Launch of SDSN Europe
In addition to the European Green Deal, which had already put the EU in a strong leadership position on sustainable development, the EU has recently approved the Recovery and Resilience Fund. Together, these initiatives create a window of opportunity to push forward the implementation of the SDGs and the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050.
In order to take advantage of these EU initiatives and enhance SDSN’s contribution to the work on sustainable development across the continent, SDSN has invited three leaders from the region to help coordinate SDSN’s work in Europe. Adolf Kloke-Lesch (SDSN Germany), Angelo Riccaboni (SDSN Mediterranean) and Phoebe Koundouri (SDSN Greece) have graciously accepted to play this coordination role as European SDSN Chairs. Under their leadership, SDSN Europe will act as a coordination instrument for our networks and members to catalyze actions on issues related to European policy. The group will help streamline our research and policy advice efforts and will facilitate our dialogue with the EU institutions.
With ten national and regional networks of universities and knowledge institutions in the EU, and over 360 member organizations across the entire continent, SDSN is ideally placed to provide evidence-based policy development in Europe. Building on SDSN’s work on the Six Transformations , ESDR , Business of Food and FABLE , SDSN Europe will place emphasis on the European Green Deal, national Recovery and Resilience Plans of the Member States, Sustainable Food Systems, as well as other thematic areas that will be co-designed with the European Networks.
SDSN Europe’s leadership and secretariat will be constituted from our existing networks, working collaboratively and in close coordination with the SDSN Paris office.