Asia Europe Journal - Call for Special Issue Papers on 'Aligning G20 Agenda with The Sustainable Development Goals: Investigating Areas for Coordinated Action Plan between Asia and Europe'

Guest Editor:
Kakali Mukhopadhyay, PhD., Department of Agricultural Economics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
email: kakali.mukhopadhyay@mcgill.ca (this opens in a new tab)

Both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Group of Twenty (G20) goals serve as frameworks for addressing global challenges. The potential for these two sets of goals to reinforce and support one another in achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth on a global scale is what makes coordination and coherence between the two frameworks so important for maximizing their impact on global development. The G20 leadership in the recently concluded Delhi Summit pledged to utilize its influential position and shared resolve to effectively execute and expedite advancements towards the SDG 2030 agenda.

The G20 alliance focuses on a wide range of sectors. On the sustainable energy front, the G20 pledged to triple the global Renewable Energy (RE) capacity by 2030. This is expected to transform the existing Global Supply Chains in the RE sector across the developed and developing countries. The landmark Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) was also announced under India’s G20 presidency. Leading producers and consumers of biofuels, Brazil, India, and the United States, will collaborate over the coming months to create a GBA with other prospective nations across the globe. Similarly, global leaders also aim to establish a global market and supply chain for Green hydrogen that is expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing transport and industrial sectors. The India-led International Solar Alliance recently launched the Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre for which India has already approved $2.3 billion for the production, use and export of Green hydrogen. This multi-pronged approach to clean energy transition that is aligned with SDG 7 and 13 at the macro level aims to revolutionize the Global green energy industry and transform economic growth trajectories while tackling environmental issues in majority of nations.

Along with the emphasis on energy security, the importance of food security which is directly linked with poverty alleviation is also a pivotal agenda of the G20 group. In the recent summit, the 2023 G20 Deccan High-level Principles of Food Security aims to tackle the issue of combatting global hunger and malnutrition, through cooperation in research on climate-resilient and nutritious crops such as millets, quinoa and sorghum. The year 2023 was declared as the International Year of millets by the United Nations, and India already took a number of initiatives to promote millets, as part of the G20 presidency. These initiatives are expected to also contribute towards tackling poverty issues, especially in developing and underdeveloped nations in Asia.

It has also been emphasized how important tourism and culture are as engines of sustainable socioeconomic growth and prosperity. In order to achieve Universal Health Coverage, implement the One Health approach, improve pandemic preparedness, and strengthen current infectious diseases surveillance systems, leaders of G20 countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the global health architecture, with the World Health Organization (WHO) at its core. 

The G20 group’s digitization drive is also embedded in the 2023 G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) and the G20 Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP). It promotes not only inclusivity but also sustainable solutions amongst G20 and non-G20 partners. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, the upgradation of existing technology systems to meet the sophisticated trade facilitation requirements has already been taken into consideration by the G20 alliance.

The proposed India Middle-East Europe Economic Corridor can act as a game changer for not only the countries involved, but for all G20 and non-G20 partners across the world. Given the high share of working age labour force in India and other Southeast Asian countries, the significant financial power and high endowment of natural resources in the Middle-East countries and the advanced technological know-how amongst European nations, the proposed corridor is expected to be mutually advantageous cooperation, transforming global trade and economic ties.

Furthermore, the cooperation between Asia and Europe across an array of economic and environmental issues is important to address the global agenda of SDGs as well as internationally ratified agreements such as the Paris Climate Accord or the COP26 and COP27 events. This edition will focus on a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted relationship between the G20 and Sustainable Development Goals, particularly highlighting the significant contributions of Asian-European cooperation within the global framework.

The theme of the research paper may also be a combination of the topics (restricted to the ones listed below). We encourage the submission of articles accommodating different methodologies and policy perspectives.

1. G20 and Sustainable Development: How the G20 contributes to global efforts to achieve the SDGs, with a focus on Asian-European cooperation within the G20 framework.
2. Trade and Investment: Examines trade relations, investment flows, global value chains and economic partnerships within the G20 and their impact on global sustainable economic growth.
3. Infrastructure and Connectivity: Analyses collaborative efforts in infrastructure development and connectivity projects within the G20, emphasising their role in regional integration and sustainability.
4. Technology Transfer and Innovation: Explores the exchange of technology and innovation among Asian and European G20 members and their contributions to sustainable progress.
5. Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability: Investigate joint initiatives within the G20 to combat climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and promote environmental conservation.
6. Inclusive Growth and Poverty Reduction: Evaluate strategies and actions within Asian-European G20 cooperation to achieve inclusive economic growth and poverty alleviation.
7. Food security and Poverty alleviation: Analyses the pursuit of eradicating malnutrition and global hunger, promoting healthy dietary patterns while exploring cooperation amongst G20 and non-G20 partners in this regard can yield significant economic and environmental ramifications.
8. Healthcare and Well-being: Analyses partnerships within the G20 aimed at enhancing healthcare systems and overall well-being.
9. Digital Transformation: Explores the role of digitalization and technology in promoting sustainability and inclusivity within the G20.

 
The selection will follow a two-steps procedure. First, authors are invited to send an extended abstract (including the main contribution, a description of the data used, the main novelty with respect to the previous evidence on the topic, and the possible extensions of the research) of the paper they intend to submit via email directly to the Guest Editor of the Special Issue (this opens in a new tab). Then, the Guest Editor will select the extended abstracts on the basis of the extended abstract and will invite selected authors to submit the full paper using the submission platform (this opens in a new tab).
 

Important dates:
Extended Abstract Submissions: December 30, 2023
Notification to Authors: January 15, 2024
Full paper Submission: June 30, 2024
Finalization of the Special Issue: October 30, 2024