What is “sustainable development” in practice and what can we do to implement it? Here we present some innovative projects and initiatives that shed light on topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Botswana’s poverty eradication programme
In line with SDG N.1, “No Poverty”, the government of Botswana has taken measures to tackle extreme and abject poverty. The Poverty Eradication Programme aims to economically empower individuals and groups to lead a dignified life through sustainable income generation and employment initiatives, capacity building, and funding for small enterprises.

The Hunger Project
The organization “The Hunger Project” works towards finding a sustainable solution to end hunger and poverty. Their approach is based on three main pillars: empowerment of women as key change agents, communities mobilisation, and effective partnerships with local governments.

Project Hope
Project Hope is an international, non-profit organization that commits to empowering health care workers, building more resilient healthcare systems and achieve health equity. It has created significant impacts in tackling infectious diseases, protecting maternal and children’s Health, and providing reliefs in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Thriving Schools Program
The Thriving Schools Program aims to promote education equality in Uganda. By engaging university graduates and volunteers, this program has successfully re-enrolled many out-of-school children and conducted literacy training for beneficiaries in rural areas

Gender Equality in Urban Planning
Urban planning is historically male-oriented: It is designed by males and for the convenience of male residents. The World Bank calls for incorporating the concept of gender equality in urban planning to construct more gender-sensitive, inclusive modern cities.

The “Sanergy” project
The “Sanergy” program proposes bold solutions to booming cities by building affordable sanitation facilities in slums, then converting waste to organic fertilizers used in local farms. It has created positive and sustainable impacts for many communities.

Re|Sourced
RE/SOURCED is an innovative program based in Belgium, which aims to provide cost-efficient energy for local communities. It will also reduce the need for raw materials compared with traditional methods of energy sharing.

Better Work
Better Work is a partnership between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched in 2014 to provide decent jobs for workers in the garment industry around the world. The aim of the initiative is to improve workers’ rights and gain a competitive edge for clothing firms.

The Unconnected
The Unconnected is a social enterprise that aims to connect 1 million people to the internet by 2025 in order to enhance economic and social development in rural areas and keep schools connected.

Global Project on Reducing Inequalities
The Global Project on Reducing Inequalities (GPRI) aims to support the development of cross-sectoral strategies to reduce inequalities at national and international level with partner countries and regional actors.

Vertical Forest
A vertical forest is a prototype building which focuses on the relationship between humans and other living species. It can increase biodiversity and makes cities

Climate Action
Climate action is a community-led initiative at Science Po to construct a more sustainable campus.

Jane Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute is a global community conservation organization that advances the vision and work of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Global Campaign on Military Spending
The Global Campaign on Military Spending (GCOMS) is a global campaign created in December 2014 by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) to tackle the worldwide

The Transdisciplinarity Lab
The Transdisciplinarity Lab is a research and educational program created by ETH Zurich that aims to enforce inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation in the field of