COP29 Global Innovation Hub – Launching the flourishing lives on a flourishing planet 4 all (FLP4all) initiative: Moving beyond reduction of problems to positive impact and flourishing lives for all in the post SDG agenda
There is so much focus on the “crisis today”, that people keep fighting the same fight decades after decades while society transforms and is now almost not recognisable compared to the 1990s where much of the reporting/offsetting/risk management/standards/labelling/etc. was established. Perhaps a hard reboot is needed, even if many sustainability consultants/experts, reporting frameworks, conferences that all focus on a static problem agenda will be much less relevant?
This session discussed the next step for global sustainability work in a post-SDG agenda.
Many stakeholders, including UN agencies, have begun to explore a solution and human-needs driven agenda in support of a future where everyone can live flourishing lives. A human-need driven approach with a visionary goal provides many opportunities. From providing hope and a positive vision to strive for, to new collaborations and ways to organise work where different agendas can deliver significant synergies. The SDGs areas will obviously continue and play a key role in the post SDG agenda. They have played a very important role in helping the world to acknowledge and focus on global sustainability challenges. The potential additional human-need and solution agenda for flourishing lives would be an expansion that supports and is supported by the focus on SDG-like challenges.
Dennis Pamlin from RISE/NCI introduced the work with a post-SDG agenda that RISE/NCI has done together with different stakeholders, and in coordination with Massamba Thioye, Project Executive, UNFCCC Global Innovation (who could not attend this session due to events at COP29). He discussed the strengths and weaknesses with the current SDG work and how an expanded sustainability and innovation agenda could help establish a vision where the goal is flourishing lives for all on a flourishing planet. The suggested framework for Science and Value-Based Actions and Targets (SAVAT) was presented.
Professor Charlie Wilson, then presented a human wellbeing approach and how researchers are moving past a supply/end-of-pipe approach, and even beyond the Low-Energy-Demand (LED) approach that was state of the art a few years back when IPCC launched their 1.5C Special Report.
Pourya Salehi from ICLEI highlighted the work in cities as a possible key driver for a positive post-SDG agenda with a focus on flourishing lives for all. While it is still unusual for cities to have a global perspective and set targets for global contributions there is a growing appetite for an expanded climate and innovation agenda.
Harris Eyre from the Brain Capital Alliance provided insights from brain science and how this research can support a flourishing lives for all agenda.
David Ekelund from Icebug, provided concrete examples and ideas for how a relatively young and small company can lead the way towards a new positive agenda where companies deliver on human needs, and people and the planet comes before profit.
Ganesh Das, from Tata Power provided insights to how a larger companies can help accelerate sustainable innovations with start-ups and the need for human needs to be at the centre for all companies.
Finally, Anders Wijkman, from Club of Rome provided a historical overview and discussed the need to ensure that resource efficiency is at the heart of the efforts.
The work to shape the post-SDG agenda will intensify over the coming years and let's hope we will see a human need based agenda that focuses on flourishing lives for all on a flourishing planet, not just reduction of existing problems. We need a positive and inspirational agenda, not least for the youth and a new generation of start-ups that will both shape and live in tomorrow’s society.