On 19 December, Professor Phoebe Koundouri spoke at the Launch of China’s Progress Report on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 2025, hosted by the Center for International Knowledge on Development (CIKD). The event marked a significant milestone—ten years since the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda—providing an opportunity to reflect on progress achieved, share lessons learned, and discuss pathways to accelerate sustainable development.

In her keynote remarks, Professor Koundouri emphasized the importance of strengthening the science–policy interface and advancing integrated, evidence-based approaches to sustainable development, particularly as countries seek to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in the years ahead. These perspectives are closely aligned with her role as Chief Scientist of the 2027 UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), the United Nations’ flagship, science-based assessment supporting global decision-making on sustainable development in the final push toward 2030, as well as with the mission of the SDSN Global Climate Hub, which she chairs and which focuses on supporting climate-resilient and inclusive development through science-informed pathways.

The event contributed to a timely and substantive global dialogue on the future of sustainable development.