As the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) progressed, followed by the G20 Summit, and later, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), I felt overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the challenges that the world faces. Overwhelmed by COVID-19. Overwhelmed by the climate crisis. Some days, I even wake up and think: “are we ever going to have a breakthrough”? But being an optimist at heart, I still think a breakthrough is coming. There are huge challenges that our planet must grapple with, but we’ve also seen the development of significant solutions. I think that the three events I mentioned have led to many important conversations and commitments to make the world a better place.

Through my experiences working in media to NGOs to the energy sector, I’ve seen how the green transition is being worked on everyday by multiple actors through diverse approaches.I also see how my country, Denmark, is again a beacon of hope when it comes to handling COVID-19, and how it has almost gone back to “normal” — at least, in my perspective. We just had our first 50,000-person concert in Copenhagen, and all restrictions related to masks and distancing have been lifted. I also feel safer because I had my 2nd vaccine dose back in March 2021. Through measures such as social distancing and widespread vaccination, Danish society has been able to get back on track.

However, looking at the rest of the world, there are so many countries still struggling with COVID-19. I was shocked to learn at UNGA that only 1 in 47 low-income economies have been vaccinated (compared to 1 in 2 high-income economies — these figures further reflect the inequities that come with economic disparity. It is also troubling that low-income countries may not have access to the vaccine before 2023 at the earliest.

COVID-19 is a disease that has taken 4.5 million lives globally, but even though it’s tragic, we can also look at it as a key experience in how quickly the world can mobilize solutions to dire threats. If we are challenged and pushed to face global challenges, we can mobilize solutions quickly and effectively .

As a lot of people have been wondering, I am also asking myself: “why can’t we mobilize as quickly when it comes to climate action?” Why do we only look towards new technologies to save the world?

Because, as I see it, we could also choose to look at old technologies, indigenous technologies, or “lo-tek” as Julia Watson puts it in her book, .’We could also choose to look at old religious rituals as a way to lighten our spirits and make positive progress to heal ourselves and to heal the world.

I believe that we need to look at both existing technologies that have been used for centuries, such as planting mangroves for flooding and CO2 capturing, as well as creating huge storage facilities where we can keep wind and solar energy. The future is here now and speed is of the essence.

By: Clarisse Joy “Clary” Mañabat

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) convened again, with most of its events taking place online. This year’s UNGA and celebrations have again showcased young people, with youth conversing and interviewing world leaders, youth having a seat at the table, youth organizing events to call for action, and youth from all around the world attending and intently listening to our world leaders.

For this year’s UNGA, the +SocialGood community continued its fireside chat, UNGA Labs, and social media activation of its #RoadtoUNGA campaign.

We started the #RoadtoUNGA as a preparation for the big event and to call to attention like-minded individuals and organizations to tune in and be part of the 76th UNGA. As one of the speakers during the #RoadtoUNGA, I was fortunate enough to speak on behalf of my fellow youth and the Global South. Together with Cynthia Yue, the 10th UNA-USA Youth Observer to the UN, +SocialGood Advisors Ruba Al Zu’bi and Ruth Aine, and +SocialGood Connectors Priyanka Jaisinghani and Swarnima Shrestha, we dived deep into the issues that children, youth, and women face today and shared our past and current initiatives to mitigate challenges and change the status quo.

From being on the frontline of healthcare, not having a stable internet connection, experiencing vaccine inequality, and adverse impacts of climate change, it is undeniable that children, youth, and women faced drastic changes during this pandemic.

According to UNICEF, more than 168 million children have lost the opportunity to learn at school due to COVID-19. This leads to additional challenges, such as child marriages, lack of access to digital learning, domestic violence, and female genital mutilation. Moreover, children with special needs or disabilities are constantly denied access to schools during the pandemic.

UNICEF also found that 27% of the population between the ages of 13 and29 years old are anxious while 15% of them are depressed. The report also showed that young women are more vulnerable than young men. Although the population for the data does not represent the experience of all young individuals around the world, it is still alarming that the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the mental health of young individuals.

Due to worldwide restrictions, more and more women have experienced domestic violence. Not only will the cases of domestic violence rise, but it will also decrease the progress towards ending gender-based violence by 2030. One-third of efforts and progress will be reduced towards ending violence against women, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Girls and women living in least developed countries are most at risk.

