Sustainability in Action

Tell us about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Policy Initiative’s mission and work.

The SDG Policy Initiative uses the United Nations’ SDGs as a framework for bringing together policymakers and researchers to inform evidence-based solutions for a sustainable future. The initiative is based at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS), which is at the forefront of interdisciplinary research critical to the 2030 Agenda.

With interrelated challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and biodiversity loss, achieving sustainable and inclusive growth will require developing analytical tools that cut across disciplines and developing new policymaking processes that go beyond the traditional silos of governance.

The initiative is engaged in a number of programs that put the SDGs into action to guide and measure progress at all levels of government. From contributing to a decarbonization policy plan for the United States to supporting the government of Paraguay in implementing the SDGs as a framework for sustainable growth to designing sustainable land-use planning tools for Mexico, the initiative is supporting achievement of the ambitious SDGs with evidence-based solutions.

What will be the initiative’s part in making sure the Biden administration’s sustainability agenda is put into action?

In a series of executive orders, strategies, and policy announcements, President Biden has clearly signaled his intention to be a transformative leader with a deep commitment to the sustainability agenda. The SDG Policy Initiative is an active partner in projects that support the agenda of inclusive and sustainable growth in the United States. The most important of these is the Zero Carbon Action Plan, which laid out policy recommendations for the power, transportation, buildings, land use, and other sectors in order to move the country onto a pathway of decarbonization by midcentury.

Tell us about your work with local governments.

We are very excited to partner with San Diego County on a decarbonization framework. Drawing on expertise, including America’s Zero Carbon Action Plan, the SDG Policy Initiative will work with partners to model technically feasible pathways to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in San Diego County. The project will evaluate key sectors, including energy, transportation, buildings, and land use, and evaluate employment impacts. Approaching decarbonization from the regional perspective, the framework will help policymakers identify opportunities for collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries. As San Diego works to become a global leader in decarbonization, a new comprehensive regional decarbonization framework can set the region on a path to zero carbon and be an example for others to follow.

What opportunities exist for students to help enact real-world policy goals?

All the initiative’s projects o er opportunities for current and former GPS students. Some of these positions are paid graduate researcher positions, while in other cases, students take advantage of the initiative’s relationships with governments to do projects in their classes that are immediately useful to policymakers. Many examples of student involvement in projects and research are showcased in our student blog.