SRI unites more than 2000 global sustainability research leaders, government and civil society experts, funders and innovators to inspire action and promote a sustainability transformation. This global, annual event elevates diverse knowledge on sustainability, provides an inspiring platform to share innovative ideas, and creates an inclusive space for collaboration and action. SRI is a joint initiative of Future Earth and the Belmont Forum.

SRI2023 Themes

1. Turning the Tide for Climate: Collaborative Action for Institutional Transformation

Climate change requires urgent action that engages all sectors of society and transforms fundamental institutions and systems that underpinning our societies. But how to build these new impact coalitions and how to make them fair and effective and equitable? How can these new and diverse collaborations accelerate a rapid, sustainable and positive change that doesn’t deepen but rather reduce existing inequalities? What are the tradeoffs and how do we manage them? SRI2023 will explore pathways to informed and just changes in critical systems, such as political/governance, financial, legal, tax, energy and production, transport, research, education and value systems through the lenses of:

• Environmental and social justice
• New concepts and measurements of wealth, value, merit and well-being
• Sustainable consumption and production (including clean energy)
• Opportunities and ethics of technological innovation, including carbon mitigation and drawdown 
• Cohesive legal frameworks for addressing interrelated climate / environmental challenges and disasters and advancing climate action
• Evidence uptake and informed decision-making
• North-north and south-south collaboration for systems change

2. Healthy and Inclusive Communities

Health and well-being are a foundation for thriving and sustainable societies. Yet changes to natural life support systems are already impacting our health, risking recent public health and development gains. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and deepened health inequalities while highlighting the importance of public health and international cooperation. What were the lessons learned and how does that drive health systems transformation? SRI2023 will explore diverse ways of improving health and well-being around the world. This includes:

• Medical, public health and social research and innovation, including knowledge from traditional medicine practitioners and south-south collaboration
• Mental health and wellness during and after Covid-19, climate anxiety
• Planetary health: adaptation and mitigation responses to triple threat (pollution, biodiversity loss, climate change), such as development of urban blue/green spaces
• Pandemic preparedness and one health
• Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)
• Equity and community-led adaptation
• Participatory and citizen science

3. A Peaceful Planetary Mind

Our cultural and social environments play a critical role in shaping the ways we observe the world, behave, set expectations and define priorities. Sustainability transformations will require adapting many behaviors and social conventions, and developing new social narratives and shared visions of the future. Fundamentally, building new bridges and resolving conflicts arising from tradeoffs and inequality will also be needed for achieving a way to live sustainably within the boundaries of a stable Earth system. How can we achieve planetary solidarity and accept the joint stewardship of planet Earth? SRI2023 invites novel perspectives to:

• Environmental peace building
• Science diplomacy
• Culture, heritage, art and spirituality as resources for sustainability transitions
• Indigenous and local leadership
• Futures literacy and leadership
• Access to knowledge and ways to reconcile diverse perspectives in an increasingly polarized world (open science, journalism, media, etc.)

4. Latin America and the Caribbean Science and Innovation for Sustainability

One of the key objectives of SRI2023 is to showcase the richness of Latin American and Caribbean science and innovation in sustainability. From tested local solutions to advanced academic research, the LAC region has a wealth of knowledge and innovation to offer to the wider world. In addition, SRI2023 is hoping to strengthen the regional dialogue and networks by offering an inclusive platform for increased visibility and collaboration. We will emphasize the following approaches:

• Biodiversity / water co-management strategies
• Approaches to sustainable mining and agricultural practices
• Sustainable tourism in vulnerable regions
• Latin American and Caribbean diaspora as a resource for innovative transformation

Call for contributions

SRI2023 invites contributions to the 2023 Congress program. More information about the submission process and guidelines are available on the source pages of this announcement:https://sricongress.org/
The organisers are accepting contributions in one of four types, more information and requirements are provided in the call.

1. Transformation Collaboratory

Transformation Collaboratory is an inclusive exploration space dedicated to finding knowledge-based solutions to real-world sustainability problems. The organizers of a Transformation Collaboratory will present a real-world problem and solicit solutions from the audience. This is an opportunity for engaging diverse expertise for transformative action through transdisciplinary co-design and imagination.

2. Training Workshop

Training workshops will be run by a diverse group on a topic relevant to the SRI2023 themes, with specified, action-oriented outcomes to be generated as a result of the workshop for both the group delivering the training and the participants. Workshop proposals should include a set of strengths that will be taught throughout, along with a number of knowledge or practice gaps that the delivering group would like to work through as part of the workshop. This is designed to encourage two-way, iterative learning on the part of all trainers and participants.

3. Innovation Demonstration

Innovation Demonstrations will offer a platform for showcasing innovations, ranging from new products and processes to social innovations. Demonstration teams (no more than 2 people/team) will be allocated a 60-minute period, during which multiple demonstrations or exhibits can be scheduled, or run on a rolling basis, to make up one session. Onsite demonstrations will each receive a display table area within a high-traffic corridor, adjacent to meeting rooms in which concurrent sessions will be taking place. Demonstration proposals are encouraged to include interactive and innovative designs that increase audience participation, such as live audience polling, social media input, and other forms of audience participation. 

4. Interactive Dialogues

A moderated conversation and/or series of short presentations aiming to tackle a specific global sustainability challenge on a common topic. The Dialogue will be followed by a moderated discussion and questions from the audience. The maximum duration of each Dialogue must be 90 minutes, but we encourage all online Dialogue organizers to limit their Dialogues to 60 minutes. Interactive and innovative designs are required to increase audience participation. 

The organisers are accepting proposals for contributions in French, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish in the current call for contributions.