This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
In 2015, the United Nations identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. Since then, the SDGs have been woven into research programs, national and international policy, and election campaigns globally. But the clock is ticking — with just eight years to 2030, it is worth asking how we will get there.
Real progress for all, especially those in the Global South, demands a renewed commitment to and action on international co-operation and scientific collaboration at a scale not previously seen.
International collaboration
Meeting the UN SDGs won’t be an easy task because there are barriers to the kind of collaboration it requires.
As we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, international scientific collaboration is at the heart of innovative science that has real-world impact.
Yet barriers to scientific collaboration include restrictions on data and material transfer, lack of domestic institutional capacities or excessive visa processing times. There is also a culture in scientific research communities that tends to reward individuals over collectives.
And new barriers to collaboration are being raised that restrict the production of knowledge and jeopardize our ability to meet the 2030 goals. These include a retreat from multilateralism and heightened concerns over national security.
But there is reason for hope. The pandemic is a collaboration success story. It saw the development of innovative vaccines and antivirals in record time and at scale made possible by technology platforms allowing rapid communication, data sharing and decades of discovery-driven research.
Our ability to harness this knowledge for the greater good in a time of crisis showed us what’s possible when the scientific community is motivated and enabled to collaborate.
Global problem, global solutions
Collaboration is essential to meet the SDGs. Sustainability cannot be achieved by one country. This should be obvious from the pandemic: viruses do not respect political boundaries, after all, especially in a globally connected world.
Global benefits must be traded off against domestic needs, such as when forests serving as carbon sinks (SDG 13) are converted to agriculture to improve food security and nutrition (SDG 2).
Global challenges demand global solutions, and our current system for knowledge generation, sharing and innovation globally is not up to the task.
The current system of support for international collaboration in science remains alarmingly fragile. Many initiatives and platforms, like databases for genomic data that allow us to track emerging coronavirus variants, are dependent on just a few countries or philanthropic organizations for support.
Growing geo-political tensions also threaten collaboration when, under the guise of national self-interest, a country can withdraw support for research at any time.
We need a more resilient and inclusive system for global collaboration that is committed to multilateralism for science. We also need new frameworks and incentives to support collective action and boundary-spanning research to address existing inequities.
Investment is essential
We are calling on the world’s nations who met at the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference over the past two weeks to make that commitment. We need to start by catalyzing international scientific collaboration through desperately needed investment.
If all G7 nations and the EU pledged to commit one per cent of government expenditure on research and development to international scientific collaboration, this would launch a collaboration fund of over US$14 billion. This could be leveraged to raise comparable investments from the private sector and civil society.
This fund could: ensure the longevity and sustainability of collaborative platforms; support open science for a globally accessible collective knowledge resource; provide support for SDG-focused international collaborations to spur innovation by incorporating non traditional methods, insights and voices, especially those that mitigate trade-offs among targets; reinvigorate an effective cross-UN science advisory board to support decision-making on global issues.
Setting the course
We are at a tipping point, and what happens next sets our course for 2030. The power of collective action around knowledge creation, data sharing and innovation is needed more than ever. Individual governments cannot achieve the SDGs on their own — blended contributions from the private sector, civil society and research agencies are needed.
The goal should be to catalyze progress towards the SDGs by lowering the barriers to and improving the resiliency of international scientific collaboration.
The place to start is with a strong commitment from governments, donors and multilateral banks and business to create a global multilateral fund to support knowledge generation for the SDGs. Committing one per cent of government expenditure on research and development with one per cent of research budgets from private funders creates an opportunity to get us on track.
It would create opportunities to explore more widely and foster greater creativity. Only then can we achieve a sustainable and diverse ecosystem of science that will catalyze our progress in achieving the UN SDGs.
We have eight years to go. If we act now there is still time to make the 2030 goals a reality.
