Future of Sustainability 2020: Has the disruption from COVID-19 accelerated the transition to a sustainable future, or made it more challenging?

This Forum for the Future

Future of Sustainability 2020: Has the disruption from COVID-19 accelerated the transition to a sustainable future, or made it more challenging?

This Forum for the Future webinar took place on 22 July 2020. We are in the midst of a historic moment that will shape society for decades to come. The COVID-19 crisis is having a devastating impact – both in terms of lives lost and economic disruption. The region’s informal, cash-based economies are particularly vulnerable. At Forum for the Future we believe this may also be a moment to re-imagine how we rebuild our economies.

We are therefore calling for business, governments, civil society and communities to seize this moment in helping to deliver a more just, sustainable and resilient world. Drawing on research and insights we gather annually to understand what is next for the fields of sustainability, impact investing and philanthropy, we will share a suite of futures trajectories we have been developing which help us understand possible ways forward as change-makers. We believe only one of these trajectories, which we are calling 'Transform', has the potential to create the just, resilient and sustainable systems we need. It is based on a mindset that recognizes the interdependent nature of the challenges we face today. The session included reflections from inspiring change-makers who are already driving towards this 'Transform' trajectory – aiming to shift our political, economic and social systems so that they work together in service of human and planetary health, justice and economic resilience. If there is ever a time to drive this transformative change, it is now.

This talk features a young innovator and entrepreneur presenting a green solution to the massive socio-environmental problem of crop burning in Northern India. He is the founder and CEO of Craste,

This talk features a young innovator and entrepreneur presenting a green solution to the massive socio-environmental problem of crop burning in Northern India. He is the founder and CEO of Craste, a TechStars company, which operates on the principle of “maximum efficiency, zero waste” and develops pioneering materials from leftover biomass.

A Chemical Engineering graduate from Imperial College London, he was invited to Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth II for his achievements. He has received numerous accolades, including the BIRAC SoCH Innovation award. Additionally, he founded Gramiksha, a non-profit focused on youth mobilization in education, at age 19.

This presentation was delivered at a TEDx event. Learn more at ted.com/tedx.

This B-roll footage, lasting 11 minutes and 31 seconds, captures highlights from the ITU AI for Good Global Summit held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6-7 July 2023.

The video features a range

This B-roll footage, lasting 11 minutes and 31 seconds, captures highlights from the ITU AI for Good Global Summit held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6-7 July 2023.

The video features a range of content, including keynote speeches by figures like Amazon CTO Werner Vogels, panel discussions with ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin and Google DeepMind COO Lili Ibrahim, and robotics demonstrations. Other segments cover talks on AI solutions for climate change and health, cross-regional collaboration, and insights from representatives of the White House and United Nations.

Join our "Women in the Workplace" 10-year anniversary panel event, celebrating a decade of progress and the path ahead for women in the workforce. We'll reflect on gains and setbacks across

Join our "Women in the Workplace" 10-year anniversary panel event, celebrating a decade of progress and the path ahead for women in the workforce. We'll reflect on gains and setbacks across industries, looking forward to new opportunities.

Drawing from the 2024 "Women in the Workplace" report by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org, this discussion will analyze real-world data on equitable policies, talent pipelines, equal representation, and pay parity. Our panel, featuring Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (CEO, Xero), Padmasree Warrior (Co-Founder & CEO, Fable), and moderator Alexis Krivkovich (McKinsey & Company), will share authentic experiences from the C-suite to entry-level roles.

Discussions addressed critical global economic issues: macroeconomic imbalances, currency instability, global governance (G20), and the international financial system.

Key participants

Discussions addressed critical global economic issues: macroeconomic imbalances, currency instability, global governance (G20), and the international financial system.

Key participants included Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Robert E. Diamond Jr., Christine Lagarde, George Osborne, Wolfgang Schäuble, Yu Yongding, and Robert B. Zoellick. The session was chaired by Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator for the Financial Times.

SDG Digital, a cornerstone initiative, recently concluded its digital track with a formal joint closing involving key leaders from ITU, the UN, and UNDP. This effort leverages digital innovation

SDG Digital, a cornerstone initiative, recently concluded its digital track with a formal joint closing involving key leaders from ITU, the UN, and UNDP. This effort leverages digital innovation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aligning with the UN General Assembly and the upcoming Summit of the Future.

The initiative showcased how digital technologies can build a more sustainable, inclusive, and responsible future. By convening diverse leaders from government, civil society, the private sector, youth, and academia, SDG Digital fostered exploration of the trends, risks, and opportunities presented by digital and emerging technologies.

For more information: https://www.itu.int/initiatives/sdgdigital2024/