These trends mentioned above are not even the tip of the iceberg. Although there are an increasing number of countries that have adopted laws and regulations to protect children, youth, and women, this is not nearly enough. There is still more work that needs to be done. Laws, policies, and the signing of agreements will only remain on paper without prompt and full action. With this, I suggest and wholly demand individuals, organizations, communities, societies, national and international agencies, and government to start their work today. These vulnerable groups remained silent unintentionally because of a lack of access to information, assistance, and fear of being misjudged.

No one should be left behind in these trying times. Here are some ways to take action:

• Raise discussions about these issues or undiscussed topics with your family and friends.
• Look for ways to join organizations or support causes advancing the rights and welfare of these vulnerable groups. To whoever is reading this, I humbly ask you to spread these helpline numbers to your community and spheres of influence.
• Demand justice and equality via your governments to allocate budget to children, youth, and women’s rights and welfare, and provide assistance.
• Demand that your governments pass laws protecting these groups, and implement these laws and regulations thoroughly.
• We cannot move ahead to 2030 by leaving them behind. We should not wait for tomorrow to start our actions towards equality.

Shifting the global economy to renewable sources of energy is the key to combating climate change while improving quality of life. To do this, every national energy system must transition first, and fast. We have known for some time that the world is losing the fight to achieve net-zero emissions and prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change. Even with a significant drop in global carbon emissions in the next two decades, the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report predicts that it is unlikely that we can limit global warming to the recommended 1.5°C threshold.

Recent announcements from the oil- and gas-rich Gulf countries made headlines locally and globally in time for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). These pledges highlight the substantial commercial opportunities for private sector investors and energy companies that are committed to driving progress. They also underscore the public sector support required to catalyze these efforts to move towards a decarbonized world.

At the end of October, leaders from across the Middle East met in Riyadh for the Middle East Green Initiative to discuss the region’s environmental challenges and strategies to address the impact of climate change, as well as cut emissions . Other leaders at the Riyadh conference emphasized the need for governments to accelerate efforts to slow climate change.

Leaders in the Race to Net Zero United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has already proven itself as a regional leader by becoming the first country in the Gulf to commit to significantly reducing its carbon footprint and announce plans to invest $163 billion in clean and renewable energy to achieve this goal by 2050. Furthermore, the country, which is an OPEC member, has in the past 15 years invested $40 billion in clean energy. Its first nuclear power plant, Barakah, has been connected to the national grid and the UAE aims to produce 14 GW of clean energy by 2030, up from about 100 MW in 2015. The UAE is also bidding to host the COP28 global climate talks in 2023.

Saudi Arabia

One of the world’s largest oil producers, Saudi Arabia, announced it aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060 to curb man-made climate change. However, the Saudis made no mention of reducing investment in oil and gas or moving away from the production of fossil fuels. Riyadh is forecast to make $150bn (£109bn) in oil revenues this year alone.

The announcement, made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the start of the kingdom’s first Saudi Green Initiative Forum, was made ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The prince vowed that Saudi Arabia would plant 450 million trees and rehabilitate huge swaths of land by 2030, reducing more than 270m tons of carbon emissions a year, and attempting to turn Riyadh into a more sustainable capital.

Qatar

Qatar, the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, criticized nations for making vague net-zero pledges, saying it would be wrong to commit to eliminating planet-warming emissions without having a proper plan in place. In its latest updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) plan submitted to the UNFCCC last month on 21, August, Qatar’s government said, “For the past several decades, Qatar has maintained a pioneering role in the international efforts to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development through the export of natural gas and its derivatives to the world’s energy market.” The updated NDC of Qatar indicates an ambitious plan to cut emissions 25% below business as usual in 2030 but does not disclose what those business-as-usual emissions are projected to be.

Bahrain

Bahrain has become the latest Gulf country to announce a check on carbon emissions with a target to reach net zero by 2060. Its decision came after neighboring Saudi Arabia declared a similar goal in October 2021.

The announcement from the special envoy for climate affairs and chief executive of the supreme council for the environment Dr Mohammed bin Daina stressed the importance of redoubling efforts to transform global cities into more sustainable areas through initiatives that contribute to reducing negative environmental and climate impacts. Alos, it included the use of clean technologies and creating new and creating more sustainable jobs

Oman

Oman updated its climate action plan in July to include a 7% reduction in emissions by 2030. Around half of Oman’s planned emissions reductions are conditional on international finance. Oman has been hit by low oil revenues during the coronavirus pandemic, which plunged the national economy into an unprecedented recession. The sultanate is less wealthy than Gulf neighbours like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar.

