Summary of the Event
The event commenced at ten o’clock in the morning, where panelists convened a virtual green room for preparation and testing. After gathering, there were welcoming remarks from Ambassador Marco Suazo, the head of UNITAR New York Office, who was welcomed by professor Daniel Esty. Mr. Seth, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, was introduced to deliver opening remarks. After that, Zach took over by becoming emcee and introduced the event schedule to panelists.
From ten-twenty to eleven twenty, panel one consists of Zach Wendling, Tanja Srebotnjak made presentation and remarks on the History and development of sustainability indicators. The key thing discussed is how environmental policymaking has become more data-driven since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mainly because of the emergence and proliferation of better metrics on sustainability. The 2020 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) gives a data-driven review of the state of sustainability around the globe using thirty-two performance indicators across eleven issue categories.
After a short break of ten minutes, panel two consists of Guillaume Lafortune and John McArthur, made presentation and remarks on the Sustainability metrics and the Sustainable Development Goals. Among the crucial things mentioned is how EPI provides a robust policy tool that supports efforts to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals targets and to move society toward a sustainable future. Modernizations in the 2020 EPI methodology and data mirror the latest advances in environmental science and indicator analysis. New indicators develop the analysis of biodiversity & habitat, air quality, fisheries, climate change, ecosystem services, among others. Finally, Ambassador Marco Suazo gave closing remarks to the end session.
