SDG Learncast

What skills can help young people shape a more sustainable future? As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day this 15 July, we are looking at the essential, practical tools the next generation needs to make a real difference in sustainability. While progress toward global development relies heavily on tracking numbers and trends, numbers alone rarely inspire deep change or move people to action. To dr...

How do you turn climate research into community action? In this episode, we head to Ghana to explore a vibrant, localized approach to knowledge brokering that blends traditional storytelling, local games, radio, and immersive technologies like virtual reality. Prince Ansah and Valerie Nutakor — innovators at the intersection of climate literacy, education, and cultural expression — share how they...

As 2030 approaches, the Sustainable Development Goals stand at a crossroads. While some targets are within reach, others lag dangerously behind.   At the same time, the global order is shifting. What happens to sustainable development in a world where trust in multilateralism is fraying, yet the need for collective action has never been greater?  In this episode, we are so happy to welcome and spe...

In this episode, we dive into one of Europe’s most inspiring urban renewal stories: the transformation of Germany’s Emscher River. Once an open sewer running through the industrial heartland of the Ruhr, it’s now a thriving, green artery for wildlife and communities.   Over 30 years and €5.5 billion, the Emschergenossenschaft and Lippeverband replaced 430 km of open wastewater channels with modern...

In this episode, we dive into how artificial intelligence or AI is transforming entrepreneurship education. Our guests for this SDG Learncast are Dorina Dobra-Basca and Guillaume Lamothe from the International Trade Centre’s SME Trade Academy. They will take us inside their AI-powered pilot course which is on “Raising Funds for Your Business,” which engaged over 400 learners across 100 countries. ...

In this episode of  SDG  Learncast, we are speaking with Mr.  Guillaume Lafortune , Vice-President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and lead author of the  Europe Sustainable Development Report 2025  (ESDR) . We will unpack the key findings of the latest ESDR, examining the slowdown in SDG progress across Europe and the challenges that lie ahead. Set against a backdrop of...

In this episode of SDG Learncast, we will explore the often-overlooked environmental and social impacts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure expansion. Our guest from Earth Insight will unpack how the global push for LNG, often viewed as a cleaner fossil fuel, threatens coastal and marine ecosystems—from the Gulf of California to the Verde Island Passage and beyond. We will discuss the ur...

In this podcast episode, we will look into the transformative power of the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) and how they support achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The IDGs offer a framework for cultivating the human capabilities, qualities, and skills essential for building a sustainable, equitable, and thriving future for all. In thi...

The world faces a significant challenge in ensuring food security for its growing population amidst the threats posed by climate change. The increasing reliance on a narrow selection of cultivated crops due to industrial agriculture is causing a concerning reduction in the genetic diversity of plants. This narrowing pool poses a risk to global food security, making our food supply more vulnerable...

In the face of complex development challenges, particularly in the context of Covid-19, what can we learn from the future?  In this episode, SDG Learncast asks Professor Sohail Inayatullah, UNESCO Inaugural Chair for Future Studies, what can we learn from futurists and how do future studies help governments formulate and implement policies on sustainable development. As we try to build a sustainab...

In this episode, Guillaume Lafortune, Vice President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), discusses the critical theme of long-term financing for sustainable development and the need for reform in the global financial architecture. He highlights the challenges hindering the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the estimated financing gap for the SDGs. Guilla...

In this episode, we are featuring Benjamin Piper , the Director of Global Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ben sheds light on the groundbreaking work of the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP). With an exhaustive analysis of over 13,000 academic studies, GEEAP identifies the most effective and economical educational interventions. We delved into the intriguing con...

In this episode of the SDG Learncast, we feature Breanne Pitt , a researcher and educator, on the concept of systems thinking and its vital role in modern education. They explore the challenges and complexities of the digital age, discuss the impact of standardized testing, and delve into practical tools like the World Economic Forum's Transformation Maps. This enlightening conversation unders...

Tyson Miller, Director of Earth Insight unpacks the escalating threats of oil and gas expansion in the Amazon and Congo Basin regions. Drawing from the Earth Insight's reports " Congo in the Crosshairs: New Oil & Gas Expansion Threats to Forests and Communities " " Crisis Point: Oil and Gas Expansion Threats to Amazon and Congo Basin Tropical Forests and Communities " a...

In this podcast episode, we're joined by Yasmine Sherif, the Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW) , as she discussed the importance of quality education in crisis situations. As a human rights lawyer with extensive field experience, Yasmine highlights the challenges of delivering education to the 222 million children lacking access today. Yasmine highlighted ECW's holistic approach to a...

In this SDG Learncast episode, we delved into the challenges of achieving sustainable food systems and the balance needed between biodiversity conservation and nutrition. Our guests, Dr. Sarah Jones and Dr. Aline Mosnier, experts in food systems and biodiversity conservation, discussed the impact of agriculture on biodiversity and how we can meet global targets by 2030. They also explore the need...

According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021 , although 46% of sub-Saharan Africa's population now has access to electricity--up from 33% in 2010--the region is far behind the global average of 90%. 97 million people in urban areas and 471 million in rural areas are still without access to electricity.   The lack of access is caused by several factors. On the demand side, there...

Misinformation and disinformation are pressing public issues. There has been a rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation. Sometimes we call them fake news. This happens online and offline and it affects everyone, every day. Receiving truthful and quality information is critical as we all depend on information to make decisions.  At the personal level, we need accurate information to m...

Blockchain technology has been leveraged in humanitarian settings by the World Food Programme to deliver cash directly to beneficiaries securely and quickly, without the need to go through a local bank. The potential of blockchain applications in protecting the environment has also been tested to eliminate illegal fishing in the tuna industry. Blockchain applications are also being considered to p...

The data revolution is the unprecedented increase in the volume and types of data—and the subsequent demand for them—thanks to the ongoing yet uneven proliferation of new technologies. We need data to formulate sustainable development policies. But it requires that we collect accurate data and use this evidence to inform policymaking. The use of evidence derived from data in policymaking requires...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has helped the world estimate real-time precipitation worldwide since 2005. AI is also being used to inform emergency planning, track typhoons, and manage and prevent floods, droughts, and storms. But AI's use is not only for disaster responses and prevention.  In a 2020 study , a group of researchers found that artificial intelligence can enable the accomplishmen...

Science and technology intricately mesh together with society. You cannot see one without the other. However, transformational changes in science and technology do not always advance sustainable development and reduce inequality. More people have access to smartphones than clean water or clean sanitation in some countries. Artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies are growing, but so has...

Transferring science and research into policy and practice is a complex process, but failing to do so results in inequities and wasted resources. Finding appropriate mechanisms for the transfer of science and research into policies, programmes, and practice has become a major driver in finding approaches and solutions to achieving sustainable development. There has been a major push in the uptake...

There is a tangible gap between the current climate science on the one hand and policymaking and practice on the other hand. There is also an evident need for user-driven and decision-driven co-produced knowledge on climate change and disaster risks. Science-stakeholder collaboration is becoming an increasingly common way to address mismatches between the knowledge needs of stakeholders and the re...

Goals are an essential part of any action agenda. Together with setting targets, indicators, and timetables, goals can help measure progress, keep different actors and stakeholders on track, and allow for the assessment of achievement of any action agenda. However, conceptual questions need to be asked about whether they really work, what kind of incentives they create, when they are most effectiv...