In September 2015, Heads of State, Government and High Representatives met at United Nations Headquarters in New York and agreed to join efforts to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals (17 SDGs), by 2030. The signatories had agreed and committed themselves to “work tirelessly for the full implementation” of the SDGs which became known as the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), with more than 1600 academic institutions as members globally, promotes the implementation of the “2030-Agenda for Sustainable Development”, by having developed a network of 17 global academic hubs (UNAI Hubs SDGs).
The Energy Policy and Development Center (KEPA) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) has been a UNAI member since 2011. Since 2018, it has been selected as the UNAI Academic Hub for the 7th Sustainable Development Goal (UNAI Hub SDG7), which is about “Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.
In this frame, UNAI has accepted a proposal made by KEPA to organize a meeting of the 17 UNAI Hubs of SDGs in Athens, during the 2nd week of October 2024.
The Meeting will deal with issues of UNAI’s contribution to:
- accelerate the pace of SDGs implementation,
- transfer innovative proposals from the global academic community to society and economy,
- disseminate existing “good practices”, particularly to countries with developing and emerging economies.
In this context, KEPA is in the process of communicating with UNAI Hubs SDGs around the world, informing and inviting the rectoral authorities of the UNAI members to participate at the meeting in Greece and seeking sponsors from players of the Greek market, who are interested in the promotion of sustainable development goals in Greece, but also in countries with developing and emerging economies.
Athens 22.3.2024