The Re:Think 2023 SDG Innovation Week(SDG InnoWeek)kicked off in Chengdu,capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province,on September 18.
UNDP Re:Think 2023 SDG InnoWeek in Chengdu.[photo provided to China.org.cn]
The 8-day event was co-hosted by the United Nations Development Program(UNDP)and the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone(CDHT),with the support of the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges(CICETE).
This Innovation Week gathered officials and representatives from governments,international organizations,academic institutions,social innovation organizations and businesses to discuss how to take critical actions towards a sustainable future for humanity at the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
James George,Deputy Resident Representative,UNDP China,delivers a speech.[photo provided to China.org.cn]
“This year marks the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the world is facing multiple crises,”said James George,Deputy Resident Representative,UNDP China,at the opening ceremony.“Only 12%of SDG goals are on track.We need to take urgent action now.”
Zhang Yi,deputy director of CICETE,said,“We hope the SDG InnoWeek will be an open platform with international perspective.We invite more innovative enterprises and individuals to join in the actions for sustainable development,and explore and share the solutions and practical achievements in this regard.”
At the event,CDHT showed its research ways and expected goals of the internationalization index of CDHT in 2023.In 2022,CDHT’s total import and export volume reached 466 billion yuan($63.8 billion),ranking first in China for five consecutive years;28,102 enterprises were newly registered,with a total registered capital of 270.79 billion yuan($37 billion).
The 2023 Chengdu sustainable lifestyles map was released at the opening ceremony,providing the public with sustainable lifestyle guidelines with Chengdu style.
A panel discussion themed“ReThink&ReShape:Shaping a Sustainable Future through Circular Transformation”was also held.Representatives from Allen MacArthur Foundation and China Agricultural University as well as heads of sustainable departments from Decathlon,Danone,COFCO Coca-Cola and Indeed Innovation exchanged insights on how sustainable consumption can shape a sustainable future.
During the Innovation Week,INSPIRO sustainable consumption fashion show was staged in CDHT,creating a platform for sustainable design brands and consumers to explore a new path for economic transition and to promote positive changes in the lifestyles and consumption choices.
The UNDP,along with CICETE and CDHT,jointly launched the UNDP SDG Innovation Pilot Project in Chengdu in 2019,which included the UNDP SDG Innovation Lab(SPARK Lab)in Chengdu.SPARK Lab is the first UNDP-led Innovation Lab for the SDGs in China,aiming to provide efficient communication and cooperation channels for government,universities,enterprises and think tanks on Chengdu’s green,low-carbon,and high-quality development.
In recent years,SPARK Lab has achieved multiple innovations in sustainable development.It has established an advisory committee,published various research reports such as“Developing the Next Carbon Service Hub:A Strategy Research Report for CDHT,”and provided over 40 training sessions for government officials and corporate executives in sustainable development.It has also created the INSPIRO Young Entrepreneurs Network for SDGs,organized several Re:Think annual flagship conferences,and built a 2,000-square-meter SPARK zero-carbon innovation space,to introduce UNDP’s global climate action and dual carbon policies and actions of CDHT and the rest of China.
