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Participatory pathways to the Sustainable Development Goals : inviting divergent perspectives through a cross-scale systems approach

Collste, David ; Aguiar, Ana Paula D. ; Harmáčková, Zuzana V. ; Galafassi, Diego LU ; Pereira, Laura M. ; Selomane, Odirilwe and van Der Leeuw, Sander (2023) In Environmental Research Communications 5(5).
Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include social and ecological goals for humanity. Navigating towards reaching the goals requires the systematic inclusion of perspectives from a diversity of voices. Yet, the development of global sustainability pathways often lacks perspectives from the Global South. To help fill this gap, this paper introduces a participatory approach for visioning and exploring sustainable futures - the Three Horizons for the Sustainable Development Goals (3H4SDG). 3H4SDG facilitates explorations of (a) systemic pathways to reach the SDGs in an integrated way, and (b) highlights convergences and divergences between the pathways. We illustrate the application of 3H4SDG in a facilitated dialogue... (More)

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include social and ecological goals for humanity. Navigating towards reaching the goals requires the systematic inclusion of perspectives from a diversity of voices. Yet, the development of global sustainability pathways often lacks perspectives from the Global South. To help fill this gap, this paper introduces a participatory approach for visioning and exploring sustainable futures - the Three Horizons for the Sustainable Development Goals (3H4SDG). 3H4SDG facilitates explorations of (a) systemic pathways to reach the SDGs in an integrated way, and (b) highlights convergences and divergences between the pathways. We illustrate the application of 3H4SDG in a facilitated dialogue bringing together participants from four sub-regions of Africa: West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa. The dialogue focused on food and agricultural systems transformations. The case study results incorporate a set of convergences and divergences in relation to the future of urbanization, population growth, consumption, and the role of agriculture in the African economy. These were subsequently compared with the perspectives in global sustainability pathways, including the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). The study illustrates that participatory approaches that are systemic and highlight divergent perspectives represent a promising way to link local aspirations with global goals.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Co-production, food system, Global south, pathways, SDGs, transformations
in
Environmental Research Communications
volume
5
issue
5
article number
055014
publisher
IOP Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:85160316108
ISSN
2515-7620
DOI
10.1088/2515-7620/acce25
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
339de3eb-951c-4af7-bcf4-ba345d3bfbab
date added to LUP
2023-08-23 12:51:59
date last changed
2023-08-23 12:51:59
@article{339de3eb-951c-4af7-bcf4-ba345d3bfbab,
  abstract     = {{<p>The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include social and ecological goals for humanity. Navigating towards reaching the goals requires the systematic inclusion of perspectives from a diversity of voices. Yet, the development of global sustainability pathways often lacks perspectives from the Global South. To help fill this gap, this paper introduces a participatory approach for visioning and exploring sustainable futures - the Three Horizons for the Sustainable Development Goals (3H4SDG). 3H4SDG facilitates explorations of (a) systemic pathways to reach the SDGs in an integrated way, and (b) highlights convergences and divergences between the pathways. We illustrate the application of 3H4SDG in a facilitated dialogue bringing together participants from four sub-regions of Africa: West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa. The dialogue focused on food and agricultural systems transformations. The case study results incorporate a set of convergences and divergences in relation to the future of urbanization, population growth, consumption, and the role of agriculture in the African economy. These were subsequently compared with the perspectives in global sustainability pathways, including the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). The study illustrates that participatory approaches that are systemic and highlight divergent perspectives represent a promising way to link local aspirations with global goals.</p>}},
  author       = {{Collste, David and Aguiar, Ana Paula D. and Harmáčková, Zuzana V. and Galafassi, Diego and Pereira, Laura M. and Selomane, Odirilwe and van Der Leeuw, Sander}},
  issn         = {{2515-7620}},
  keywords     = {{Co-production; food system; Global south; pathways; SDGs; transformations}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{5}},
  publisher    = {{IOP Publishing}},
  series       = {{Environmental Research Communications}},
  title        = {{Participatory pathways to the Sustainable Development Goals : inviting divergent perspectives through a cross-scale systems approach}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acce25}},
  doi          = {{10.1088/2515-7620/acce25}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}