The Global Association of Master’s in Development Practice Programs (MDP), in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), will hold the Eighth Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) on 21-22 September, 2020 virtually. If you would like to present at the conference, you must submit an abstract as directed below. The conference is also open to observers (i.e. non-presenters). Simply register on the conference website to join us.
The conference theme is Cross-Cutting Solutions for the Decade of Action. The aim of the conference is to bring together persons involved in research, policy, practice, and business. Participants will share practical solutions for achieving the SDGs at local and national levels. Abstracts should be directly relevant to one of the following topics:
1. Children, Youth, and the SDGs
The universal nature of the SDGs demands a focus on, and engagement with, children and youth, who represent the future of sustainable development. Children and youth figure centrally in addressing each of the 17 SDGs, yet UNICEF estimates that 75% of child-related SDG indicators are either missing data or don’t show adequate momentum for achievement by 2030. This panel invites papers on theories and practices that consider the needs, interests, and voices of children and youth, as future leaders in sustainable development. Susan Murphy & Karen Brown
2. Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction for Cities
Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) priorities, when cross-cut with the city’s development sectors in formulating solutions for the city’s problems, ensure the sustainable development and resilience of such cities. Thus, it is imperative to mainstream CCA and DRR in the city’s comprehensive development planning. Tabassam Raza, Carmelita Liwag, & Jun Castro
3. Cross-cutting, Just Solutions Towards the Sustainability of the Energy System
Energy is one of the main sources of climate impact, as well as a source of environmental, economic, and social sustainability concerns on a global scale. Cross cutting solutions are much needed in this core sector to achieve this century’s ambitious sustainability goals. This session will explore innovative solutions to decarbonize the energy system that will increase its resiliency without creating new social issues. Maurizio Cellura, Francesco Guarino, Tatyana Lanshina, & Igor Makarov
4. Democratizing Renewable Energy in the Global South
Several studies have shown that increased electricity access advances socio-economic development, brings about rapid industrialization, reduces poverty, improves food security, and increases quality of life and social well-being of the population. This session seeks analyses of the obstacles to achieving universal access to modern energy services in the Global South, and solutions to providing services in resource-poor settings, particularly field and pilot studies. Femi Oyeniyi, Labode Popoola, Ngozi Ifeoma Odiaka, & Famous Chiemerie
4. Economics and Demography of Natural Disasters and Disease Outbreak
As climate change rapidly continues, so does the consequence of increased natural disasters. This session will explore the populations who are affected by these disasters and identify best practices in resiliency. Hiroaki Matsuura & Keiichi Sato
5. Effective Industrial Policy to Achieve the SDGs
Effective industrial policy can have many benefits, such as reducing poverty and safeguarding the enviroment, but is dependent on systems including quality education and healthcare. This session will explore the design and implementation of cross-cutting policies to enable sustainable, inclusive industrial development to support SDG achievement. Pádraig Carmody & James Murphy
6. Food Production, Waste Management, and the Circular Economy
Food production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and waste. However, in the context of a circular economy food losses and waste become potential resources. This session will examine how the circular economy, food production, and waste management can meet to provide solutions to the environmental issues posed by food production and waste. John Dilyard, Sintia Molina, & Sarah K. Ku
7. Gender-based Innovations for Equitable SDG Outcomes
We use the word “gender” to denote both biological characteristics and socio-cultural factors that can be shown through evidence as influencing results and differentiating quality of outcomes for women and men. As a cross-cutting issue, gender analyses should be applied across clusters of interdependent SDGs. Our session will show what role different stakeholders can play to advance this. Elizabeth Pollitzer, Heisook Lee, & Ylann Schemm
8. ICT Standards for the Sustainable Development Goals
International emerging technology standards are living documents evolving alongside the technologies. As ICT becomes more intertwined with development practices, how can standardization in AI, Big Data, and IoT help achieve the SDGs? Ray Walshe & Jon Mason
9. Indigenous Approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals
Indigenous approaches to sustainable development relates to the importance of seeking diverse models through respectful partnerships with indigenous communities. Doing work in a “good way” is central to the indigenous way of practice. This session will examine case studies and projects undertaken through such partnerships, with a special interest in applying traditional models in both urban and rural settings. Dave Wilsey & Tamara Dionne Stout
10. Interdisciplinary Approaches to Educate for Sustainable Development