The Way Forward

In the last 8 to 10 months, there has been a heightened interest across the Middle East region, with new programs, announcements, and more focused implementation of various strategies and roadmaps to reduce emissions and achieve net zero. What we’re witnessing is a noticeable shift in the players involved in such plans, with greater involvement and even leadership coming from senior members of government, influential ministries, and leading companies, which are moving away from the positions of the past.

The new targets align the Gulf and Middle East countries with most major economies and a surge of new net-zero pledges from the Middle East’s oil-producing nations has raised expectations ahead of COP26. But, the move will remain a largely symbolic one until policymakers announce short-term measures that show how the carbon-neutrality target can be met.

As an entrepreneur building Fingo, a pan-African digital bank for young people,my UN General Assembly (UNGA) and Global Goals Week experience focused on how technology and entrepreneurship can be used to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis.

The pandemic has exposed and exacerbated global inequalities, whilst stalling progress towards the 17 Global Goals. — UNGA 76 represented getting the world back on track. From crowdsourcing innovation during crises, the importance of media freedom, and reskilling for the future of work, here are 3 of my key takeaways from the week.

1. Funding new innovative solutions

Global Goals Week was a showcase of many new innovative solutions and ideas brought to the global center stage through crowdsourcing competitions such as UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, the XPRIZE, and the Jack Ma Foundation’s Africa Netpreneur Prize. These competitions present participants with a challenge and an open platform to develop and share solutions, using rewards and mentorship as incentives. Another example is the Lead2030 initiative from global youth forum One Young World, showcasing youth business as an engine for change using the SDGs Participants have the opportunity to win start-up funding support from companies such as Reckitt Benckiser, Credit Suisse and Novartis. Together, these competitions rack up millions of applications annually, highlighting that there is both a clear appetite and demand for challenge-based youth entrepreneurship to take on the world’s problems and help close the global job creation gap at the same time.

As we enter the final decade to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we are seeing, and will continue to see, more global youth challenges and solutions framed around the Goals with a strong focus on climate action.

2. Growing importance of media freedom

One SDG that doesn’t always get talked about enough is Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. It’s sometimes overlooked because of the difficulty in quantifying its impact or political sensitivity in creating transparency around it. Media freedom and press have particular relevance to Target 10 within Goal 16: “16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.” In his briefing to the General Assembly on his priorities for 2020, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted exactly this: “Terrorists, white supremacists and others who sow hate are exploiting the internet and social media. Bots are spreading disinformation, fueling polarization and undermining democracies.” Given the continued outbreak of COVID-19, this is more relevant than ever, ensuring communities have access to safe, reliable information in a timely manner.

This theme came up again and again in UNGA76. In the UN General Assembly a number of world leaders, in particular, highlighted the balances and downsides of social media, including Canada. Canada noted that the spread of systematic misinformation and propaganda on social media and the internet shone light on the risks and dangers of the digital revolution.

This goal is absolutely central to achieving the SDGs. If we are to achieve the Goals within the Decade of Action, transparency, collaboration, and public action must be central to our approach.

Reskilling for a better world

With millions more people set to join the workforce in the coming decade, as many as 600 million new jobs will need to be created globally over the next 10 years to keep unemployment at 2019 levels, once the world has recovered from the pandemic. Many of the events and speeches of UNGA 76 focused on building back better and paving paths to more inclusive growth. In Singapore’s address to the general assembly, they devoted 50% of their talk to exactly this topic: ‘the gulf of opportunities between digital haves and digital have-nots has also widened’

The pandemic has brought some silver lining to this — for example, technological advancements such as video conferencing and chat mean that many jobs can be fulfilled by talent from anywhere in the world.

Conclusion

Looking forward to UNGA 77 and Global Goals Week 2022 there are clearly a lot of challenges ahead, however, UNGA 76 provided much needed acceleration towards the SDGs as the world moves beyond the pandemic.

The biggest conversations since the pandemic hit have primarily been centered on economic recovery and scaling vaccine roll-out across the globe. At the earliest stage of the global pandemic, there was a minor shift away from focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) justifiably as a result of combating the global health crisis. On different levels, many SDG targets came to a stand-still while governments and international organizations pressed for research and development of a vaccine or finding ways to keep economies open. It led to a prioritization of global health financing which led many to question: are we leaving the SDGs behind? With less than a decade to the 2030 deadline for achieving the global goals, the big question for policymakers, experts, and actors is: how do we go from here?

