Event Calendar
Πρωτεύουσες καρτέλες
Prof. Phoebe Koundouri participated in the 2025 Thessaloniki Sustainability Summit, organized under the theme “10 Years of the Paris Agreement” by SDSN Black Sea, with the support of the Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), and the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS).
During the WAAS Fellows Plenary Panel on “The Role of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) in the Implementation of the Paris Agreement)”, moderated by Prof. Nikos Theodosiou, Chair of SDSN Black Sea, Prof. Koundouri presented an overview of the progress achieved toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over the past decade. Her remarks drew upon findings from the interdisciplinary research conducted at the SDSN Global Climate Hub, contributing to a series of reports evaluating national and regional pathways toward climate neutrality (https://unsdsn.globalclimatehub.org/un-sdsn-global-climate-hub-report-modelling-net-zero-pathways), as well as from SDSN Europe’s Europe Sustainable Development Reports (https://eu-dashboards.sdgindex.org/).
In addition, Prof. Koundouri referred to her role as Co-Chair of the Independent Group of Scientists responsible for drafting the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR). The GSDR, published every four years, is a flagship United Nations science-policy report that strengthens the interface between science, policy, and society. As the final edition before the 2030 deadline of the UN Agenda 2030, it will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the global sustainable development agenda (https://sdgs.un.org/gsdr2027).
Prof. Koundouri also expressed her pride in serving as a Fellow and Trustee of WAAS, and her great pleasure in engaging with her WAAS co-fellows Chantal Line Carpentier (UNCTAD), Amanda Ellis (ASU Global Futures Laboratory), Denis Naughten (Former Minister for Climate Action and Environment, Ireland), Josep Garí (UNDP), and Nikos Theodosiou. She emphasized her hope that their collective efforts will honor and advance the remarkable legacy of WAAS.
On October 5, in Kyoto, Japan, the 2025 Science, Technology and Society Forum was held together with the Regional Action on Climate Change Symposium, where Prof. Phoebe Koundouri served on the International Advisory Committee. Since 2009, RACC has advanced local climate action through knowledge networks connecting science and policy.
Last year’s symposium focused on oceans, producing a consensus statement published in Sustainability Science and presented at COP29. This year, RACC17 explored the vital link between climate change and food security — a defining challenge for our shared future.
In her Plenary Session on “Socio-economic Impacts on Food Security and Vulnerable Regions,” Prof. Koundouri presented AE4RIA – the Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aephoria and SDSN Global Climate Hub research on integrated systems analysis connecting land degradation, climate change, and food security across Europe. She outlined how the Hub develops science-based pathways toward climate neutrality and resilience through satellite-based monitoring, land-use modeling, and socio-economic data. She also shared FABLE Consortium framework results, modeling global food–land–climate pathways and demonstrating that sustainable land use is key to both climate adaptation and food security — and must be embedded in long-term policy and fiscal planning.
In addition, as chair of the session on “Key Social, Economic and Technical Innovations that Could Mitigate These Threats and Challenges,” Prof. Koundouri presented the framework of the forthcoming UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2027, which she co-chairs. She emphasized the need for multi-dimensional innovation — combining social, technological, and economic transformation — to achieve sustainable and equitable growth, highlighting circular economy models, education for sustainability, renewable energy, AI, nature-based solutions, and green finance as key enablers of systemic change.
Πατησίων 76
30 2108203 455
