IPI, Keio University, National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Institute for Global Environmental Studies, with support from the Government of Finland, Stockholm Environment Institute, Global Forum for National SDG Advisory Bodies, Japan Foundation, and Ministry of the Environment of Japan cohosted a policy forum on July 10th on the topic of “Exploring Synergies and Trade-Offs for Transformations to the SDGs and Beyond.”

According to the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), bringing about the transformation required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires facilitating synergies and eliminating trade-offs between different SDGs. Understanding these synergies and trade-offs is critical to assessing progress toward the SDGs through voluntary national reviews and to considering global goals beyond 2030.

The event introduced ongoing research on these synergies and trade-offs conducted by some of the institutions where members of the Independent Group of Scientists that drafted the 2023 GSDR are based. Implementation of the SDGs relies on localized actions and local contexts. Therefore, case studies and empirical data on context-specific synergies and trade-offs are critical for drawing lessons on how transformation takes place. Speakers discussed examples from Japan, Finland, and Sweden, and called for collaboration and partnerships on accelerating progress toward the SDGs by facilitating synergies and eliminating trade-offs.

Opening Remarks:
Yutaka Matsuzawa, Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs (Ministry of the Environment of Japan）

Speakers:
Norichika Kanie, Professor at the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Japan
Mustafa Moinuddin, Fellow, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Eeva Furman, Secretary General of the Finnish Commission on Sustainable Development
Ivonne Lobos Alva, Stockholm Environment Institute

Video Message:
Kazuhiko Takeuchi, President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan

Moderator:
Jimena Leiva Roesch, IPI Director of Global Initiatives and Head of Peace, Climate, and Sustainable Development