At an historic 2015 United Nations Summit, all 192 UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which sets out a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for all people and for the preservation of our planet. At its heart, are 17 Sustainable Development Goals which, when taken together, aim to: end poverty and hunger, combat inequality, protect human rights and ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources. No one is more knowledgeable about the scope of the SDGs than world-renowned economist, global leader in sustainable development and Columbia University Professor, Jeffrey Sachs. Professor Sachs is Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He is a commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, and has served as Special Advisor to every UN Secretary General appointed between 2001 and 2018. Professor Sachs has worked closely with most of the world’s development banks and has advised heads of state and governments on economic strategy in over 125 countries. He has authored and edited numerous books, including three New York Times bestsellers and was the co-recipient of the 2015 Blue Planet Prize, the leading global prize for environmental leadership. He was twice named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders and ranked by The Economist as among the three most influential living economists. Professor Sachs is father of three children and grandfather to four precocious, energetic grand-daughters.
