The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is the United Nations’ annual global platform for following up and reviewing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s theme is "Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development". This year, the international community discussed how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic so that measures toward achieving the SDGs can be put back on track and further accelerated.
IGES’ Special Webpage on HLPF 2020 features information on relevant IGES events and publications (reports, etc.) authored by IGES experts.

IGES related events at HLPF 2020

At HLPF 2020, IGES spoke at an official programme and two side events.

Official Programme

8 July 14:00-15:00 (EDT) / 9 July 3:00-4:00 (JST)

Protecting the Planet and Building Resilience

At this official meeting, discussions focused on the opportunities and innovations to strengthen resilience and disaster risk management while protecting people and the planet.

Participation from IGES:
Kazuhiko TAKEUCHI, IGES President

During this event, IGES President Takeuchi argued that the COVID-19 pandemic was due to unsustainable interactions between societies and natural systems, intensified by rapid globalisation. Yet, he emphasised that, by re-establishing a synergistic relationship between people and nature, such risks can be greatly reduced. He also highlighted some examples of harmonious co-existence from Japan, including the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative and the "circulating and ecological sphere" concept. In his conclusion, he stressed that this harmony with nature is fundamental for a sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19, and expressed his hope to learn about initiatives from other countries, so that we can not only "build back better" but also "move forward together."

Please visit the link below for his full remarks.

Remarks for "Protecting the Planet and Building Resilience" by Kazuhiko TAKEUCHI, IGES President
Side Events

8:00-9:00 (EDT) / 21:00-22:00 (JST)

An Interregional Dialogue on How SDG Governance and Policy Coherence can Accelerate Action and Progress on the SDGs in the Post-COVID-19 era

This official side event, jointly organised by the governments of Romania and Mongolia in partnership with the OECD and IGES, featured a discussion on how SDG governance and policy at the national and international levels can accelerate action toward achieving the SDGs in in the post-COVID-19 era.

Participation from IGES:
Kazuhiko TAKEUCHI, IGES President
Eric ZUSMAN, Research Leader, Sustainability Governance Centre

8:00-9:00 (EDT) / 21:00-22:00 (JST)

Satoyama Initiative – Societies in Harmony with Nature: An Inclusive Approach for Communities, Landscapes and Seascapes

The Satoyama Initiative is a global platform to promote societies that live in harmony with nature through utilising and maintaining socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes. This official side event introduced how the Satoyama Initiative is contributing to protecting the planet and building resilience, advancing human well-being and sharing nature’s economic benefits, as well as fostering partnership. The discussion then explored how this approach can be integrated into SDG-related policies at the national and sub-national levels.

Agenda(177KB) Flier(1.8MB) More details

Participation from IGES:
Kazuhiko TAKEUCHI, IGES President

Presentation Materials:
Role of the Satoyama Initiative for the Achievement of the SDGs and Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in the Face of COVID-19

Virtual Exhibitions

Relevant Events

28 May- 25 June Webinar Series "Harnessing Climate & SDGs Synergies to Recover Better and Stronger from the Covid-19 Pandemic"

Relevant Publications

Submission to Policy Process
Key Messages on Accelerating Progress on the SDGs in the Asia-Pacific Region Prepared for the Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD)
Submission to Policy Process
Implications of COVID-19 for the Environment and Sustainability
Training or Learning Material
Shimokawa Method for Voluntary Local Reviews
Working Paper
State of the Voluntary Local Reviews 2020:Local Action for Global Impact in Achieving the SDGs
Policy Report
CREATING SUSTAINABLE, ZERO-CARBON SOCIETIES THROUGH CITY-TO-CITY COLLABORATION
Working Paper
Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Policy Report
Asian Co-benefits Partnership White Paper 2020 Implementing Solutions to Climate Change and Air Pollution in Asia: Mobilising Finance, Strengthening Policies and Building Capacities
Policy Report
Strengthening the Environmental Dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific: Stocktake of National Responses to Sustainable Development Goals 12, 14, and 15
Peer-reviewed Article
Technology foresight for social good: Social implications of technological innovation by 2050 from a Global Expert Survey
Policy Report
Circular Economy and Plastics: A Gap-Analysis in ASEAN Member States
Policy Report
Tonle Sap Lake SATREPS PROJECT IGES
Environmental Changes in Tonle Sap Lake and its Floodplain: Status and Policy Recommendations
Peer-reviewed Article
Multiple conceptualizations of nature are key to inclusivity and legitimacy in global environmental governance
Discussion Paper
Sustainable Lifestyles Policy and Practice: Challenges and Way Forward Cover Image
Sustainable Lifestyles Policy and Practice: Challenges and Way Forward
Book Chapter
Enhancing Capacities for Building Climate and Disaster-Resilient Cities in Asia: Case Study of Cebu, Philippines and Nonthaburi, Thailand
Enhancing Capacities for Building Climate and Disaster-Resilient Cities in Asia: Case Study of Cebu, Philippines and Nonthaburi, Thailand
Policy Report
Strategies to Reduce Marine Plastic Pollution from Land-based Sources in Low and Middle - Income Countries
Strategies to Reduce Marine Plastic Pollution from Land-based Sources in Low and Middle - Income Countries
Peer-reviewed Article
Global Policy
The Design of Environmental Priorities in the SDGs
Commissioned Report
Circulating and Ecological Economy -- Japan's Vision for Realisation of Decarbonisation and SDGs
Policy Report
Mainstreaming the SDGs in Business: Actions by Companies and Organisations in Japan
Policy Report
Assessment of the G20 Countries’ Concrete SDG Implementation Efforts: Policies and Budgets Reported in Their 2016-2018 Voluntary National Reviews
Book
Asia-Pacific Landscape Transformations: Solutions for Sustainability
Commentary (Op. Ed)
Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development: Developing into a Useful Multi-stakeholder Platform for Experience Sharing and Networking
Policy Report
Shimokawa Town the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Report
Policy Report
Kitakyushu City the Sustainable Development Goals Report
Book Chapter
Governance for Integrated Solutions to Sustainable Development and Climate Change: From Linking Issues to Aligning Interests
Book
Realising the Transformative Potential of the SDGs
Peer-reviewed Article
An Optimistic Analysis of the Means of Implementation for Sustainable Development Goals: Thinking about Goals as Means
Policy Brief
Strengthening the Linkages Between Air Pollution and the Sustainable Development Goals
Book Chapter
State Fragility and Human Security in Asia in the Context of Climate and Disaster Risks
Policy Report
Inclusive Green Finance: A Survey of the Policy Landscape