First, the pandemic exposed the fragility of the global healthcare and social welfare system, particularly in low-income countries with remarkably low budgets for the health sector. However, a weak governance is perhaps the most important lesson we should take away from the new normal. This is largely because a major discovery at the initial outbreak of the pandemic was the central role that governance plays in a global emergency situation. The pandemic exposed the level of preparedness and the apparent lack of resilience in many countries. What this means is that governments in the weeks to follow had to grapple with what measures to put in place, how relief systems would work — especially for the most vulnerable who require a social safety net — what kind of economic stimulus would be granted to businesses to stay afloat, or how the government will communicate its plan to the people. These unprecedented times showed the fundamental importance of good governance and strong public institutions.

Prior to the pandemic, many countries struggled with weak public institutions that struggled to guarantee resilience and ensure sustainable development. For example, many countries still adopt centralized, traditional systems of governance replete with red-tapism. At the outbreak of the pandemic, a good number of countries were unable to properly assess the situation, monitor confirmed cases and promptly take national actions due to a long, bureaucratic process, creating indecision on how to handle the crisis. To illustrate, Nigeria, the most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa confirmed and announced its first case on February 27, 2020. However, there was no follow-up action plan for detecting new cases, containment of further spread, or risk communication. As a matter of fact, it took another four weeks before a lockdown was imposed in the major cities to curb the virus from spreading, without plans for mass testing to complement these efforts.

In light of the above, there is a crucial need to rethink how governments and institutions operate. One approach is through digital governance, which leverages technology for public service delivery. A great benefit of digital governance is the ability to accelerate decision-making through collaborative dashboards across public service with minimal bureaucracy. In addition, digital governance can encourage citizen participation in public policy, thereby bridging the gap between government and its citizens. In the last decade, we have seen social media powered by digital technology become a powerful medium for government officials to engage with citizens. While there are significant barriers for low-income countries with limited access to technology, optimizing technology could make a significant difference in government business through access to public information; aggregating public opinion for policy actions; collating reports from government departments — especially those at the frontline of the development agenda without multiple committee meetings — and monitoring progress of different development programs and initiatives.

Finally, in a world where normal activities have had to go digital — from education to remote working to commerce, it is time for governments across the world to embrace technology in their public service. Thus, it is important that the dialogue on sustainable development should equally involve building the capacity of countries to develop digital governance infrastructure for achieving the global goals, particularly in less developed countries with low digital penetration that could hinder the implementation of digital governance systems.

From setting up an adult education program for women in Sierra Leone, highlighting the efforts of grassroots activists in El Salvador, or working with social entrepreneurs in Jordan to spread the word about social innovation, my nearly 20-year career has had a strong focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Connecting these unconventional stakeholders with global leaders has been a true privilege.

I am currently the Executive Director of the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation (RICSI). The Institute was launched to empower current and future business leaders with the tools to make a positive impact on society and their bottom line. In my role, I work to drive leading research, engage students through teaching and outreach, and bridge academia and practice by bringing industry leaders into the fold.

At the RICSI, we have a four-pillar model featuring the many ways that companies can integrate Corporate Social Innovation into their business strategies — this isn’t just good for society; it also positively impacts the company’s financial performance and overall reputation. Our four pillars are: giving back to society, aligning profit and purpose, advocating for social issues, and engaging in responsible business practices.

We have launched a number of initiatives, including hosting an SDG event during UN General Assembly Week in partnership with the Brookings Institute and Rockefeller Foundation, an executive roundtable series on health equity in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a symposium on the future of work after COVID-19. As Rutgers is one of the country’s most diverse institutions, a commitment to social justice and racial equity underpins all of our activities.

I see this work as part of my strong commitment to SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) as well as SDG 17 (partnership for the goals) since we engage all sectors in our work. This work closely ties to my role as a +SocialGood Advisor, since future change-makers from all walks of life need to work with the private sector in order to create meaningful impact.

Tell us about your current work driving momentum on the SDGs in your community. From an SDG perspective, what are the most immediate needs specific to your community?

I am currently working on promoting online safety for women and girls in Namibia. While official data is largely missing on online violence in Namibia, the issue has become increasingly prevalent in the country. COVID-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home guidelines have pushed everyone online, resulting in more people using the space to socialize, and in many cases, an increase in negative behaviors targeted at women.

