Data for the Sustainable Development Goals I Data for Policy Fireside Chat September'25

Описание: Join us for an illuminating discussion on how data shapes the reality of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Chaired by Sherman Kong (The Digital Economist), this fireside chat features the editors of the forthcoming Elgar Companion to Data and Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals: Prof Gaby Umbach (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute), Prof Igor Tkalec (Social Data Institute, UCL), and Mira Tiwari (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute).

What You'll Explore:
The speakers reveal what lies beneath the 17 SDGs—the quantitative and normative frameworks that define sustainable development and how we measure progress toward it. Drawing on their comprehensive research, they examine:

The Political Economy of Measurement: Who creates global sustainability indices? Where does funding come from? The analysis of 11 major sustainable development indices reveals a striking concentration: producers and funders come exclusively from high-income countries in North America and Europe, raising critical questions about whose vision of development shapes global discourse.

Data Use as Governance: How statistics do more than measure—they create political realities, frame policy debates, and establish global norms. The selection of indicators isn't neutral; it fundamentally shapes what sustainable development means in practice.

The Contextualisation Challenge: A key finding across all 17 SDGs is the tension between universal indicators and local needs. Countries struggle to translate global benchmarks into actionable policies that reflect their specific contexts and priorities.

Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Data: Exploring the role of official statistics, big data, earth observations, and citizen science in filling measurement gaps and the institutional tensions this creates.

Data Quality and Accessibility: Many sustainability indices lack the disaggregation, transparency, and methodological consistency needed for civil society organisations and local governments to use them effectively.

📌 Key Insights:
The discussion reveals how the "data revolution" since 2016 has transformed SDG implementation, with data records multiplying exponentially. Yet fundamental questions remain about statistical capacity, data literacy, ethical data use, and who has the power to define and measure progress.

Perfect for researchers, policymakers, data scientists, and anyone working on sustainable development, measurement, or evidence-informed policy-making.
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00:00 - Intro
00:04 - Introduction by Sherman Kong , The Digital Economist
02:50 - 'Data for the SDGs and Measuring Sustainable Development' by Prof Gaby Umbach
21:55 - 'The Political Economy of Measuring Sustainable Development' by Mira Tiwari
35:45 - 'Key strands from the Companion' by Prof Igor Tkalec
45:56 - Q1 by Prof Masaru Yarime
46:36 - Q2 by Friederike Schüür
48:04 - Q3 by Nai Lee Kalema
48:45 - Reflections by Prof Gaby Umbach
54:56 - Reflections by Prof Igor Tkalec
57:36 - Reflections by Mira Tiwari
01:02:04 - Session End