SDSN USA is pleased to share our newest project in conjunction with the National Center for Faith Based Initiatives and Howard University: Never More Urgent: A Preliminary Review of How the U.S. is Leaving Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Communities Behind. This report examines how well the United States, and US states in particular, serve communities of color by using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a tool for evaluating performance. In doing so we affirm the potential of these communities as a driver for sustainable development, through the specific contributions that they can make throughout society.
SDSN USA Participates in SDSN's Global 24h Webinar on Happiness and Sustainability
On April 22, 2020 SDSN Hosted a 24h Global Webinar on Happiness and Sustainability around the Earth. This post summarizes SDSN USA’s closing session of the event, featuring Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights President Kerry Kennedy, SDSN President Jeffrey Sachs, University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi, Yale University President Peter Salovey, SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson, and Howard University President Wayne Frederick.
Low-Carbon Transition for the Southeast United States
This report, Low-Carbon Transition Strategies for the Southeast is the latest publication of the US Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, led by Evolved Energy Research and US DDPP Director Jim Williams.
Low-Carbon Transition Strategies for the Midwest United States
New York, 23 January 2020 – The SDSN USA Network continues its US Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project (US DDPP) with the release of a new report, “Low-Carbon Transition Strategies for the Midwest.” This is the latest report in a series that describes what an energy transition might look like in different regions of the US.
Following the Northeast DDPP report that was released in early 2018, this Midwest report focuses on the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This region will play a critical role in enabling the US to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, a process that requires large-scale changes in infrastructure and technology. The implications of these changes for the Midwest will be far-reaching, offering opportunities to grow new industries and jobs, and to deploy climate mitigation and adaption strategies that enable an equitable energy transition.
The report describes unique aspects of the energy transformation in the Midwest, and highlights key decarbonization opportunities and challenges. It is designed to support regional stakeholders’ efforts to develop a shared vision of pathways to deep decarbonization, and to advance discussions at the state and local level across the region.
Opportunities highlighted in the report include:
The Midwest can lead the shift from corn ethanol to sustainable bioenergy while growing the economic opportunities for regional agriculture and industry.
The region can claim global leadership in the automotive industry by producing the 400 million electric vehicles the U.S. will need between now and 2050.
Midwestern wind energy production is poised to increase twenty-fold, making the region the largest exporter of renewable energy in the US.
Midwestern leadership on the future of nuclear power and the transition away from coal can develop a national model for how long-term planning and near-term implementation can advance both equity and decarbonization objectives together. Action starting today is necessary to develop a shared long-term vision, which will become a foundation for establishing near-term policies that begin enabling a pathway to deep decarbonization.
In the next few months the US DDPP will publish another regional report on low–carbon strategies in the Southeast (expected February 2020), followed by a federal policy white paper (spring 2020) aimed at advancing the national dialogue on the energy transformation and the Green New Deal.
For more information on the US DDPP please click here. If you wish to get involved or receive more information, please email usa@unsdsn.org.
This is also posted at:https://www.unsdsn.org/low-carbon-transition-strategies-for-the-midwest
America's Goals 2020 Report Card
America’s Goals State Report Card uses a tailored set of indicators to show every state’s progress towards America’s Goals for 2030. This Report Card visually displays each state’s score on a scale of 0 to 100 (100 meaning the Goals have been achieved). Interactive features allow viewers to navigate to Overall, Goal, and Target scores, and view a state’s full profile of indicators. Access the Report Card via this link, or click here for more information about America’s Goals.
2019 US Cities Sustainable Development Report
The 2019 US Cities Sustainable Development Report, released in July 2019, is SDSN’s third city-level report ranking 105 US cities on progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 (SDGs). The results show that there will be significant work to do across the board if the SDGs are to be achieved by 2030, as cities on average scored only 48.9%. The report can be accessed via this link.
A Pathway to Sustainable American Cities: A Guide to Implementing the SDGs
In January 2019, SDSN hosted a workshop alongside the 2019 Winter Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors with practitioners and experts to discuss their experiences and consider lessons detailed in the practitioner guide: “A Pathway to Sustainable American Cities: A Guide to Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.” This guide, a re-imagining of a 2016 guide prepared for a global urban audience, presents 10 steps for cities to consider on their way to adapting and adopting the global framework for their own city.
Sustainable Development Report of the United States 2018
The Sustainable Development Report of the United States 2018 was released in September 2018, and analyzes the baseline of the 50 US states on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report and corresponding data visualization can be accessed via this link.