Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
PIE co-chairs sign SDG Charter
On 27 June 2017, Han Aarts and Jennifer Kockx, Co-Chairs of PIE signed the SDG Charter. The Dutch SDG Charter Foundation (SDG Charter) aims to contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals by creating the enabling environment for joint and coordinated action of multiple stakeholders. The SDG Charter is a platform with over 1000 signatories from the private sector, NGOs, knowledge institutes, (local) government, philanthropy and the financial sector, who want to work together on the Sustainable Development Goals. The Foundation will facilitate these partnerships. For more information: www.sdgcharter.nl.
SDG Netherlands is the movement of everyone who contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Netherlands. We are with more than 1,000 social organizations, youth groups, municipalities, financial institutions, educational and knowledge institutions and residents’ initiatives.
Partners in the network endorse the vision and conditions of SDG Netherlands. They show in the online community how they contribute to the SDGs and meet each other at events such as the SDG Action Day.
PIE Co-Chairs sign SDG Charter
SDGs in Capacity Building: making it real
PIE Seminar
On the 13 June 2019 the Platform for International Education, PIE, organised a seminar, at the SDG house in Amsterdam, on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education and capacity building. PIE aims to contribute to global and local sustainable development, both in countries and regions where partner institutes are based and in the Netherlands. In doing so PIE aligns with the SDGs targeted by the UN – particularly SDG 4 ‘Quality Education’ and SDG 17 ‘Partnerships for the goals’.
Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (ASI)
The Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (ASI) provides an inclusive umbrella for sustainability-related research at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ASI seeks to build bridges among VU researchers and with the wider community to increase our scientific and societal impact. Our motto is: ‘Integrating knowledge for sustainable societal choices’.
ASI actively promotes cooperation between related but traditionally divided disciplinary approaches across VU faculties. It further develops and strengthens relations with societal partners and users of its knowledge in order to deliver timely and relevant research to society as well as to receive feedback and input to its research.
ASI is managed by a Scientific Steering Committee, including research leaders from all participating VU faculties. This Committee is supported by a small team for daily management.
Green Office VU
Since 2014 the Green Office VU has been the sustainability platform at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
A university is a place where students acquire new knowledge and experiences, but also where new habits are made. Therefore universities should act as drivers of sustainability and create a cultural change; a green movement.
‘Sustainable higher education implies that the critical activities of a higher education institution are ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable and that they will continue to be so for future generations’, according to the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future.
SDG 2030 game
MDF started facilitating the SDG 2030 game about two years ago. Then came Corona, with the obvious effects on the possibilities to play the game. Fortunately, it is possible to play the game online now. The game is an experiential simulation game, taking the world from 2021 till 2030 (taking us through the decade of action). The game teaches us what it takes to work towards the SDGs, with a focus on individual as well as organisational behaviour.
‘We The People’ for The Global Goals
In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals (officially known as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs). These goals have the power to create a better world by 2030, by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change. Guided by the Goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone. More about the Global Goals initiative here https://www.globalgoals.org/
PIE aligns with the SDGs targeted by the UN – particularly SDG 4 ‘Quality Education’ and SDG 17 ‘Partnerships for the goals’.
Main image: Students in training. Photo © Aeres Training Centre International