The Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative aims to accelerate regional solutions for inclusive green economies and sustainable consumption and production by sharing best practices and offering science-based knowledge, policy tools and capacity development opportunities in priority areas to “build back better.”
GO4SDGs aims to connect the dots towards decarbonization, resource efficiency and sustainability, integrating the circularity, climate and biodiversity agendas. It builds on existing partnerships, tools and pools of expertise around the world to further strengthen regional and local capacities, particularly for those countries transitioning their economies and societies to become more sustainable and inclusive.
GO4SDGs also aims to accelerate cooperation and implementation to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
The core goal of the GO4SDGs initiative is to implement action and change by supporting: governments to strengthen policy coherence; small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase capacities and access for financing innovation and circularity; and youth to amplify their voices and empower them to embrace sustainable lifestyles.
The Menu of Services offers a glimpse of what GO4SDGs can bring as part of efforts to support countries in building back better and to achieve the SDGs and limit global warming to 1.5°C. The menu showcases over 120 different tools that GO4SDGs partners can offer governments, SMEs, youth networks and universities to mainstream the shared benefits of an inclusive green economy and sustainable consumption and production into their climate and biodiversity commitments. This not only can help raise climate ambitions, but also help jump-start their green economic recovery and job creation.
All services can be accessed online.
For more information, contact Adriana Zacarias Farah (Head and Global Coordinator of GO4SDGs), adriana.zacarias@un.org.
How does the Menu of Services work?
For example, if countries are interested in reducing food waste and promoting healthy diets, GO4SDGs offers knowledge from different partners, who together can offer a tool box, which includes knowledge platforms, best practices and methodologies. GO4SDGs also supports a peer-to-peer network or working groups to provide training and support countries in the implementation of strategies and policies.
The GO4SDGs Menu of Services is also available in Arabic, French, and Spanish
GO4SDGs responds to regional priorities, building upon existing initiatives, applying tools and identifying strategic synergies.
Global Activities
Our signature activities are:
The global flagship activities have been defined as: mainstreaming sustainable consumption and production in climate action, advancing SMEs financing for circularity and innovation, and empowering youth for sustainable lifestyles.
This year we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Environment, which made the environment a pressing global issue for the first time and led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
As we celebrate five decades of global environmental action, let us not be indifferent to the environmental and social crises anymore. Let us renew our commitment, reimagine our common future and rebalance our relationship with the nature. Let us implement our commitments and promote intergenerational cooperation so that we meet our needs without compromising those of future generations.
GO4SDGs is part of the Stockholm+50 Coordination Team, and is supporting the Regional Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Meetings to give voice to and facilitate engagement of as many stakeholders as possible, and to ensure a bottom-up mapping of key initiatives and actions needed to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Policy Coherence - Mainstreaming SCP in the Climate Change agenda and Green Recovery
Providing science-based knowledge on the SCP/RE co-benefits to increase climate ambition and accelerate transition to an inclusive green/circular economy, addressing key sectors such as food, textiles and plastics.
Sustainable Food Systems & food waste reductions: Regional working groups on food waste index 12.3.
To support countries in measuring their baselines four Regional working groups covering 25 countries and 68 national partners have been launched in regions where food waste data availability is lower on using the common methodology from the Food Waste Index Report for measuring food waste and tracking progress on UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve food waste by 2030. GO4SDGs together with technical partner WRAP will facilitate a series of workshops over the coming year (from October 2021 to June 2022) to help governments and relevant partners develop baselines for reporting on SDG 12.3 in 2022 and national food waste prevention actions. Full recording for the first webinar: Tackling the Food Waste Funding Gap: Financing food waste prevention to combat climate change is available here.
Sustainable Production and Consumption Hotspot Analysis Tool (SCP-HAT) Training Workshops.
Covering over 170 countries with data since 1990, the tool allows users to identify key areas to increase resource efficiency and establish priority areas to address to off-set unsustainable practices in priority agendas such as biodiversity, climate, and pollution. Regional Workshops have been organised in LAC, Asia-Pacific, Africa and West Asia, with the support of the Lifecycle Initiative and the Vienna University
SMES – Advancing Finance for Innovation and Circularity
Supporting the uptake of resource efficiency practices by providing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on a region-by-region basis with simplified and tailored access to existing support services, such as capacity building, network building, and financing solutions.
