The concept of “sustainability” has become increasingly popular in recent years. Today, it is the normative guiding principle of the international community. The “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, adopted by the United Nations in September 2015, represents the latest highlight with regard to this development. It aims at making global development socially, environmentally and economically sustainable and thus seeks to provide future generations with the opportunity to fulfil their aspirations for a better life. As a result, sustainability has also become an increasingly relevant point of reference for politics, economy and science at the national level.

The first part of the symposium will focus on the crucial role of science for sustainable development and will identify its specific contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Based on this, the second part of the program will address what implications science for sustainable development has on science policy and research funding. With this symposium, the Leopoldina builds on the primary focus of activities of Leopoldina President Professor Dr. Jörg Hacker in the United Nations Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board and continues the dialogue between science and politics on sustainability, which the Leopoldina has started in November 2012 with a workshop on “Sustainability in Science”.

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