Interconnections between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement Exploring the role of state, non-state and sub national actors

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda (including 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Financing for Development Process) and the Paris Climate Agreement offers a unique opportunity to move towards more integrated and balanced development. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without addressing climate change whose impacts have the potential to halt or even reverse development achievements. Conversely, actions to address climate change mitigation and adaptation should also deliver on core issues of sustainable development, including poverty alleviation, food security, gender equality and human rights.

The strategic engagement of state and non-state actors and cooperative initiatives can create synergies between multiple political processes that address climate change and sustainable development, for instance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the High Level Political Forum, UNFCCC, the New Urban Agenda, G20, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA). However, such engagements need to involve stakeholders across developed and developing countries to deliver equitable results. Integrated and inclusive implementation is especially crucial for sustainable development in developing countries as they are particularly vulnerable. Against this background, the Interconnections conference (12-13 May 2017, Bonn) will convene leading scholars, leading experts, and policy makers from relevant fields to exchange ideas and to build bridges between sustainable development and climate change.

The Interconnections Conference will address the following questions:

• Which linkages between multiple political processes addressing sustainable development and climate change can foster synergies and propel the transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon and climate resilient future?
• Non-state and sub-national actors and cooperative initiatives are relatively underrepresented in developing countries, how can such actions deliver sustainable and climate smart solutions across both developed and developing countries?
• How to increase national and local capacity, including financing, for actions that deliver on both sustainable development and climate change?

Paper submission

We invite abstracts (max. 250 words) for research papers as well as discussion and briefing papers that address one or more of the above questions. Abstracts can be send to friederike.eichhorn[at]die-gdi.de by 11 February. Notification of acceptance will be given by 1 March, full research, discussion, and briefing papers are due by 1 May 2017.

In keeping with our commitment to not only engage academia and north-based experts, we hold the conference in parallel with the Bonn Climate Conference (8-18 May); at a short walking distance from the negotiations venue; allowing interaction between practitioners, policy makers, officials and academic and non-academic experts.

We look for contributions from around the world, and provide limited travel and accommodation funding for participants from developing countries. For more information, mail to Ms. Friederike Eichhorn: friederike.eichhorn[at]die-gdi.de.

Important dates

Submission of abstracts 11 February 2017
Notification of acceptance 1 March 2017
Submission of papers 1 May 2017
Conference 12-13 May 2017

Download full-text Call for Papers at: http://www.die-gdi.de/veranstaltungen/interconnections/