I-GO SMEs Self-Assessment on Opportunities for RE
The Integrated Greening Operations, or I-GO, solution transforms resource efficiency guidance and support services into concrete business improvement actions for increased resilience, productivity, and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Regional deployments are taking place in LAC, Africa, and Central Europe.
Policy and Innovation Labs
Strengthen the capacity of policymakers and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to support them as change agents to implement policies, investments, business models and consumer choices towards decarbonization, resource efficiency, and sustainability. The labs are led by SEED in Africa and Asia Pacific.
Financing Circularity: Latin America & Africa
Support regional deep dives and cooperation to connect macro-economy efforts to the real economy to support SMEs with UNEP FI and Regional Banks.
Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Lifestyles
Empowering youth and engaging universities and youth networks and other actors actively through:
Scaling up Green nudges in Universities to share best practices: The Little Book of Green Nudges is a quick guide to reducing your campus' environmental impact through behavioral change in the form of a concise and user-friendly publication.
The Sustainable Lifestyles Academy: supports youth leaders to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience they need as catalysts for sustainable living. Using a blend of virtual learning and in-person group experience, the Action Academy offers both cutting-edge science and practical training. GO4SDGs has teamed up with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Hot or Cool Institute to inspire and empower youth and innovators for Sustainable Lifestyles, which is one of the GO4SDGs goals. To achieve this, the Sustainable Lifestyles Academy (SL Academy) will train youth, youth intermediaries, influencers, and relevant partners engaged in capacity development in driving the transition to sustainable lifestyles.
In this light and to help design potential sustainable lifestyles solution, the development of the learning module of the Sustainable Lifestyles Academy are supported by a group of experts that advise on development and delivery of the learning blocks. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) includes 31 experts from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and West Asia who are engaged in promoting and inspiring behaviour change to address global sustainability challenges.
Global Campaigns on Sustainable Lifestyles: GO4SDGs has supported the activation and scaling up of the Anatomy of Action (AoA), a global online challenge to increase awareness and action on Sustainable Lifestyles with One Planet Network. This challenge presents core actions people can take in the domains of Food, Mobility, Leisure (consumer goods and tourism) and Housing.
In Africa, GO4SDGs is building on progress made by the ongoing SWITCH Africa Green (SAG) project and other regional initiatives. GO4SDGs will scale up sustainable consumption and production capacity of stakeholders, including governments, research institutes and African Cleaner Production Centres, among others, to assist them identify hotspots in economies for intervention. The initiative will collaborate with SEED, GGKP and the African Alliance on Circular Economy to advance SMEs’ access to finance for innovation and circularity in their business models. By supporting the development of Africa’s first Food Waste Index, GO4SDGs will support decisions-makers in setting the right policies to stem food waste. The initiative is also looking to promote sustainable tourism in Africa by working towards regionally harmonized reduction in single-use plastics. In addition, GO4SDGs will collaborate with the Africa Green University Network to empower African youth to adopt sustainable lifestyles in campuses and in their lives.
Previous events and webinars:
World Resource Forum 2021: In Africa for Africa: Weaving solutions for textile circularity challenges (October 2021)
In the Asia-Pacific region, work will focus on making progress on SDG12 (ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns). GO4SDGs will build upon and draw on best practices, including the existing SWITCH-Asia programme and other regional initiatives, and will support governments in the region to advance circular economy strategies to fill the gaps on SDG12 and advance innovation and finance for business models and digital and sound technologies. GO4SDGs will also work to empower youth and entrepreneurs for sustainable living and strengthening a regional network of universities as key centres of innovation.
Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption and Production for an Inclusive and Resilient Recovery in Asia and the Pacific -GO4SDGS High level launching (April 2021)
Europe and Central Asia
GO4SDGs provides policy and capacity support in Europe and Central Asia, particularly in such areas as fiscal stimulus packages, sustainable infrastructure, tourism and capacity development for the hospitality sector, as well as assisting SMEs ensure a green and inclusive recovery from COVID-19.
Latin-America and the Caribbean
GO4SDGs focuses on mainstreaming the benefits of resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production for climate policies and the economic recovery. It will build cooperation with the Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean and PAGE. GO4SDGs will also explore mechanisms for financing circularity, and support SMEs implement resource efficiency actions that will help them manage the impacts of COVID-19 and build resilience for future crises and growing market competition. Sustainable lifestyles modules will be created for formal and informal education.
