IAU at the UN HLPF 2024
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) was held from Monday, 8 July, to Wednesday, 17 July 2024 under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. This included the three-day ministerial segment of the forum from Monday, 15 July, to Wednesday, 17 July 2024 as part of the High-level Segment of the Council. The last day of the High-level Segment of ECOSOC was on Thursday, 18 July 2024.
The theme 2024 was "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”.
The HLPF in 2024, without prejudice to the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Sustainable Development Goals, reviewed in-depth: Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere; Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels; and Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
The HLPF in July 2024 followed the 2023 SDG Summit convened under the auspices of the General Assembly in September 2023. The 2024 HLPF supports the implementation of the Political Declaration and other outcomes of the SDG Summit for advancing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
The full programme and all side events can be found here. HLPF Special Events (including the online SDGs Training Workshops curated by UN DESA) can be found here.
IAU at the HLPF - statement on Air Pollution and SDG 13 by University of Bergen research lead
On 8 July, the opening day of the 2024 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) for Sustainable Development at the United Nations, Associate Professor Kerry Ryan Chance from the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen and principal investigator of the Habitable Air research project spoke in the second plenary session, representing both EASG and the IAU.
Read a full transcript of the speech during the session “Science, technology and innovation: Triggering transformation and sustaining science-driven solutions” and find the recording of the session here.
Associate Professor Kerry Ryan Chance from the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen and principal investigator of the Habitable Air research project spoke in the second plenary session on 8 July 2024, representing EASG and the IAU.
Events for Higher Education at the UN HLPF 2024
Science Day 2024 – Driving Science-based Action on the SDGs
Hosted by: SEI, UNDP, SDSN , ISC, and UN DESA - Date: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET, July 9, 2024 Location: UNHQ Conference Room 3, New York, NY
This year, during the High-Level Political Forum 2024 (HLPF) country delegations, the scientific community, NGOs, and other key stakeholders reconvened for a second time to continue discussing the role of science in SDG acceleration. Science Day is an initiative co-convened by SEI, UNDP, SDSN, ISC, and UN DESA to position the need for including scientific evidence in the decision-making around the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030. Read more about SDSN at the HLPF here.
HESI Global Forum 2024 - The Future of Higher Education for Sustainable Development -15 July 2024 - 15-18h EST UN HQ (in person)
Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) to highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development. The programme and concept note can be found here.
Measuring and Monitoring Community-Level Emissions: Scalable Qualitative Solutions toward SDGs 1 and 13 - 16 July 2024- 13:15-14:30 EST
Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations in New York (in person/livestream)
Official HLPF Side Event organised by IAU and the University of Bergen / Habitable Air Project, with partners: International Science Council (ISC), Global Research Programme on Inequality (GRIP), Norway, Germany, Zimbabwe
Air pollution is a critical issue, exacerbated by urbanization and poverty, that impacts public health and contributes to climate change. With many cities failing to meet the World Health Organization’s air quality standards, pollutants like black carbon and sulphur dioxide harm both humans and the environment. This growing problem underscores the urgency highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 – No Poverty, which addresses poverty and urbanization, and SDG 13 – Climate Action, which focuses on climate change impacts, especially on vulnerable populations. Despite the severity of these threats, there is a lack of publicly available information on emissions exposure in poor communities, and regulatory guidelines often do not address local or cross-border issues effectively.
This side event organised by the University of Bergen and the International Association of Universities (IAU), with other partners, aligns with the 2024 High-Level Political Forum’s theme of "Eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises" by focusing on SDG 1 and SDG 13. It aimed to foster collaboration among marginalized communities, governments, academia, and the private sector to improve the measurement and monitoring of community-level emissions. The event featured experts from various sectors, including academia, NGOs, and technology startups, who will discuss policies, technologies, and community-driven practices to tackle emissions. The discussion includes case studies from the United States, South Africa, and Germany, and presents findings from a long-term study on low-cost air monitors in poor communities. The panel provided actionable recommendations for policymakers and academia to enhance emission measurement and monitoring, ultimately supporting efforts to alleviate poverty and address climate change.
Speakers:
State Secretary Bjørg Sandkjær, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway: Opening remarks
Associate Professor Kerry Chance, University of Bergen and Principal Investigator (PI) of the Habitable Airresearch project: Air quality monitoring pilot project results
Associate Professor Peter DeCarlo, Johns Hopkins: Petrochemical-focused environmental justice air monitoring projects in the US
CEO and Founder David Hagan, Quant AQ: Ethics and other challenges of air monitoring
Founder Sharon Lavigne, Rise St James: Community perspective on air quality and monitoring efforts
Professor Chris Walley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Air monitoring within the context of the environmental justice movement
CEO Salvatore Aricò, International Science Council (ISC): Closing remarks
Founder and CEO Adrian Dybwad, Purple Air: Technology demonstration
Find the full programme here. More information about the networking reception organised by Habitable Air later here.
Event Flyer
Higher Education Institutions as critical partners in design and delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions -17 July 2024 - UN HQ Side Event 13:15-14:30 ET United Nations Institute for Training and Research - UNITAR (in person only for registered UN HQ participants)
SULITEST - Bridging the Gap: Equipping Educators for Sustainable Development -17 July 2024 - 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM GMT+2 online
This session explored the current state of sustainability knowledge within HEIs, focusing on SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 13 (Climate Action), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through the analysis of TASK™ (The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge), we will highlight areas where improvement is most needed. During the event, Sulitest also shared findings from a global survey of faculty engagement, identifying key levers and best practices to support educators in transforming curriculums towards a more sustainable future. More information and recording here.
More about IAU at the HLPF: IAU has Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which enables participation in this High-Level event since 2019. Read about current and previous IAU engagement at the HLPF here.
