SDG Learncast
By UN SDG:Learn
SDG LearncastJul 16, 2021
Banking on Biodiversity: The Seed Savers’ Crusade
The world faces a significant challenge in ensuring food security for its growing population amidst the threats posed by climate change. The increasing reliance on a narrow selection of cultivated crops due to industrial agriculture is causing a concerning reduction in the genetic diversity of plants. This narrowing pool poses a risk to global food security, making our food supply more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and changing climate conditions.
Seed banks play a crucial role in combating this trend by preserving the genetic diversity of thousands of plant species, including traditional and 'forgotten' crops that are resilient to changing climate conditions and offer nutritional benefits. These facilities, alongside innovative agricultural practices, are vital in reintroducing a diversity of crops into modern agriculture. This diversification can lead to more resilient food systems that are capable of withstanding environmental stresses, thereby securing the nutritional needs of future generations.
In this SDG Learncast episode, we're honored to have Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust, as our distinguished guest. Dr. Schmitz brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the fields of agricultural biodiversity and food security. He will discuss the growing importance of seed banks in the fight against the erosion of agricultural biodiversity and share insights into the Crop Trust's efforts to conserve crop diversity globally. This includes supporting key seed banks worldwide and coordinating projects like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, aimed at ensuring the long-term preservation and availability of crop diversity for the benefit of everyone.
Dr. Schmitz will delve into the challenges and opportunities in preserving agricultural biodiversity, the critical role of seed banks, and the transformative potential of reintroducing 'forgotten' crops into agriculture. He will also highlight the innovative strategies being employed to support the work of seed banks and the importance of global collaboration in safeguarding our agricultural heritage. Through this conversation, listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how preserving seed diversity and embracing innovative agricultural practices are essential steps toward a sustainable and food-secure future.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast on podcast apps.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.
The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Global finance in transition: Reforming the global financial system for the SDGs
In this episode, Guillaume Lafortune, Vice President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), discusses the critical theme of long-term financing for sustainable development and the need for reform in the global financial architecture. He highlights the challenges hindering the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the estimated financing gap for the SDGs.
Guillaume emphasizes the importance of investing in energy and water for high returns and the systemic financial difficulties impacting developing countries. He also discusses the role of multilateral development banks and the need for a long-term affordable financing system. Guillaume concludes by highlighting the opportunities for reforming the global financial architecture.
Takeaways
- The progress of the SDGs has been lacking or slowing, and there is a significant financing gap for the SDGs.
- Investing in energy and water can provide high returns and contribute to sustainable development.
- Systemic financial difficulties impacting developing countries' efforts towards achieving the SDGs.
- Reforming the global financial architecture is crucial, and there are opportunities to make significant progress.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast on podcast apps.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.
The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
“Great Buys” in Education: Maximizing learning in low and middle-income countries
In this episode, we are featuring Benjamin Piper, the Director of Global Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Ben sheds light on the groundbreaking work of the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP). With an exhaustive analysis of over 13,000 academic studies, GEEAP identifies the most effective and economical educational interventions.
We delved into the intriguing concept of "Smart Buys" or "Great Buys" in education, dissecting approaches like structured pedagogy and teaching children according to their learning level rather than age or grade.
We confront a stark reality: two-thirds of children in low and middle-income countries fail to acquire comprehensive reading skills by age 10. This crisis extends beyond literacy; it reflects the profound limitations of our current education systems. The question arises: How do we tackle this challenge? It's essential to look beyond simply increasing school enrolment. We must ensure that every child, once in school, has equal opportunities to maximize their learning potential.
You can read more about the 2023 Cost-effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning Report and the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP).
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast on podcast apps.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.
The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Tomorrow's Classroom: Digital Transformation through Systems Thinking
In this episode of the SDG Learncast, we feature Breanne Pitt, a researcher and educator, on the concept of systems thinking and its vital role in modern education. They explore the challenges and complexities of the digital age, discuss the impact of standardized testing, and delve into practical tools like the World Economic Forum's Transformation Maps. This enlightening conversation underscores the importance of a proactive approach to teaching, preparing students for a deeply interconnected world.
