ASviS - Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile
Mondo Internazionale benefits from the status of "Associate" at ASviS - Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development
The Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS) was established on February 3rd, 2016, upon the initiative of the Unipolis Foundation and the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. Its aim is to raise the awareness of the Italian society, economic stakeholders and institutions about the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to mobilize them in order to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Alliance already brings together over 220 member organizations among the most important civil society institutions and networks, such as: associations representing social partners (businesses, trade unions and third sector associations); networks of civil society associations pursuing specific Goals (health, education, employment, environment quality, gender equality, etc.); associations of local public administrations; public and private universities and research centres; associations of stakeholders working in the fields of culture and information; foundations and networks of foundations; Italian organizations that are members of international networks dealing with the SDGs.
The Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development’s mission is to raise the awareness of the Italian society, economic stakeholders and institutions on the importance of the Global Agenda for sustainable development, bringing together actors who already deal with specific aspects related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in order to: favour the development of a culture of sustainability at all levels, reorienting production and consumption models to that end; analyse the implications and opportunities of the sustainable development Agenda for Italy; contribute to the definition of an Italian strategy for the implementation of the SDGs (also employing analytical and forecasting tools to help define policies for sustainable development) and to the establishment of a monitoring system to track the progress of Italy in attaining the SDGs.
Membership in the Alliance is open to all subjects who fall into these categories. Alliance activities are carried out thanks to the financial, instrumental and work contributions provided by its members.
Objectives
The Alliance’s specific objectives are:
- to raise awareness among public and private actors, public opinion and citizens on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, favouring a widespread knowledge of current and future expected trends in relation to the SDGs, using all means of communication;
- to propose policies aimed at achieving the SDGs and to express opinions on possible legislative measures, trying to evaluate their impact and focusing on their potential to bridge the gaps between the country's regions and to eliminate inequalities among different socio-economic groups;
- to promote an education program on sustainable development, with a particular focus on young generations;
- to foster research and innovation for sustainable development, promoting the diffusion of good practices established in Italy and abroad, and the development of analytical tools to evaluate the impact of economic, social and environmental policies;
- to contribute to the elaboration of adequate monitoring tools to achieve the goals in Italy, paying attention to specific stakeholder groups (businesses) and local contexts (communities and cities), while also giving due regard to existing tools such as the equitable and sustainable wellbeing indicators (BES – Benessere Equo e Sostenibile);
- to promote the development of analytical tools to assess the impact of economic, social and environmental policies and reduce the costs of transition to sustainability by identifying trade-offs among existing policies and suggesting actions to make outcomes more favourable.
The Alliance carries out its activities on the basis of a work programme aimed at achieving the aforementioned objectives. The programme is drafted by the Assembly of members and financed through the funds provided by the Alliance's member organizations and, in the case of specific activities, external sponsors.
The role of civil society
The activity of the Alliance is part of the vast mobilization of civil society underway around the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The process that led to the 2030 Agenda, the Goals and the Targets was characterized by extensive consultations, both global and national, and there was no interested party in the various topics included in the Agenda that did not have the opportunity to contribute to that debate. The SDGs embrace the environmental issues that are commonly associated with the concept of sustainability, such as the fight against climate change, but also set themselves objectives to safeguard the social sustainability of human communities threatened by wars, oppression of minorities, growing inequalities. Therefore, for the design of effective actions for the realization of the SDGs, a vast audience of civil society organizations must be sensitized and involved.
This extraordinary awareness-raising work must be accompanied by a well-organized common effort, therefore it is necessary that the whole of civil society, the social partners and public authorities find effective forms of collaboration, overcoming particularisms. Indeed, if each entity continues to strive to draw public attention to its field of action (be it the environment, poverty and social issues, competitiveness or the defense of particular categories of citizens) it will be impossible to win the challenge of sustainable development, which requires a change of mentality and a global approach to problems.
To achieve the transition necessary for the sustainability of development, it will also be necessary to identify possible solutions, capable of minimizing the costs connected to it and maximizing returns for the various stakeholders, showing the great opportunities that "green" and "inclusive" growth reserves for all social actors, starting with the economic ones.
These conditions, necessary but not sufficient to help Italy to embrace the new global Agenda, can be more easily achieved thanks to a multi-stakeholder initiative for sustainable development, involving scientists, researchers, innovators (technological and social), public authorities, opinion leaders and civil society, so as to make clear the advantages of forward-looking and balanced choices. As part of this approach, companies are central subjects, as it is through business operations that the sustainable company creates development: goods and services on the one hand, work, skills, environmental quality, opportunities and relationships from the other. Similarly, universities and research centers play a fundamental role in identifying, experimenting and spreading solutions capable of taking the world on a path of sustainability. Entities from the third sector, as well as other subjects of civil society, offer a valuable contribution above all thanks to their experience in pursuing civic purposes, social utility and the good of the community, in particular in terms of supporting the weaker sections of the population.