This online safety work builds on research I started in 2019 with the Internet Society Namibia Chapter. That year, we held a Women Digital Leadership Forum with the goal of empowering women in political spaces to shape and own their narratives — especially during election periods when women politicians are frequently targeted with online violence. As a result, we published a report with the World Wide Web Foundation outlining the status of women’s rights online in Namibia, and found that a key concern was the extent of non-consensual image sharing, and the lack of data protection laws to help victims seek recourse. Some women in Namibia are starting to speak up about their experiences with online harassment. Recently, for example, Namibia’s first lady spoke about the abuse she faced online, saying she will no longer be silenced.

Online violence leads to digital inequality which ultimately leads to women leaving the online spaces. When women are offline, they then lose their ability to voice their opinions, to access learning and other opportunities, including accessing invaluable information.

Do you feel that your community/ region/ nation is invested in the SDGs, and do you believe they are making progress?

There is a certain level of commitment to the SDGs in my nation. The UN community has played a key role in raising awareness about the SDGs. In 2019, the UNDP launched an SDG Accelerator Lab as well as a youth development initiative to brainstorm national solutions to key challenges in Namibia.

The challenge with these initiatives is that they tend to benefit only a few people who are located in cities. There are rarely media reports reflecting SDG work outside of cities, which makes it difficult to contextualize the full investment and involvement in SDGs. However, earlier this year, the Environment Investment Fund launched the Sustainable Development Awards that brought more attention to the SDGs in the country. Many development partners in the country are also increasingly focused on innovation in finding local solutions to local challenges.

How has COVID-19 impacted SDG implementation in your community/ region/ nation? As some countries begin to focus on recovery from the pandemic, do you notice a greater emphasis on the SDGs or using the SDGs as a roadmap for recovery in your community, and if so, how?

With our country currently going through a third wave of COVID-19, there has been a halt in what was already invisible work in implementing the SDGs at a national scale.

Among the Namibian community, there have been some calls to implement the SDGs in the COVID-19 recovery, however it is unclear whether private and public institutions will make the necessary efforts to do so.

Beyond COVID-19, what are the main challenges you’ve experienced in your work to advance the SDGs in your community/region/nation?

The main challenge is aligning existing work in the communities to the SDG indicators, and reporting on them regularly. The private sector, for example, is driven more by profit than by the SDGs. Stakeholders in the country should also do a better job of reporting the realities of SDG implementation and gaps on the ground. Cross-sector collaboration in SDG implementation is also challenging in a donor-funded context where competition is rife.

Can you point out some successes you’ve had in your work to advance the SDGs in your community/region/nation?

We recently brought together over 45 stakeholders representing gender, technology, and public interest groups across government, civil society, and academia to discuss how to develop a framework to ensure gender equity and equality online. This includes protecting women and girls online; empowering women through technology and ICTs; and ensuring equal access to basic services for all women and men by 2030 (SDG 1.4). It also means achieving universal, affordable Internet access in the least developed economies by 2020 (SDG 9c).

This past World Press Freedom Day, I also organized a digital rights and online safety training for 25 journalists aimed at empowering them with skills and education on how to protect themselves online. Topics included the importance of creating strong passwords and a digital footprint that ensures privacy. Additionally, the journalists also learned about human rights online and how to protect online users in their reporting. .

Do you feel that there is still a gap in overall awareness of the SDGs and collaboration on tracking progress and implementation in your community? If so, how could these gaps be addressed?

Language barriers have made it challenging to raise awareness about the SDGs and their relevance. From our perspective on the ground, it also feels that reporting and awareness about the SDGs only reaches the public when there is UN funding involved or when mentions of the SDGs are explicit. This association increases the misconception that the SDGs are somewhat only the responsibility of the UN with assistance from one or two government agencies. We should make the SDGs accessible and relatable to all of society, and help the public understand that their existing work is already helping advance the Goals — now, the step is to frame it within the SDG framework and global conversation.

What SDG solutions have you seen in your community that could be scaled up either regionally, nationally or globally?

One area that has been promising is climate change awareness. We’ve seen messages around it resonating well because the issue is multisectoral and relatable as everyone is living with the effects of climate change — from the remotest villages to the largest corporations in the country. The messaging around the issue — from community wildlife management to policy articulation should be replicated in implementing all of the other development goals.

