Page - 3 - in options, Volume winter 2019

DEEP TRANSFORMATIONS REQUIRED PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE LAND AND FOOD CITIZEN SCIENCE FOR THE SDGS The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for major global changes that require complementary actions by governments, civil society, science, and business. IIASA researchers working on The World in 2050 initiative showed that achieving these ambitious goals would require at least six major transformations— providing an integrated and holistic framework for action that reduces the complexity. www.iiasa.ac.at/news/SDGs- transformations-19 A transition towards integrated land use and food systems will require efficient and resilient agricultural systems, conservation and restoration of biodiversity, and food security and healthy diets, according to a report by the IIASA-led Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land, and Energy (FABLE) Consortium —the first from the recently established project. www.iiasa.ac.at/news/FABLE-19 Citizen science could hold the key to filling data gaps on the SDGs. An IIASA study shows ways that citizen science data is already being used for SDG progress monitoring, potential areas that citizen science projects could contribute, and provides a roadmap to increase the use of citizen science data in areas where data is scarce or unavailable. www.iiasa.ac.at/news/SDGs- CitizenScience-19 News in brief By Katherine Leitzell Science for sustainable development The Sustainable Development Goals provide a roadmap for future pathways in the field of social and economic development as well as environment and climate change. Unlike the earlier Millennium Development Goals, they apply to all countries. To assess progress and address possible new challenges, the UN member states commission quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Reports by a group of 15 independent scientists. The fully independent and non-negotiated nature of these reports mark a new step for the UN. In September, a panel that includes IIASA World Population Program Director Wolfgang Lutz, released the Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 titled, The future is now: Science for achieving sustainable development. A summary of findings was also published in the journal Nature Sustainability. The report finds that achieving the SDG targets for 2030 is still possible, but only if there are fundamental changes in inequality, consumption, and environmental protection, involving all levels of society. The authors identify 20 key actions that could turn the tide to generate progress on multiple goals. For example, the report argues that universal access to quality basic services — healthcare, education, water and sanitation, housing, and social protection — is a necessary prerequisite for other goals. In addition, the authors point to food and energy systems as two key sectors that are pushing the world towards environmental tipping points. The report also makes a case for more integrative science that crosses disciplinary boundaries while informing policymakers. “Commissioning such a high-level report by a fully independent group of scientists clearly strengthens the role of science in the UN system. The report makes a strong case for the strengthening of sustainability science, that is, the interdisciplinary and systemic study of the key challenges facing humanity. In this field IIASA has a lot to contribute,” says Lutz. Further info: www.iiasa.ac.at/news/GSDR-19 pure.iiasa.ac.at/16080 Wolfgang Lutz: lutz@iiasa.ac.at 3Optionswww.iiasa.ac.at Winter 2019/20