You can read more about Breanne Pitt's White Paper on Innovative Learning Solutions to Navigate Complexity: Adapting Systems Thinking to Future Classrooms.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast on podcast apps.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The Fight for Our Forests and Future: The Rising Threat from Oil and Gas Exploration
Tyson Miller, Director of Earth Insight unpacks the escalating threats of oil and gas expansion in the Amazon and Congo Basin regions.
Drawing from the Earth Insight's reports "Congo in the Crosshairs: New Oil & Gas Expansion Threats to Forests and Communities" "Crisis Point: Oil and Gas Expansion Threats to Amazon and Congo Basin Tropical Forests and Communities" and an article from The Guardian, we discovered that Africa's oil and gas territories could quadruple, threatening to wipe out a third of the dense tropical forests and accelerating climate change. One thing is clear: polluting countries must step up to rapidly decarbonize their own economies.
Tyson doesn’t just highlight problems but also offers solutions. From the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty's efforts to halt fuel expansion to the push for banks to champion against fossil fuel projects, Tyson shines a light on pathways to counter these looming threats. Listen to the podcast to learn more about protecting our world's critical ecosystems.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast on podcast apps.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Can Education Wait? A Deep Dive into Learning in Crisis Zones
In this podcast episode, we're joined by Yasmine Sherif, the Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), as she discussed the importance of quality education in crisis situations.
As a human rights lawyer with extensive field experience, Yasmine highlights the challenges of delivering education to the 222 million children lacking access today. Yasmine highlighted ECW's holistic approach to addressing this crisis, their hands-on experiences in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cox's Bazar, and the triumphs seen from strategic partnerships and programme investment, like in Colombia and Uganda.
She also talks about the role of technology in this field, painting a realistic picture of its limitations and possibilities. Join us to discover how ECW advocates for education as the foundation of all sustainable development goals.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast on podcast apps.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Achieving Sustainable Food Systems: How can we balance biodiversity conservation and food production?
In this SDG Learncast episode, we delved into the challenges of achieving sustainable food systems and the balance needed between biodiversity conservation and nutrition. Our guests, Dr. Sarah Jones and Dr. Aline Mosnier, experts in food systems and biodiversity conservation, discussed the impact of agriculture on biodiversity and how we can meet global targets by 2030.
They also explore the need to reduce the overconsumption of food and shift to healthier diets while meeting the nutritional needs of a projected population of 9 billion people by 2050. They also stressed the importance of avoiding conflicts and making ambitious policies and decisions to create a more sustainable future for everyone.
Tune in for insightful conversations on sustainable development and learning to help us achieve a better tomorrow.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Space Power: Utilizing satellites to bring electricity to the most vulnerable groups in Sub-Saharan Africa - Camila dos Santos Gonçalves and Grace Chenxin Liu of the New York Academy of Sciences
According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021, although 46% of sub-Saharan Africa's population now has access to electricity--up from 33% in 2010--the region is far behind the global average of 90%. 97 million people in urban areas and 471 million in rural areas are still without access to electricity.
The lack of access is caused by several factors. On the demand side, there are low uptake and expensive connection charges while on the supply side, the energy sources are unreliable since more of the existing options in the region are renewable decentralized grids. This unreliability drives blackouts and brownouts.
In this episode, we feature Camila dos Santos Gonçalves and Grace Chenxin Liu, who are members of the New York Academy of Sciences, which selects 1,000 of the world's brightest high school students (ages 13-17) to become part of The Junior Academy. The members are then given a global challenge to work on, together with mentors and experts, to learn how to understand global problems and find approaches to address them.
In this year's challenge, the group was tasked to work on the Flexible Use of Electricity. After two months, the team of young people from different parts of the world presented their approach of using space satellites to respond to the energy needs but also approaching the issue holistically, addressing systemic issues, gender equality, and climate change.
Listen to this episode to learn more about how Camila, Grace and their team use space satellites to provide electricity to the most vulnerable groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Countering disinformation and promoting integrity in public information: Breaking away from echo chambers - Dr. Julian Jaursch of SNV Berlin
Misinformation and disinformation are pressing public issues. There has been a rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation. Sometimes we call them fake news. This happens online and offline and it affects everyone, every day. Receiving truthful and quality information is critical as we all depend on information to make decisions.