Record-breaking temperatures in the Middle East are increasingly becoming the norm, and have surpassed 125 degrees Fahrenheit in some cases. Kuwait, for example, had the highest recorded temperature in the world this year, reaching 127.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to its location and desert climate, the region faces several vulnerabilities to climate change, including rising temperatures and water scarcity.

According to the World Resource Institute’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, the region is the most water-stressed region on Earth, possessing only 1% of the world’s total renewable freshwater resources. Rising temperatures and extended periods of drought, combined with growing populations, and urbanization will further place pressure on scarce water resources, posing a grave threat to lives, livelihoods, biodiversity, economic stability, and human security. Importantly, given the region’s shared geography and natural resources, the impacts of climate change are likely to be felt across borders.

The good news is that governments across the Middle East are starting to be proactive about the climate risks their countries face. For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently announced the region’s first economy-wide, absolute emissions reduction target: 23.5 percent by 2030. In spring 2021, the country also hosted the Regional Dialogue for Climate Action, with leaders from 10 major Middle East and North Africa countries who vowed to accelerate progress on climate targets. The summit concluded with a commitment to reduce emissions by 2030, to work collectively to help the region adapt to the serious impacts of climate change, to collaborate on mobilizing investment and climate financing in a new energy economy. Currently, the UAE is working on a bid to host the next global climate summit, COP28.

The UAE’s larger neighbor, Saudi Arabia, is also taking steps on climate action. The country announced two ambitious climate initiatives: the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives, which include promises to reduce emissions by the equivalent of four percent of the global total; increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generation from 0.3 percent to 50 per cent by 2030; plant ten billion trees over the coming decades, and implement ‘clean hydrocarbon’ projects. Saudi Aramco has also joined the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) — a group of oil companies including Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil — and announced it would reduce its carbon intensity.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Al Kharsaah solar power plant plans to launch operations this year., The state-owned oil and gas company, Qatar Petroleum, also recently released its new Sustainability Strategy report, which outlines targets to reach the Paris Agreement goals, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The report also claims to cut down the emissions intensity of the country’s LNG facilities by 25 percent and of its upstream facilities by at least 15 percent.

These regional gatherings and commitments provide countries in the Middle East with a platform to collaborate on responses to climate change, and enhance cooperation with the international community to transform climate challenges into opportunities. While they are a step forward in the right direction, more needs to be done to take concrete actions to a cleaner and more sustainable economy.

This is where youth can play a key role in holding governments to their commitments. At Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar — an organization I co-founded to increase awareness about climate change issues in the Middle East — we advocate for our governments to honor their Paris Agreement commitments and enhance their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), as well as train youth to be the future climate leaders we need. One of our programs is the Environmental Ambassadors of Qatar, which prepares youth to advocate for the environment at a grassroots level and learn more about the unique challenges their communities face — last year, we had more than 300 applications! We cover topics including oceans, plastic pollution, renewable energy, and waste management. We’re currently talking to partners to work on organizing a similar ambassadors program for the wider Middle East.

 — @TheElders

What we’re trying to do is build environmental consciousness among young people so that they can lead on these issues in the future. Many of the youth in our region wish to pursue government jobs, so we want to make sure they’re equipped with the right knowledge and policy ideas to take a stand against climate change.

Bit by bit, we’re helping the narrative around climate change and youth leadership shift in Qatar and the region. The organization was invited to the Ministry of Environment’s NDC discussions to share input as youth stakeholders, and we were also chosen to represent Qatar at the UN Youth Climate Action Summit in 2019. These opportunities show us that our governments are increasingly seeing the value of incorporating youth voices in crucial discussions such as climate action. Governments should do their part to tackle climate change, but youth also have a responsibility and opportunity to hold their leaders accountable and prepare themselves to lead tomorrow.

Today, more and more Filipino youth are interested in learning more about finance, investment, and entrepreneurship. I was recently involved in organizing a five-module series about the basics of finance, “ Young Entrepreneurs Engaged Towards Finance Wisdom and Planning.” During the virtual event, which took place in May, participants learned the basics of finance, including how to establish financial goals based on the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-related) approach, how to start their financial journey, and were able to connect with other youth leaders and young professionals around financial literacy. Each module builds on the next and will provides participants with a broad perspective about finance and how it connects to the SDGs. Our first module, “The Last Sandwich Generation,” welcomed more than 300 registered participants!.

My organization, Samahan ng Kabataang Boluntaryo ng Pilipinas (or the Filipino Youth Volunteer Association), planned the event to help raise awareness and create solutions for SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. The event also touched on SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 17:Partnerships for the Goals. The Philippines’ National Youth Commission also accredited our event.

