy diets to all people in an environmentally sustainable way. The report finds that the biggest wins would come from investing in sustainable livestock production and reducing food loss and waste. Just over half of the USD 10 billion needed per year must come from donors.

Join IISD, IFPRI, and the Shamba Centre for Food and Climate for a webinar on March 16 to learn more about the findings. 

Agenda and Speakers

• Introduction

  • Sean Woolfrey, Senior Advisor and Research Coordinator, IISD

• Presentation of the report: Evidence-based and costed deep dives for achieving sustainable food systems

  • Francine Picard, Co-Founder, Director of Partnerships, Shamba Centre for Food and Climate

  • Alan de Brauw, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

  • Livia Bizikova, Lead II, Monitoring and Governance, Tracking Progress, IISD

  • Carin Smaller, Co-Founder, Executive Director, Shamba Centre for Food and Climate

• Reactions: From evidence to action

  • Doshanie Kadokera, Economist, Malawi

  • Willem Olthof, Sustainable Agri-food Systems and Fisheries, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, the European Commission

  • Kathrin Weny, Senior Policy Officer, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Moderator

• Valeria Piñeiro, Acting Head of the Latin American Region and Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI

*Para consultar los detalles del evento en español, haga clic en el enlace "Read in: Spanish" en la parte superior de la página.

Gas dependency, in its various forms, is a common issue faced by most countries in the Latin American (LATAM) region. This dependency has important implications for current energy decisions and future prospects for the energy transition. This webinar unpacks key findings from IISD’s recent report on 1.5°C-aligned energy scenarios and discusses their implications for the LATAM region with a particular focus on what these mean for gas production and imports.

Energy scenarios have a key role to play in guiding the needed transformation of the energy system to meet the 1.5°C temperature increase limit under the Paris Agreement by influencing investor expectations and decision making by policy-makers. The IISD Navigating Energy Transitions report conducts an unprecedented analysis of the most influential modelled pathways consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C. The research shows a high level of agreement among these scenarios with implications for the phase-out of oil and gas and the ramp-up of clean energy deployment and investment.

The webinar presents key findings from IISD’s report as a starting point for a discussion focused on the various roles that gas plays in some of the LATAM region’s countries and its prospects in the region’s future energy transition. To this end, panellists from different countries in the LATAM region provide an overview of the roles that gas currently plays in their national contexts and of the opportunities and barriers to phasing out gas dependency in favour of cleaner energy sources.

Agenda

Introduction

Diego di Risio, Global Gas and Oil Network

Presentation of Navigating Energy Transition Report Findings

Angela Picciariello, Senior Researcher, International Institute for Sustainable Development

Speaker Interventions

Luis Fernando Pérez Macías, Associate Researcher, National Council of Science and Technology

Ariel Slipak, Research Coordinator, Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN)

Pablo Solón, Researcher and Activist, Director of the Fundación Solón

Panel Discussion

Q&A

Closing Remarks