Incentivised by the urge to act and the need to transform politics, society and the economy, the world signed up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. Realizing an ambitious and global sustainability transformation for the People, Planet and Prosperity with Peace and Partnership requires global action across all countries and policy areas. As the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC), we unite the forces of academia, civil society, the private sector and public bodies to push towards a Sustainable Europe in the very spirit of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
In 2018, the world in general and Europe in particular will need to progress to implement and mainstream these agreements into concrete policies. However, this fundamental change remains too often an abstract ambition rather than an inclusive practice. The sustainability transformation in the European Union as well as in many of its member countries still faces too many lock-ins. To advance on our journey on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within and beyond Europe we have to push key leverages for transformation.
The 26th EEAC Annual Conference was dedicated to identifying some of these key leverages and to foster our common European debate on the implementation of the SDGs in Europe. The rich diversity of EEAC’s scientific and stakeholder councils met in Berlin and deliberated with high-level experts from academia, society and politics. In inclusive and participatory conference formats, a rich network further strengthened its bonds across national boundaries as well as academic and policy silos.
During the conference, three breakout group sessions provided focal points for substantial debates on i) the institutional foundations for transformative governance in Europe, ii) sustainable finance as a transformative lever for European Policy, and iii) the radical changes, potentials and risks of digitalization for a Sustainable Europe. For more information on these three breakout groups please consult the conference information leaflet.
Addressees of the conference
The conference gathered 160 experts from policy, society, science and the private sector working in the sustainability context in Europe. As hosts, EEAC’s national and sub-national advisory councils on environment and sustainable development enabled a cooperative atmosphere which enhanced further networking and the exchange opportunities.