The Saudi Sustainability Talks aim to harness current efforts towards sustainability in the Kingdom, learn from experiences and build on existing efforts to generate much needed dialogue, enhance sustainability efforts and achieve greater economic and societal benefits. Through monthly meetings, these talks will facilitate such discourse by providing a platform for diverse range of stakeholders to come together in an intimate, relaxed environment, where discussions are developed into constructive dialogues to thoughtfully discuss topics of economic, environmental and social welfare.

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Session I: UN SDGS | The Inaugural Event under the Sustainability Talks Series

Session II: Exploring Effective Communication Pathways towards a Sustainable Relationship with Climate and Energy
In just few decades, Earth has become sheathed in an extraordinary digital information and communication web allowing real-time global monitoring of deforestation and coral reef health, helping young researchers, through the Twitter hashtag #skypeascientist, share insights with students in any connected classroom, letting innovative farmers in rural India, through simple videos, share tips on resilient agriculture with farming families hundreds of miles away. But of course this system is also clogged with noise, rife with confusion and polarization, and designed as much to distract and addict as educate and inspire.

Session III: Sustainability and Human Wellbeing
Dr. John D. Spengler and Dr. Wendy M. Purcell will share their argument on the business opportunity that the Sustainable Development Goals present and introduce Harvard’s Culture of Health framework. Together they set an agenda for corporations, positioning sustainability as a business leadership imperative.

Session IV Special KAUST Edition | Cities of Action: Challenging Conventional Methods of Rapid Urbanization During the Next Decade

Developing countries are experiencing rapid growth in urbanization. As a result, cities are faced with concerns of high population density, inadequate infrastructure, lack of affordable housing and poverty issues, just to name a few. On January 22nd 2020, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, issued a global call of action to insure delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030; stressing on “Local Action” and a need to step up domestic response. With over half of the world population living in urban areas today a heavy undertaking falls onto cities and how they develop, insuring that all goals are being addressed to help create positive impact on the overall quality of life.

In an effort to rank amongst the best urban environments in the world, Saudi Arabia has committed substantial resources into the development of cities across the Kingdom through Vision 2030. Using impactful capital, cultural and innovative actions, cities across the nation intend to make urban living synonymous with sustainability, challenging rapid urbanization concerns.

As the decade turns, global challenges become more clear. Development efforts must differ from previous endeavors, while still being aligned with all SDGs in order to produce the ideal urban environment. Our topic sets to explore these challenges and the innovative methods cities intend to apply, looking at it from a global lens and juxtaposing with national and local efforts throughout the Kingdom.