The pandemic has shown that it is possible to transform
There are now less than 10 years left to achieve the Agenda 2030 targets. Many consider that the transition is going too slowly and that the pace needs to increase. The global development visualised by the Agenda’s indicators provides an overview of the progress within and the challenges faced by various countries. Many activities and initiatives are in progress, yet despite this the picture is bleak: increased inequality, more hunger, alarming erosion of ecosystems, continued global warming and the loss of biodiversity. Agenda 2030 and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals are central to IVL’s activities. We are integrating these into our processes, which is making prioritisation and evaluation easier in both the short and longer term. During 2020, Covid-19 has instigated a transition and a pooling of resources. We have all needed to re-prioritise and work in a new way. Many of the 169 milestones set out in Agenda 2030 have been directly or indirectly affected by the pandemic. This shows that they are interconnected, and that the SDGs can be used as a guide to identify synergies and conflicting aims. The pandemic is
also demonstrating that long-term goals are not enough on their own. We know that there will be more crises. We don’t know what, when or where, but we know that we need to be prepared and able to change when required. The handling of the pandemic shows that this is possible when the various actors in society work together. IVL’s goals are to be one step ahead, to act and to pool our resources. We are doing this by integrating Agenda 2030 into our assignments and research projects, at the same time as working to re-prioritize and contribute more effectively and more rapidly to cross-border collaborations, both nationally and globally.
Carin Ström, Research coordinator, IVL
IVL’s work is characterised by a holistic approach and a life cycle perspective. Our ambition is, at an early stage, to identify and propose measures and solutions that will contribute to achieving Agenda 2030. Carin Ström, Research coordinator, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
On the next spread you can read about some of the commission and research projects we have been working on in 2020 and how we have integrated Agenda 2030 in these.
ANNUAL REPORT 2020
19
