Science – our best bet to achieve the SDGs?

Science has pushed the boundaries of what is possible throughout history. From mapping DNA to the invention of electricity to the adoption of penicillin in modern medicine; science has shattered barriers and expanded human potential. With just eight years left to 2030, we must act now to accelerate needed transformations. Science is likely our best bet to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

There is very little time left to tackle massive global challenges like growing poverty and hunger, and the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Science can evolve quickly when the stakes are high and when people come together in collaborative ways to face a shared challenge. This was observed in real time during the COVID-19 crisis when the flow of information and the pace of action matched the urgency, with new vaccines being developed on an unprecedented timeline.

But the link between science and human progress is not automatic. Science can be applied in ways that generate new inequalities or exacerbate existing ones; it can be used for individual gains rather than the public good; and it can push imbalances between humans and nature further toward tipping points.

How can we use science to achieve the SDGS?

First, we must more equitably share the gains of science. The distribution of the very vaccines that were developed from research driven by decades of public and philanthropic funding remains vastly unequal. Unless the solutions generated through science are shared and applied everywhere, problems will persist and even multiply.

Second, science should be mission-driven with focused funding and capacity building. Aligning science with the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is no less urgent than directing science toward recovery from COVID-19 for long-term human resilience.

Third, multi-stakeholder cooperation will continue to be key to strengthening the science-policy-society interface and building trust in science.

All of these topics and other important aspects of science for sustainability will take center stage during the 7^th Annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation taking place on 5-6 May at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The event is guided by the theme “Science, technology and innovation for building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

Learn more about the event and register here.