For People and Planet
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed spoke with ![]()
, Al Jazeera correspondent, about the importance of taking action to address the climate crisis and following the youth, who are leading the way. The private sector is stepping up and businesses are going green. Grassroot changes are happening outside governments, and just one policy change can make a huge impact. The Deputy Secretary-General also reminded the audience that no matter where you come from, you can become whatever you want to be – using her own background as an example, as a Nigerian, Muslim and now the Deputy Secretary-General.
The Blue Economy
![]()
Michael Lodge, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, says the Blue Economy is important, especially for small nations and islands, who do not have a lot of resources on land and most of their resources from the ocean. In a conversation with Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, an independent Samoan writer, Lodge emphasized that we must come up with more sustainable ways of using the ocean. Lodge sees Sustainable Development Goal number 14, Life Below Water, in two ways — ocean conservation and sustainability.
Biodiversity and Climate Change
![]()
Everything we do affects the ecosystem, Inger Andersen, Executive Director at the UN Environment Programme, reminds us. Some species are affected by light, others react to heat, and right now there are pollinating species going extinct. Andersen emphasized that climate and nature are interconnected, and one of the bigger solutions for absorbing carbon are trees and the ocean. Speaking wit Daphne Ewing-Chow, Sustainability Contributor at Forbes, Andersen said we had to invest in nature’s infrastructure, trees, coasts and coral reefs, and decarbonize our economies by 2050.
Sustainable Fashion
![]()
Roberta Annan, Ghanaian entrepreneur and UNEP supporter on Creative Economy in Africa, said that fashion was the second-largest polluter of the planet. Her focus is on bringing sustainable manufacturing and production processes to the African continent, set a new pace, and do things in a new, more humane way. “Fast fashion is a profit, in Africa we can set the pace and do things differently, empower women and focus on success stories from local communities,“ Annan said. Young Champion of the Earth Omar Itani said that governments needed to be stricter on fashion companies and that each one of us can make a difference by buying sustainable brands.
Building Private Sector Partnerships for SDGs in the Caribbean
![]()
Desmond Brown from the Caribbean News Service interviewed Rosalea Hamilton, CEO of LASCO Chin Foundation, Fred Kennedy, Chairman of Grace Kennedy Foundation, and Matthew Lyn from World Bank on challenges faced by Jamaica and other Caribbean nations in addressing climate change, poverty and natural disasters, agreeing that more extensive collaboration is needed between governments, the private sector and other stakeholders in order to provide a better future.
An Ocean of Change
![]()
Peter Thomson spoke about his role as UN Special Envoy for the Ocean and the dangers human species are creating for the oceanic ecosystem. He stated that humans are destroying the health of the ocean, which is, in turn, ruining the health of the planetary ecosystem. “Having a healthy planet is our goal, and we have to cut these [greenhouse gas] emissions with utmost efficiency.” He highlighted SDG 12 and explained that we needed to radically lower our consumption and production patterns. The solution: refuse, reduce and recycle.
Conversation with Tatiana Valovaya
![]()
Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva Tatiana Valovaya, in conversation with Conor Lennon of UN News, announced a week-long event in Geneva, from 7 to 10 October 2019, focusing on sustainable finance. Members of the financial community are aware that business as usual is not going to last, she said, and as such, long-term projects are most important to invest in. She stressed the importance of not just speaking about sustainability during the General Assembly, but to put it in practice for the present and future.
Young Innovators for the SDGs
![]()
Moderated by Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, young leaders talked about their contribution to combating climate change. Emma Camp fights for the Great Barrier Reef. As a marine biologist at the University of Sydney and one of the Young Leaders for the SDGs, she developed a program engaging people in the Great Barrier Reef. Monika Seyfried, Interaction Designer and winner of the Summer of Solutions Circular Economy Challenge, presented a solution of storing data within plants through the usage of liquid DNA. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, UN SDG Advocate from Chad, pointed out the technology gap between developed and developing countries. “We have to increase the capacity for young innovators, both financially and technically,” she said.
Interactive Engagement for Climate Action
![]()
Liz Canner, foundation of the immersive cross-platform Lost City of Mer and Winslow Porter of the Tree Experience spoke with Maher Nasser, Director of the UN Outreach Division, about the increasing popularity of interactive media, especially gaming technologies that encourage users to positively change their carbon footprint and promote the SDGs in their daily lives. The panelists agreed that virtual reality technologies can bridge the gap between individuals and the environment, allowing users to use their imagination to engage with real issues such as climate change to help accelerate progress on the SDGs.
Hitting the Right Note for Sustainable Development
![]()
The SDG Media Zone closed with musical performances by Michael Ketigian, alias Inverse K, a poet, rapper and technologist. “It was a long awesome week here at the GA,” he said. “Report the story with more heart than a blue whale. Time is running out. We have to Act Now.” He was followed by Rocky Dawuni, a Ghanaian musician and UN Environment Regional Goodwill Ambassador, who made everybody sing along during the song “Rock your Soul.” “We are at a time in history, where young people are worried,” he said after his performance and pointed out the symbolic importance of the UN headquarters building as the grounds, “where we find solutions.” “You are an integral part of that solution,” he told the attendees.