At the personal level, we need accurate information to make decisions about health and who we vote for. And at the global level, we need established facts to make collective decisions on pressing issues. Such as pandemics climate change and resolving conflicts. The UN Secretary-General and his report 'Our Common Agenda' called the large-scale spread of disinformation and the undermining of scientifically established facts as an existential risk to humanity.
In this episode, we will be speaking with Dr. Julian Jaursch, Project Director at the SNV in Berlin, working on Strengthening the Digital Public Space.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast.
Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Can blockchain technology help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? - Thy-Diep "Yip" Ta of UNIT Ventures and DLT Talents
Blockchain technology has been leveraged in humanitarian settings by the World Food Programme to deliver cash directly to beneficiaries securely and quickly, without the need to go through a local bank. The potential of blockchain applications in protecting the environment has also been tested to eliminate illegal fishing in the tuna industry. Blockchain applications are also being considered to provide a transparent, trustworthy way to show how nations are taking action to reduce their impact on the climate.
In this SDG Learncast episode, we spoke with Ms. Thy-Diep "Yip" Ta, co-founder of UNIT Ventures and DLT Talents, to unpack the blockchain technology for our podcast listeners and explain how the blockchain technology can also help vulnerable groups get access to financial resources, support people working in the care economy, and creating more incentives for collaboration, transparency, and good behavior through the blockchain technology.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The data revolution and new technologies: how we can use them to reach the most vulnerable groups? - Emmanuel Letouzé of Data-Pop Alliance
The data revolution is the unprecedented increase in the volume and types of data—and the subsequent demand for them—thanks to the ongoing yet uneven proliferation of new technologies. We need data to formulate sustainable development policies. But it requires that we collect accurate data and use this evidence to inform policymaking. The use of evidence derived from data in policymaking requires the capability to collect and analyze accurate data and a way to make evidence available to decision-makers.
In this episode, we will speak with Dr. Emmanuel Letouzé, the Director of Data-Pop Alliance, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, which he founded in 2013 with MIT Media Lab, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and ODI. This episode will talk about ensuring that vulnerable groups are not left behind in the data revolution and the advancement of new technologies.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Creating a positive future with Artificial Intelligence - Jeanne Lim of BeingAI
Artificial intelligence (AI) has helped the world estimate real-time precipitation worldwide since 2005. AI is also being used to inform emergency planning, track typhoons, and manage and prevent floods, droughts, and storms. But AI's use is not only for disaster responses and prevention.
In a 2020 study, a group of researchers found that artificial intelligence can enable the accomplishment of 134 SDG targets across all the goals but it may also inhibit 59 targets. The study showed that society can benefit from AI in reducing extreme poverty, providing quality education, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, and supporting the creation of circular economies and smart cities that efficiently use their resources. However, the researchers also warned that if AI technology and big data are used in regions where ethical scrutiny, transparency, and democratic control are lacking, AI might enable nationalism, hate towards minorities and biased election outcomes.
Our speaker in this episode, Jeanne Lim, Co-founder & CEO of beingAI, former CEO and CMO of Hanson Robotics, and co-developer of Sophia, the human-like robot, is one of the leading experts in pushing for a more compassionate artificial intelligence that can benefit people and our planet. Let’s hear from her.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
How can we use science, technology, and innovation (STI) to achieve a sustainable future - Amb. Sergiy Kyslytsya and Amb. Kennedy Godfrey Gastorn of the STI Forum
Science and technology intricately mesh together with society. You cannot see one without the other. However, transformational changes in science and technology do not always advance sustainable development and reduce inequality. More people have access to smartphones than clean water or clean sanitation in some countries. Artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies are growing, but so has the number of people living in hunger.
In this episode, we speak with the co-chairs of the Science, Technology, and Innovation or STI Forum--Mr. Sergiy Kyslytsya, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations and Mr. Kennedy Godfrey Gastorn, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations. They both shared their insights on advancing science and technology achievements while also addressing global challenges of inequality, digital divide, inclusion, climate change, to name a few issues, through collaboration among different actors in society. We need novel ways to mitigate emerging risks to scientific research and we also need to further the collaboration among scientists, researchers, and policymakers in an ongoing dialogue in networks of trust and transparency to address the global challenges.
The STI Forum of the United Nations provides this space for scientific cooperation and collaboration. It is also an important space for reflections on global development problems and discussions on how science, technology, and innovation can help contribute to approaches and solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. To know more and to register for the upcoming STI Forum, please go to https://sdgs.un.org/tfm/STIForum2022.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
Is knowledge brokering the missing link between science and changing behaviours for sustainable development and climate action? Patrick van Weerelt of UNSSC
Transferring science and research into policy and practice is a complex process, but failing to do so results in inequities and wasted resources. Finding appropriate mechanisms for the transfer of science and research into policies, programmes, and practice has become a major driver in finding approaches and solutions to achieving sustainable development. There has been a major push in the uptake of research and evidence-based technologies and funding also began mandating the use of activities that link research-generated evidence to policy and practice.
A solution to bridge the gap between science, policies, programmes, and practice is to use knowledge brokers, who are neutral intermediaries that function as an interface between the creators and users of knowledge. They are the human force behind knowledge transfer, finding, assessing, interpreting evidence, facilitating interaction, developing accessible formats, and identifying opportunities for collaboration and exchange between the producers and users of knowledge and spur enablers for behaviour change. Is knowledge brokering the missing link between science and changing behaviours for sustainable development and climate action?
In this episode, we listen to Patrick van Weerelt, the Head of Office of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development on the importance of knowledge brokering in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the role of the Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development in brokering knowledge between different actors and stakeholders who do not usually engage with each other. He shared lessons he learned in his years of experience in the areas of learning, training, and knowledge management for sustainable development and his insights into the gap between acquiring knowledge and changing behaviours.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.
Dealing with climate emergency and disaster risks: How can we make climate and risk knowledge accessible to those who need them the most? Loretta Hieber Girardet of UNDRR
There is a tangible gap between the current climate science on the one hand and policymaking and practice on the other hand. There is also an evident need for user-driven and decision-driven co-produced knowledge on climate change and disaster risks. Science-stakeholder collaboration is becoming an increasingly common way to address mismatches between the knowledge needs of stakeholders and the research being done by both physical and social scientists. Dealing with climate emergency and disaster risks requires that we make climate and risk knowledge accessible to those who need them the most. But how?
In this episode, we speak with Ms. Loretta Hiebert Girardet, the Chief of Support and Monitoring of Sendai Framework Implementation Branch at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) where she shares her expertise and experience in bridging the gap between science, policymaking, and practice and the communities who need to use the knowledge in their context. She also shares an important source of climate and risk knowledge, the Prevention Web platform where different actors and stakeholders can get contextualized knowledge in usable formats.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.
Goal-based development: Do they actually work? - Revisiting the UN goal-setting as a policy tool with Professor Jeffrey Sachs of SDSN
Goals are an essential part of any action agenda. Together with setting targets, indicators, and timetables, goals can help measure progress, keep different actors and stakeholders on track, and allow for the assessment of achievement of any action agenda. However, conceptual questions need to be asked about whether they really work, what kind of incentives they create, when they are most effective in achieving their policy goals, and what unintended consequences they lead to, if any.
In this episode, we revisit the UN goal-setting as a policy tool for development, which guided the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our guest speaker is Professor Jeffrey Sachs, the President of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and also the host of the Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs, a monthly interview with renowned authors about their groundbreaking work in history, social justice, sustainable development in more. Jeffrey Sachs is a world-renowned economist and Columbia University professor and author of books on economics.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.
Understanding the skills gap and the sustainability gap - and what employers can do about it with Robert Marinkovich and Akustina Morni of the IOE
In a pre-Covid survey, conducted by the International Organization of Employers (IOE) together with the International Labour Organization (ILO), of about 500 companies in all regions, it found that companies across the board felt the challenge of hiring and retaining skilled workers--it's getting more difficult to find people with the rights and new graduates are not prepared for the current jobs. In fact, the skills employers needed four years ago are very much different to the skills they need now. In many countries, the education system is 10 years behind.