Rees Kassen, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa et Ruth Morgan, Vice Dean Engineering (Interdisciplinarity Entrepreneurship), Professor of Crime and Forensic Science, UCL
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Related Items
Insights from Dr. Pedro Jaureguiberry, Frontiers Planet Prize National Champion, on biodiversity loss and planetary boundaries
25.04.2024
Disaster risk reduction: UNDRR and ISC to review Hazard Information Profiles ahead of 2025 Global Platform
09.04.2024
Pacific Islands Academy of Sciences and Humanities: A Pivotal Step Towards a Resilient Future
01.03.2024
President of the International Science Council, Sir Peter Gluckman, addresses EU Ministers
15.02.2024
World Climate Research Programme launches a Lighthouse Activity on Climate Intervention Research
15.02.2024
Achieving sustainable development requires the full inclusion of women and girls in science
12.02.2024
Call for expressions of interest in ISC global science-policy work | deadline: 29 February
16.01.2024
The International Science Council appoints 100 new Fellows to help advance its vision of science as a global public good
19.12.2023
Fostering tomorrow’s science: the ISC's engagements with Early and Mid-Career Researchers in 2023
13.12.2023
"What's holding us back?": how economists and social scientists might hold the key to climate action
12.12.2023
Podcast with Cory Doctorow: Science Fiction and the Future of Science: Leveraging Digital Advancements for the Future
11.12.2023
For science-based decision-making on the climate emergency: 10 new insights in climate science
05.12.2023
The costs of shifting scenarios: Why the IPCC should maintain consistent vocabulary in climate assessments
17.11.2023
New ISC policy brief: A call for a formal scientific voice in the global fight against plastic pollution
16.11.2023
Converging and interdependent crises are amplifying the impacts of one another with often devastating consequences
16.11.2023
FAO and the International Science Council join forces to strengthen science-policy interfaces for agrifood systems
14.11.2023
Policy Brief: Creating a Strong Interface between Science, Policy and Society to Tackle Global Plastic Pollution
09.11.2023
One Planet Polar Summit, scientists striving to bridge the science-policy gap for urgent action: "every tenth of a degree Celsius matters"
09.11.2023
Call for nomination of experts to draft an outline of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities - deadline 15 November
02.11.2023
Call for nominations of experts: negotiations of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution
20.10.2023
Cultivating a proactive approach to crises: first meeting of the UNEP/ISC foresight expert panel
26.09.2023
"The making of the Golden Record of our century": daring to pursue mission-oriented science
19.09.2023
To achieve sustainable development, the world needs to mobilize around a big science approach once more
13.09.2023
Proclamation of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development by the United Nations General Assembly
29.08.2023
Global science needs a new approach to tackle climate change and complex sustainability question
27.07.2023
The ISC addresses the UN High Level Political Forum and meets with the UN Secretary General
24.07.2023
Ambitious global $1 billion per year ‘mission science’ model needed to win on sustainable development in time, warn experts
12.07.2023
Charting a New Course: Science Day to Pioneer Evidence-Based Strategies for SDG Acceleration at the HLPF 2023
11.07.2023
A Model for Implementing Mission Science for Sustainability: proposed by the Technical Advisory Group to the Global Commission on Science Missions for Sustainability
11.07.2023
Frontiers Planet Prize, second edition: celebrating the world’s most innovative sustainability scientists by 1 November
08.06.2023
Protecting the ocean: 5 essential reads on invasive species, overfishing and other threats to sea life
08.06.2023
The ISC at the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution
29.05.2023
Nurturing a Sustainable Future: Collaboration, Empowerment, Trust, and Resilience in Science at the ISC Mid-term Members Meeting
16.05.2023
From Antarctica to Space: updates from Affiliated Bodies on Day 3 of ISC Mid-term meeting
15.05.2023
ISC's nomination track ensures transdisciplinary and global representation in UNEP's Scientific Advisory Group for GEO-7 Assessment
14.04.2023
Launch of the LIRA 2030 Africa reports highlighting key achievements and lessons learned from advancing transdisciplinary science in Africa
03.04.2023
LIRA 2030 Africa: Learning from Practising Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development in African Cities
03.04.2023
UN 2023 Water Conference carries new engagements towards realizing SDG6 and future avenues for a decade of action
23.03.2023
IPCC report: the world must cut emissions and urgently adapt to the new climate realities
21.03.2023
Delivering actionable and science-based water solutions: new ISC policy brief launched ahead of the 2023 UN Water Conference
15.03.2023
ISC-BBC StoryWorks partnership ends on a high note, delivering some of the highest engagement for the BBC
13.03.2023
Achieving gender equality in Science, Technology and Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)– when will we get there?
08.03.2023
Distinguished lecture series - From fire to space - Basic sciences lead and shape our paths toward sustainable development
13.02.2023
Invitation to ISC Members and their networks to second experts on horizon scanning and foresight
08.02.2023
In wake of ‘natural’ disasters, not reducing biodiversity loss is a big missed opportunity
01.02.2023
Concern for science and research in Afghanistan following authorities' ban on women from higher education
24.01.2023
International Science Council deplores the exclusion of women from university education in Afghanistan and urges the Afghan authorities to reverse their decision
31.12.2022
The ISC and UNEP to cooperate on advancing the use of science in environmental policy and decision-making
16.12.2022
Science in Times of Crisis Episode 3 - The Fallout of Conflict: The Arctic and Outer Space
15.12.2022
Special interview series on COP 27- Interview with Nick Perkins about climate change and science communication
17.11.2022
Are we in a new era of climate adaptation implementation? The role of regional governments in facilitating local action
09.11.2022
In the face of extreme weather events, coordinated global action to address climate change is needed at COP27
04.11.2022
Scientific review of the first-order draft of the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report completed
03.11.2022
Professor Carlos Lopes on why Africa needs to stick to renewables despite the temptation of gas
28.10.2022
ISC and WHO sign new agreement furthering mutual scientific cooperation for global health and sustainable development
14.10.2022
Happy birthday to the Montreal Protocol – the most successful environmental treaty of all time?
16.09.2022
Funding for resilience: Five key objectives to protect vulnerable groups through Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing
04.08.2022
Managed retreat from areas threatened by floods can catalyse positive social transformations
13.04.2022
New Technical Advisory Group to support the Global Commission on Science Missions for Sustainability
07.04.2022
Joint letter to ISC Members from ISC President, Peter Gluckman, and Acting CEO, Mathieu Denis
06.04.2022
Women Leading on Equitable and Inclusive Solutions to address the Climate Emergency: Webinar
08.03.2022
The window for climate action to avoid dangerous systemic risks is narrowing, warns latest IPCC report
28.02.2022
An early career perspective on the science-policy interface in the decade of climate action following COP26
28.12.2021
The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly for 2022
03.12.2021
If universities want to hit climate targets, they should use their land for carbon offsetting
26.11.2021
Negotiations on ending global plastic pollution must be informed by scientific assessment
22.11.2021
Major scientific assessment of the Amazon region issues urgent call to end deforestation and avert tipping points
15.11.2021
Climate change projections for Pakistan: the need for sustainable solutions to protect its people and biodiversity
08.11.2021
Four considerations for accelerating progress on climate change at the science-policy interface
05.11.2021
Ten New Insights in Climate Science 2021 report highlights critical research and policy implications for addressing the climate crisis
04.11.2021
Ahead of COP26, Ekanem I. Braide shares her perspective on the priorities for action and the role of science
29.10.2021
Climate risk assessment gaps: seamless integration of weather and climate information for community resilience
27.10.2021
Increasing the participation of women in the climate change debate, including as leaders, is essential for a carbon-zero future
19.10.2021
Deepening interactions between science and policy on the way to COP26: What role for science publishers?
12.10.2021
Strengthening the resilience of our global food system while advancing its transformation
23.09.2021
Call for emergency action to limit global temperature increases, restore biodiversity, and protect health
06.09.2021
Coastal communities in the Arctic rely on structural measures to adapt to climate change, but should they?
19.08.2021
Deep and sustained emissions reductions required to head off rapid climate change affecting all regions of the world
09.08.2021
Tell me a story – why climate change communication needs to embrace our childlike curiosity
28.06.2021
A response to The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response’s new report on the international health response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
12.05.2021
COP26 Climate Action Champion Nigel Topping on creating an 'ambition loop' for bolder pathways to change
04.05.2021
Strengthening the links between science and society for action on climate change in France
19.04.2021
Target high-carbon emitters to accelerate green transition, say leading experts on behavioural change
13.04.2021
High-level group appointed to lead the development of the ISC’s strategy in the intergovernmental system
29.03.2021
Working scientist podcast: Democratizing knowledge and access to tools for sustainable development
11.03.2021
The ISC has been honoured to have Dr Flavia Schlegel serve as its first Special Envoy for Science in Global Policy
22.12.2020
Working together: Future Earth and WCRP announce partnership to jointly address major societal challenges
18.12.2020
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission launches the Global Ocean Science Report 2020
14.12.2020
Taking stock of progress on global change: What to expect from the UNEP Global Assessments Synthesis Report
03.12.2020
Kyoto Landslide Commitment launched to increase understanding on how to reduce landslide risk
02.12.2020
Global Young Academy promote sustainable solutions to problems within global health and higher education
28.10.2020
Transformation to Sustainability: Integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems for water management and governance
20.10.2020
Tackling Climate Change with COVID-19 Urgency - by ISC Patron, Mary Robinson and ISC President, Daya Reddy
01.04.2020
Call for nominations of experts to serve on the Editorial Board of the IPCC Emission Factor Database
02.12.2019
ISC commits to enhanced collaboration with UN-Habitat and UNDRR on urban health and wellbeing and disaster risk reduction
20.06.2019
The triumphs and trials of transdisciplinary research: reflections on the un-disciplining of disciplines
28.05.2019
External evaluation report of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is now available
19.04.2019
The political challenge of achieving transformations to 1.5ºC – the role of social justice
02.04.2019
COP24 side event on The CitiesIPCC Research and Action Agenda for effective urban responses to climate change
07.12.2018
Transforming southern African cities in a changing climate – Q and A with Alice McClure from the University of Cape Town
28.08.2018
The United Nations proclaims the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements
10.01.2018
SDG Interactions, gender, science-policy interface: ICSU at the High Level Political Forum
17.07.2017
First UN Oceans conference highlights urgency to address marine pollution, warming and over-fishing
15.06.2017
International Council for Science calls on United States to support international efforts to combat dangerous climate change
01.06.2017
New report from scientific experts provides a unique guide to translate Sustainable Development Goals into reality
12.05.2017
Call for pre-proposals: Advancing the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 11 on cities in Africa
27.02.2017
ICSU Unions receive award to launch multi-year initiatives in science outreach and education
09.02.2017
GSDR report launches in France – High level event and workshop co-organized by ICSU, UNDESA, IDDRI and IRD
28.10.2016
Global Sustainable Development Goals need clearer, more measurable targets, according to new report from science experts
13.02.2015
Nature publishes paper on SDGs by team of authors from ICSU, IGBP and other organisations
21.03.2013
ICSU launches new programme to understand the human impact on Earth’s life-support systems
22.10.2008
International Council for Science (ICSU) launches major research programme on natural disasters
22.10.2008
At Pivotal Event in China, the International Council for Science Releases New Strategy to Strengthen International Science for the Benefit of Society
20.10.2005
ICSU Pursues New Initiative that Challenges Science to Do More to Prevent Natural Disasters
20.10.2005