In adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, all UN Member States committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a spirit of global solidarity—within their own countries and at regional and global levels. This commitment respects national policies and priorities, and acknowledges differences in realities, capacities, and levels of development. As they embarked on this collective journey in 2015, they pledged that no one will be left behind. However, a decade later, progress is alarmingly off track.
Achieving just and sustainable development within planetary boundaries requires concrete actions to remove barriers and accelerate progress. One critical, yet often overlooked, dimension is the cross-border impact (positive and negative) of national policies—known as spillover effects.
Spillover effects encompass the positive and negative unintended global consequences of a country’s consumption, production, trade, and financial patterns on other countries. They are not merely an externality of national policies; but an intrinsic challenge and opportunity: in an interconnected world, spillover effects create both risks and advantages that extend well beyond the national context. Therefore, spillover effects of internal policies must be recognized, and policymaking processes must be designed in such a way that these consequences are considered and acted upon not only at national level, but also across borders.
The objective of the “Spillover-Innovation” Learning Journey is to establish an inclusive cross-sectoral platform that connects internationally and equips diverse policymakers and stakeholders with the tools to integrate spillover-conscious strategies into policymaking processes. This will contribute to both national, regional and global efforts toward sustainable prosperity and create momentum for embedding these considerations within (future) sustainability frameworks.
The Learning Journey places a strong emphasis on peer-to-peer learning, enabling the exchange of best practices, lessons learned, and key insights on spillover effects within sustainable development. Through multi-stakeholder engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration, the initiative seeks to develop innovative practices to consider spillover effects and establish foundations for their integration into evolving sustainability agendas.
The objective is to operationalize global solidarity and a whole-of-society approach, with a focus on engaging diverse stakeholders, particularly those most affected by and those causing spillover effects, to define, measure, and mitigate or scale up these impacts and ensuring that impacted countries are consulted before regulations are designed to prevent unintended harm or promote benefits.
An inclusive learning and experimentation space: A dedicated environment to explore and advance strategies related to spillover effects, providing a structured setting for experimentation and knowledge exchange.
Facilitated exchange across national, regional and global levels: Opportunities for policymakers and diverse stakeholders to engage in peer-learning and share innovative approaches, fostering collaboration and shared insights.
Support for scaling innovative spillover practices: Resources and support to help innovative practices grow and adapt, enabling their integration into sustainability agendas at multiple levels.
Enhanced awareness and integration of spillover considerations: Tools to support the embedding of insights and lessons learned into intergovernmental processes, national policies, and sustainable development agendas.
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