Cross-cutting solutions for sustainable development require creative thinking and thoughtful post-secondary educational systems. Interdisciplinary approaches across university-level education allow students to learn the deep interrelation between people, planet, and profit, and should be further examined for the Decade of Action. This session will present and discuss innovative ways of delivering education that enables and empowers graduates and future decision-makers to become the change-makers the world needs. Meredith Storey, Lucia Rodriguez, Martin Lehmann, Aida Guerra, Alicia Powers, & Kate Thornton
11. Multidisciplinary Energy Education for Societal Well-being
Transforming both the societal and physical dimensions of energy systems is fundamental for addressing climate change, community welfare, and environmental justice. This session will extract lessons from diverse examples of multidisciplinary energy education, particularly university-level and online forums, that hold promise for inspiring and equipping a wide range of learners to help society navigate energy transitions in the decade of action. Amanda Graham, Greg Poelzer, & Jennie Stephens
12. Nature Based Solutions to Climate Change
Nature based solutions are natural ways of remedying environmental problems and can play an integral roll in reversing the effects of climate change. This session will explore how to induce sustainable consumption with the help of nature and technology. Patrick Paul Walsh & Simone Cresti
13. Safe, Affordable, and Inclusive Transport under the SDGs
The provision of inclusive transportation is essential to leaving no one behind in pursuit of the SDGs. Understanding and accounting for how transport impacts people of different ages, incomes, genders, and abilities is required to ensure equitable access to economic and social aspects of development as well as resiliency in the face of complex environmental pressures. This session will feature presentations that emphasize how safe and inclusive transportation can and should be a part of plans, policies, and programs aimed at advancing one or all of the SDGs. Steven Jones & Tina Kempin Reuter
14. Socio-technical Solutions for Water-Energy-Food Security Challenges
Several SDGs are inextricably linked, particularly those relating to water, energy, and food. The proposed session will look at innovative socio-technical solutions to accelerate SDG progress at all scales. Bassel Daher & Rabi H. Mohtar
15. Sustainable Land Use Planning
Sustainable land use planning is about making conscientious decisions to safeguard soil, water, and living organisms for the longterm production of goods to meet changing human needs, while ensuring the maintenance of ecosystems and the services they provide. Because f the inter-dependency and interrelatedness of soil, water, the atmosphere, and human systems, cross-cutting solutions are essential for achieving the SDGs. Sathaporn Monprapussorn & Teerawet Titseesang
16. Sustainable Blue Growth: Shipping and Ports
Ports are places where multiple systems collide – shipping, energy, waste, tourism, and transport; Further, they are emissions hotspots. Maritime hubs can be catalysts for reversing the fast-growing emissions from international shipping if cross-cutting solutions are applied. Phoebe Koundouri, Nicolaos Theodossiou, & Andreas Papandreou
17. Turning Supply Chains Into Engines to Support the SDGs
A consequence of globalization has been the creation of highly complex cross-national supply chains on which companies, particularly multinational enterprises (MNEs), depend on to produce and distribute goods and services. Because the entities that make up these supply chains often are those which can most benefit from achieving the SDGs, such as 1 and 8, examining the ways in which the achievement of the SDGs can be made a core objective of the management of a supply chain should lead to change-making action. John Dilyard & Shasha Zhao
18. Universities Driving Collaborative Solutions for the Decade of Action
This session will explore how universities are transforming themselves or operating in new ways to scale up impact and support societal transformations during the decade of action. In this session, we will emphasize studies that look at cross-cutting solutions, multi-stakeholder processes, and the internal enabling conditions that allow transformations to be taken to scale. The format of this session will be slighty different, with presentations of only 5 to 7 minutes to allow for more discussion and dialogue. Further, the submission of a conference paper is optional. Julio Lumbreras, Tahl Kestin, & Andrea Cuesta Claros
A more detailed description of each theme can be found here. Interested presenters should submit an abstract of at least 300 words but not exceeding 500 words, in English, by 1 May, 2020, via the conference website. Each abstract may only be submitted once and under one Topic. Failure to answer questions on the submission form or the submission of the same abstract under multiple topics is likely to result in the abstract being declined.
The scientific committee will review abstracts and send all decision letters by 1 June, 2020. Abstracts can be accepted as either poster or oral (i.e. PowerPoint) presentations. Presenters invited to give oral presentations must submit a full paper by 1 August, 2020, in order to maintain their position in the program. Presenters failing to submit full papers will be moved to poster presentations. Presenters who do not register before the 1 September, 2020 deadline may also forfeit their spot in the agenda.
Additionally, ICSD has partnered with Consilience: The Journal for Sustainable Development. Find out more here.
Abstract Timeline
2 March 2020 Call for Abstracts Open
1 May 2020 Deadline for Submission of Abstracts
1 June 2020 Abstract Decision Letters Emailed
1 August 2020 Full Papers Due (For Accepted Abstracts Only)
1 September 2020 Registration Deadline for Presenters