Creating the Space for SDG Innovation: A Geneva case study

The document argues that achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires moving beyond the status quo by incorporating innovation—defined as altering the dynamics of complex systems—into sustainable development practices. It highlights the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem, an IISD-facilitated initiative involving over 80 individuals from UN organizations, NGOs, academia, the private sector, and social entrepreneurs. This ecosystem serves as a 'safe space' for experimentation, including an 'Innovation Sprint' utilizing design thinking and rapid prototyping to develop and scale ideas for SDG implementation.

• The author defines innovation in the context of social innovation as an intervention that changes the flow of power, information or resources, effectively altering the dynamics of a complex system.
• Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 requires new policy and implementation practices, as existing status quo methods are insufficient.
• The Geneva 2030 Ecosystem is a collaborative initiative facilitated by IISD that brings together more than 80 people from diverse sectors, including UN organizations, NGOs, academic institutions, private sector entities, and social entrepreneurs, to support SDG implementation at national and international levels.
• IISD has implemented an 'Innovation Sprint' for 30 members of the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem, consisting of a 6-month process using design thinking, systems mapping, and rapid prototyping to create a platform for developing and scaling new ideas.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2017). Creating the Space for SDG Innovation: A Geneva case study. https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/creating-space-sdg-innovation-geneva-case-study

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Creating the Space for SDG Innovation: A Geneva case study. 2017. https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/creating-space-sdg-innovation-geneva-case-study.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Creating the Space for SDG Innovation: A Geneva case study |date=5 July 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/creating-space-sdg-innovation-geneva-case-study |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2017creating, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Creating the Space for SDG Innovation: A Geneva case study}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/creating-space-sdg-innovation-geneva-case-study}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }