Speeding up the SDGs and shaping a more ambitious post-2030 agenda

As the world enters the final stretch before the 2030 deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the University of Groningen is hosting a key workshop on ‘The Future of Sustainable Development: Understanding the interplay between society, business, and policy for accelerating SDGs and beyond.’ The three-day event, running from 6 to 8 October at the House of Connections, is hosted by the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development.

According to Prajal Pradhan, Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen and lead organizer for the University of Groningen, the timing of the get-together is crucial: ‘This year marks the tenth anniversary of the SDGs, yet many SDG targets remain off track. We have still five years left, and no one knows what will come after 2030. This is why we must not only accelerate progress now, but also prepare for a post-2030 agenda.’

The program focuses on three pillars: civil society, private sector and business, and policy and governance. Through breakout sessions, keynote speeches, and plenary discussions, participants will explore the different aspects of the SDGs. The final hybrid session on 8 October at 13:30 is open to all, offering the wider public an opportunity to engage in the debate. ‘We aim to bring together diverse communities to reflect on lessons learned and contribute collaboratively to co-design the post-2030 SDG agenda.’

While most participants come from academia, the event is interdisciplinary and increasingly transdisciplinary, involving partners from society. Groningen, Pradhan emphasizes, is a fitting host city: ‘SDGs are a global agenda, but they affect individuals at the local level. Issues like poverty, nutrition, and mental health are related to every individual. At the same time, the University of Groningen wants to become a fifth-generation university and actively help solve societal challenges. Sustainability is central to that vision.’

For Pradhan, the most important outcome is mutual learning. ‘We have prominent scholars and policy makers from around the world. This is a forum where we learn from each other about how to speed up the SDGs and how to make the post-2030 goals more ambitious.’ Among the prominent speakers are Astra Bonini (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs), Csaba Kőrösi (Blue Planet Foundation, 77th President of the UN General Assembly), Bojie Fu (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Marianne Beisheim (German Institute for International and Security Affairs), and Anna Pott (SDG Coordinator for the Netherlands).

The workshop’s findings are expected to contribute to preparations for the 2027 UN SDG Summit, one of the last global checkpoints before 2030. Organizers also plan to publish a paper summarizing insights for a broader audience – helping ensure that lessons from Groningen will have a follow-up. The event is co-organized by David Horan (Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future) and Frank Biermann (Utrecht University). You can register for the event on the Rudolf Agricola School website.