On the other hand, achieving sustainable development among big and small businesses globally can sometimes be seen as slow. Some companies jump into the sustainability train and introduce new ways of thinking and operating for a sustainable future. Others are still operating 'business as usual' in an old-fashioned way or operating in the margins that make them vulnerable, especially during crises.
In this episode, we hear valuable insights from Robert Marinkovich, adviser on sustainable development and climate policy portfolio, and Akustina Morni, senior adviser for the Asia employers group, at the International Organization of Employers on what can be done to address the skills gap and sustainability gap. IOE has more than 150 employer and business organization members, which have an impact on more than 50 million employees across the world.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.
Is there a future for Micro-, Small-, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Developing Countries after Covid-19? - Lessons from the SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021 with Raphaël Dard of ITC
The International Trade Centre conducted a survey on Covid-19 impact among businesses in 136 countries and the survey has shown that 60% of micro and 57% of small businesses were strongly affected by the pandemic, compared with 43% of large firms.
One of the factors that contributed to surviving the crisis was the resilience of businesses. For example, during COVID-19, only 16% of resilient companies reported laying off employees, compared to 76% of companies with a lower index of resilience.
As SMEs account for about 90% of businesses and more than 50 of employment worldwide, their demise has disastrous social and economic consequences. What lessons can we capture from the COVID-19 response to ensure that MSMEs are resilient to the looming climate crisis, and are drivers of an inclusive transition towards more sustainable economies?
Listen to Raphaël Dard, Head of the SME Trade Academy of the International Trade Centre, as he shares important insights from his work at ITC, illustrating some of the recent SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021 findings: i.e. why women-led and youth-led businesses were the most impacted during the pandemic and what can we do about it. Hear about some lessons and resources that MSMEs can use to help build a more resilient and competitive business during the green recovery.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.
The 99% of Businesses: How can we make SMEs in high-income countries more sustainable? Willem Overbosch of Ubiquity University
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are key players and national economies around the world. For example, in the OECD area, they represent 99% of all businesses, generating about 60% of employment and between 50% and 60% of value-added. Therefore, SMEs play a major role in delivering growth that is more inclusive and whose benefits are shared more broadly. Are SMEs in high-income countries aware of the sustainable development goals? What changed in the past decades and how can young people start sustainable entrepreneurship for a better future?
Let's hear from Willem Overbosch, Head of Business Development at the Ubiquity University, his experience in helping SMEs build and grow their business in the Netherlands and Australia for the past 20 years, the shifts and trends among SMEs, the differences across regions and ages, and his tips to business owners and young generation of entrepreneurs in building a more inclusive and sustainable business.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.
The Changing Role of Learning for the Future of Work – Closing the skills gap with Sheila Jagannathan of the World Bank
According to McKinsey, 45% of the jobs today will be lost in the next 20 years, mostly low-skilled jobs, while the World Economic Forum reports that our skills have a shelf life of 4.5 years. With the World Bank's twin goal of ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity, how does the Bank uses learning and knowledge exchange to address extreme poverty, lift the bottom 40% of the population, and address SDG gaps in countries?
Let's hear from Sheila Jagannathan, the Head of the World Bank Open Learning Campus on her perspectives on the changing role of learning, her insights on how we can leverage learning to get back on track post-Covid-19, and how learning can prepare us for the Future of Work.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.
How to Hack Hackathons? - Using collective brainpower to solve food insecurity with Cristina Petracchi of the Food and Agriculture Organization
How can we use learning in addressing complex global challenges such as food insecurity?
In this episode, SDG Learncast asks Cristina Petracchi, Leader of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) eLearning Academy on how the FAO supports countries in addressing the issues of food insecurity, food losses, and food waste. Cristina shares how FAO launched a 24-hour global hackathon and use collective brainpower to find solutions to the problem of world hunger. This episode features tips to make successful hackathons and highlights the importance of competence-based learning.
Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast. Visit UN SDG:Learn website at www.unsdglearn.org to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.
The opinions expressed in the SDG Learncast podcasts are solely those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of UN SDG:Learn, its Joint Secretariat, and partners.