Sustainable Consumption and Production for a Resilient and Inclusive Recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean - GO4SDGS High level launching (March 2021)
GO4SDGs aims to help governments address some of the challenges and identify opportunities for greening their economies. An important contribution will be to increase science-based knowledge on the use of natural resources, particularly through a regional Resource Efficiency Outlook, which is critical to design sustainable consumption and production strategies and mobilize actions. GO4SDGs also offers capacity-building opportunities to policymakers and local stakeholders to enhance skills on statistical frameworks and methodologies for measurement of sustainable consumption and production indicators, monitoring progress on SDG12 and reviewing green recovery post-COVID-19. A key focus will be on food waste, plastics and textiles/fashion. GO4SDGs will also provide support to scale up a regional initiative on sustainable fashion, launched in 2020, to support the fashion industry move towards more sustainable practices, and to establish partnerships with educational institutions to include sustainability in curriculums.
Resource Efficiency in the Arab Region: Monitoring Progress of SDG 12 and Building Back Better from COVID-19 - GO4SDGs High Level launching (October 2020)
PAGE developed this tool-box to guide policy makers and green economy professionals in the use of policy options at the intersection of green industrial policy and trade. As such, this tool-box provides an overview over trade-related green industrial policy instruments available and clarifies their structure and operation, while outlining their implications with regard to trade policy.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), One Planet network, International Resource Panel (IRP)
The Sustainable Consumption and Production Hotspots Analysis Tool, is an online application that analyses the environmental and socio-economic performance of 171 countries over the past 25 years to provide scientific evidence of areas where improvement can be made.
This tool provides three modules to analyse hotspot areas of sustainable consumption and production. For guidance how to use each module check out the auxiliary text boxes.
The Anatomy of Action activates people to contribute to SDG 12 by providing core actions people can take in the domains of food, mobility, leisure (consumer goods and tourism), and housing to reduce their carbon footprint based on scientific evidence.
This report aims to provide insights into the scale of food waste and methodology that enables countries to measure baselines and track progress in meeting the SDG target.
The Little Book of Green Nudges is a quick guide to reducing your campus' environmental impact through behavioural change in the form of a concise and user-friendly publication.
This report presents the impact of the global public health and economic crisis created by the pandemic and the growing financial burden on governments. The lack of adequate international support and coordination for ensuring progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has exposed the vulnerability of developing countries to the pandemic.
economic policies, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Climate Focus, EAT
This paper seeks to provide guidance and recommendations for policymakers to increase ambition in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement using the climate change mitigation and adaptation potential of a transition to sustainable food systems.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
This paper evaluates green stimulus packages that were introduced in response to the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007-08 and draws lessons relevant for greening the recovery from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
GO4SDGs is part of the Stockholm+50 Coordination Team, and is supporting the Regional Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Meetings to give voice to and facilitate engagement of as many stakeholders as possible, and to ensure a bottom-up mapping of key initiatives and actions needed to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
GO4SDGs is looking for a communications expert, to support the plan, develop, and implement effective communications and outreach strategies and activities for GO4SDGs, using the full range of modern communication tools, including social media and digital publishing. The incumbent will also work together and support the communications of the Green...
“The world is facing a food-waste crisis. It is estimated that 931 million tonnes of food were wasted by households, retailers, restaurants and other food services in 2019. Around 61% of this waste occurs within households” – says the latest UNEP report Reducing Consumer Food Waste Using Green and Digital Technologies.
GO4SDGs and The Yield Lab Institute launched The Sustainable AgTech Challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean for innovations and startups with products, services and/or technologies that are contributing to fight the causes and impacts of climate change, thus creating more regenerative, sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems.
On 28 February (12h00-13h30 EAT), join the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) for the Side Event at 8th Session of the African Regional Forum for Sustainable Development: From Commitments to Action towards Stockholm+50: Partnerships for the African Green Stimulus Programme.
The Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative aims to accelerate regional solutions for inclusive green economies and sustainable consumption and production by sharing best practices and offering science-based knowledge, policy tools and capacity development opportunities in priority areas to “build back better.”
