KTH leads global discussion on the future of the Sustainable Development Goals
On June 5, as part of the UN’s World Environment Day, universities across continents will join the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit—a 24-hour live event on climate and human rights. For the first time, KTH is taking part as a content partner, leading a panel on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be reshaped to meet the challenges ahead.
Francesco Fuso-Nerini, Director of the KTH Climate Action Centre, will chair the Beyond 2030 panel discussion, where researchers, policy makers and experts will discuss how the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be renewed after 2030.
“It is a global summit, jointly organized by universities around the world. It brings together leading researchers and practitioners at the intersection of sustainability, climate change, centering on human rights and planetary health - and is broadcast live across multiple time zones,” says Francesco Fuso-Nerini.
The 17 SDGs have served as a global development roadmap for nearly a decade, but with 2030 fast approaching, it’s clear that many of the goals will remain unmet. Meanwhile, the challenges they aim to address—climate change, inequality, poverty, and environmental degradation—are becoming increasingly urgent. In a recent commentary published in Nature, Fuso-Nerini and colleagues call for a revision of the goals—both in scope and in timeline.
“There’s a clear need to update the path toward achieving the goals,” he says. “That includes integrating net-zero emissions targets and strengthening international collaboration on the transition, all within the framework already agreed by UN member states.”
To make the SDGs meaningful beyond 2030, broader input is essential, the researchers argue. This means involving not only more scientists, but also indigenous communities, marginalized groups, and the private sector.
Universities, says Fuso-Nerini, have a unique role to play in this transformation:
“As centers of knowledge and innovation, universities contribute scientific insights, technological solutions, and fresh perspectives on complex societal issues. We also play a key role in preparing future decision-makers.”
The Beyond 2030 panel will run for 30 minutes and is part of the summit’s global, day-long program. The session will be available to KTH staff and students either by joining the ´view part at the Climate Action Centre in Teknikringen 43, or via online streaming through the summit’s website.
Panelists – “Beyond 2030”
- Åsa Persson, Research Director at SEI and Chair of the Swedish Climate Policy Council
- Francesco Fuso-Nerini, Director of the KTH Climate Action Centre
- Astrid Puentes Riaño, Environmental lawyer and expert in climate justice
- Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risk, University of Oxford