We are at a juncture and need to decide which path to take. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “The state of the planet is broken. Humanity is waging war on nature, and this is suicidal.” If climate change was an asteroid and we knew it would hit earth in 10 years and extinguish life as we know it, would we work harder, be bolder and be readier to embrace a new way of living? And what would we do to ensure human survival?

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how countries, scientists and people in general can unite and work together towards a common good and that radical transformation is possible, when the threat is severe enough.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of UN Bonn, the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), together with partners in the Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research, is bringing together key thought-leaders from research, government and the UN to outline the framework for future-ready science-policy-cooperation in and from Bonn to create innovative solutions to these global crisis and trigger the transformation towards an inclusive, equitable and sustainable future.

Panelists

• Katja Dörner, Lord Mayor of the City of Bonn
• Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch, Rector of the University of Bonn
• Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director of the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
• Prof. Dr. Katja Bender, Director of the International Centre for Sustainable Development and the Centre for Ethics and Responsibility of the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS)
• Tina Birmpili, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• Dr. Youssef Nassef, Director of the Adaptation Division, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Dr. Shen Xiaomeng, Vice-Rector in Europe of the United Nations University and Director of UNU-EHS

Moderator

• Arianna Flores Corral, Communication Associate at the United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)

In the moderated discussion, panelists will share different perspectives on the ways we can work together as (sustainable) development community in transdisciplinary science and policy to drive the transformation towards a sustainable, inclusive and resilient society. The event will be interactive; the panelists will also engage with the audience and address their questions.