Through the global 2030 Agenda, the European Union and its member states have committed to sustainable development with its clear resolve to ‘leave no one behind’. Europe is nevertheless still struggling to embrace these goals: broad swathes of civil society and business associations, as well as political parties, promote their agendas quite detached from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At a time when it becomes increasingly challenging to mobilize people for a joint agenda, actors need to improve their communications to protect and promote established norms and goals in the sustainability field. This includes mainstreaming the human-rights-based approach to development, as provided by the framework of the SDGs.

The joint-session will focus on means, strategies and tools for communicating the SDGs to different audiences in Europe. Our organizations have identified common challenges in communicating SDGs to different target groups, including the public, influencers, policymakers and constituencies, to increase awareness of decision-makers in politics, business and society for their role in engaging for a sustainable future.

To bring together our knowledge about communication success stories and barriers, we will present case studies from our organizations. After setting the scene, we wish to open the discussion and the knowledge exchange with our audience on different communication means, strategies and approaches. In a world-café setting, we want to work together along the lines of the following guiding questions:

• Which narratives promote and protect sustainable development in the EU in your respective field?
• Which communication tools and instruments do you use to (effectively) communicate the SDGs?
• How can you reach the public and constituencies that are unfamiliar and not engaged with the SDGs?
• Can you identify important milestones or events that can be tied into the narrative of the EU’s future?
• What instruments exist to ensure that sustainability and/or the SDGs are part of the broader debate in the prelude to the European Parliament’s elections in 2019?

A concluding debate with selected representatives from our organizations will reflect on the discussion results and outcomes. They will serve as rapporteurs from the diverse world café discussions and tie together our take-aways