We measured participants’ self-reported financial literacy levels before and after attending the event, using the following responses: 5 for excellent, 4 for very good, 3 for satisfactory, 2 for fair, and 1 for poor. The number of participants who reported their financial literacy and planning as “excellent” increased from 40.8% before the event to 68.4% after the event.

We also asked which areas of financial literacy they’re already familiar with, and the areas that they could use more training in. The majority of our participants or 66.1% are already familiar with finance to some extent, while more than half of the participants, or 54% are not familiar with entrepreneurship.

Given the results of the data, we hope to cover entrepreneurship in our next modules, and hope to help young Filipinos become young entrepreneurs themselves. More youth and young professionals are eager to learn more about how to start their own businesses and provide employment opportunities for their communities. The pandemic sparked many people’s interest in entrepreneurship, with many students, stay-at-home parents, and others launching products or selling services through small businesses and online. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, business registrations increased to 900,000 as of December 2020.

Following the popularity of our financial literacy events and participant feedback, we hope to organize in-person events in the future once the virus has been contained. Slow and unsteady internet connection is still a hindrance for everyone and also a challenge that I encountered during my journey to advance SDG 8 in my community. One bright side of having a virtual event, however, was engaging more Filipino youth and young professionals, and bringing SDG 8 across the country.

We believe that financial literacy awareness should cater to younger generations, just like we did, in order to help them manage their finances easily, make them aware of the impact

of each economic decision, and to join together to create community-based solutions that target the objectives and goals of SDG 8. Including younger generations will give us fresh and innovative ideas and create community-based and high-level solutions that will accelerate SDG 8.

Tell us about your current work driving momentum on the SDGs in your community.

In collaboration with my colleagues at GitHub, we’re working on a pilot program — expected to launch in fall 2021 — to pair select U.S. community college students with industry professionals in tech for mentorship and on-the-job work experience that will lead to a capstone project and potentially a paid internship at a large tech company. This initiative directly aligns with SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth.

In the U.S., community college students are often overlooked, especially when it comes to recruiting efforts. Inclusive, predictable employment will always be a goal of mine, especially as it relates to underrepresented populations.

How has COVID-19 impacted SDG implementation in your community/ region/ nation? As some countries begin to focus on recovery from the pandemic, do you notice a greater emphasis on the SDGs or using the SDGs as a roadmap for recovery in your community, and if so, how?

The COVID 19 crisis has increased funding efforts as we see more public and private dollars funneled into initiatives to help the economy recover. During my time as Project Director at The Research Foundation of The City University of New York, I was asked to join a task force to project lead and quickly launch The Chancellor’s Emergency Relief Fund, which brought financial aid to over 5 million CUNY students at the time, in a span of 6 months.

Additionally, in response to COVID-19, I led and launched CUNY Upskilling. As NYC recovers from the pandemic, companies and employees are still adjusting and adapting to our new economy. CUNY Upskilling is a curated list of no-cost virtual training that will help participants acquire the latest professional skills and knowledge to give them a leg up in their job search and help them shine in front of prospective employers. CUNY Upskilling helps to promote SDG 8: sustainable economic growth and decent work for all, and has underlined the need for enhanced public investments. In particular, it has also highlighted the need for more connection and collaboration between the public and private sector.

What are the main challenges and successes you’ve experienced in your work to advance the SDGs in your community/region/nation?

The main challenge is recognizing that there are so many other global challenges that come up and are prioritized each and everyday. Sometimes it’s hard to advocate for SDGs when there’s an immediate need to pivot and direct our attention to another challenge at hand.

In terms of successes, while working with JP Morgan’s Tech for Social Good team, I was able to help facilitate the development of the GenerationTech program before COVID-19 hit. The initiative is a tech design challenge for high school students to brainstorm creative solutions for SDG challenges.

What inspires you to do this work?

I consider myself a lifelong learner. A lifelong learner is someone who keeps acquiring new skills and capabilities well past their formal education years. It involves not only studying new topics but also developing an open-minded, positive attitude about the dynamic nature of the world. This work is dear to me because it brings me joy to help people learn new skills that can set them up for not only better-paying careers but also equip them with a new set of knowledge. This directly aligns with me because I have seen so many success stories of people — specifically from underrepresented communities — becoming skilled in a field that they would’ve never imagined.