SDGs+Beyond Future Society for Life Week
SDGs and beyond: UK climate leadership on the global stage
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
With the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals fast approaching, the UK has made ambitious, mission-driven commitments to integrating climate change measures into national policies and planning, and to accelerating a just transition to a net-zero, nature-positive future.
Recorded video available
Discussion
- SDGs
- post-SDGs
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | Provided |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
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Track Programme
- Time and
Date of
the event -
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2025.10.06[Mon]
17:30 ～ 18:30
(Venue Open 17:00)
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- Venue
- Pavilion
- UK Pavilion
Programme details
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*Subtitles may not show with multiple languages or overlapping audio.
Live from the historic Great Room of the Royal Society of Arts in London, hear from leading public thinkers, policy influencers and innovators who are driving breakthrough progress on climate action, from pioneering clean energy technologies to building powerful, community-driven movements for regeneration and resilience, and discover the ideas and solutions that are seeding a flourishing future for people, places, and the planet we all share.
RSA at EXPO 2025:
A series of thought-leadership events from the RSA – where world-leading ideas become world-changing actions.
The RSA has been at the heart of UK innovation for the last 270 years and the platform for ideas and technologies that have changed the course of humanity. Today, our 31,00-strong RSA Fellowship – a global network of social impact innovators - are united by our vision for a world where everyone can fulfil their potential and contribute to more resilient, rebalanced and regenerative futures, and by our mission: to enable people, places, and the planet to flourish in harmony.
Reports
【Reflection】
SDGs and Beyond: UK Climate Leadership on the Global Stage marked the culmination of the RSA x UK at Expo 2025 partnership, spotlighting the UK’s leadership in climate action and its contributions to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event brought together diverse voices from government, academia, and civil society to assess progress, share lessons, and consider how the UK can drive equitable, global transformation beyond 2030.
Chaired by Ben Sheppard, Co-founder and Chair of Design for Good (London), and Carolyn Davidson, UK Commissioner General for Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai (Osaka), the discussion featured Professor Masako Konishi, Showa Women’s University and Director at WWF Japan, Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Mete Coban MBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, and Rachael Orr, CEO of Climate Outreach. Together, they explored how bold policy frameworks, local leadership, and citizen engagement can align to accelerate progress toward the SDGs.
The event attracted 214 attendees (97 in person in London and Osaka, and 117 online), with 32% new participants, demonstrating continued success in expanding the RSA’s reach to new audiences. Engagement remained strong beyond the live session, achieving 628 replay views and 529 podcast downloads to date. International engagement remained high, with strong follow-up from Japan, Canada, Australia, and Germany on YouTube, and Sweden, Belgium, and France via the podcast.
The discussion emphasised both urgency and optimism: speakers acknowledged the short runway to 2030 and the need for cross-sector collaboration to overcome structural barriers, yet also celebrated tangible progress - from Wales’ pioneering Future Generations framework to London’s clean energy and just transition initiatives.
The event’s hybrid format once again proved effective in enabling an inclusive, international dialogue, strengthening connections between London, Osaka, and beyond, and reinforcing the RSA’s position as a convener of global collaboration, bridging policy, innovation, and community voices to accelerate progress toward a fairer, greener future.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Online engagement continues to rise, with steady growth in both YouTube views and podcast downloads, extending the reach and impact of the session well beyond the Expo’s immediate audience. This sustained interest reflects a strong public appetite for practical, inclusive climate leadership and reinforces the RSA’s role as a convener of dialogue that connects policy, innovation, and civic participation.
Building on the momentum of SDGs and Beyond, the RSA is weaving the insights and collaborations from the Expo series into its future programming. Upcoming initiatives with the Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) will continue to explore the role of sustainable and regenerative design in tackling systemic challenges.
In 2026 RSA have a range of events including one on the environmental costs and opportunities presented by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Alongside this, programmes like Playful Green Planet will further the RSA’s commitment to fostering creative, community-driven approaches to sustainability and climate resilience.
The visibility and relationships developed through the Expo have also strengthened the RSA’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region, deepening ongoing dialogue with networks in Japan around policy innovation, youth-led climate action, and cross-cultural exchange.
Ultimately, the event reaffirmed the RSA’s commitment to advancing collaborative, regenerative solutions that align with – and extend beyond – the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through its global partnerships and mission-led programmes, the RSA continues to champion collective action toward a fairer, more sustainable future for people and the planet.
Cast
Moderator
Carolyn Davidson (Osaka)
UK Commissioner General for Expo 2025
Carolyn has led the UK's presence at Expo 2025 as Commissioner-General since March 2024, a role she took on full-time from January this year. Prior to that she was British Consul-General in Osaka from August 2021. A career diplomat her previous roles include Ambassador to Guatemala and Honduras (2015-19), High Commissioner to Zambia (2008 – 2012) and Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy in Slovakia (2004-08), all roles she job-shared with her husband, Tom Carter.
She has a degree in Modern Languages from Bristol University (1986), a MBA from the Open University (2011) and speaks French, German, Spanish and Japanese.
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Ben Sheppard (London)
Co founder and Chair Design for Good
Ben Sheppard is the co-founder and Chair of Design for Good, a global charitable alliance spanning 30 countries working pro bono to develop products and services with the goal to improve ten million lives by 2030 and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He brought together the founding members, including General Mills, LIXIL, Logitech, McKinsey, Nedbank, Nestlé, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Philips and the Royal College of Art.
Ben works with Boards and CEOs to grow innovative, design-led businesses and has recently taken interim leadership roles of cutting-edge medical technology companies.
A former long-standing Partner at McKinsey & Company, he led the firm’s global research on design, including the Red Dot-winning Business Value of Design series. For many years, he convened the Chief Design Officer Roundtable—a forum of 50 of the world’s most senior design leaders, whose work touches the lives of seven in eight people on the planet.
Ben is Senior Advisor to the Design Council, a member of Fortune's Global Advisory Council on design, a former Dezeen master jury member, and a visiting lecturer at institutions including the Royal College of Art.
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Speakers
Professor Masako Konishi (Osaka)
Expert Director, Conservation and Energy, WWF Japan; Showa Women's University; former news presenter and forecaster
20 years’ experience in climate change and energy research, and advocacy project management in the international organization, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), combined with extensive experience of stakeholder engagement.
Worked in and with diverse stakeholder groups; governments (national and local), academia, industry, the media and NGOs. Currently serving on various government committees such as of Ministry of the Environment, maintaining a broad network among various ministries of the Japanese government.
Currently maintaining triple positions, an Expert Director for WWF Japan, Professor in Graduate school of two universities (Showa Women University as well as Kyoto University), and Board member of the TOHO Bank in Fukushima.
Certified meteorologist with 8 years’ broadcast experience, and winner of a Grand Prize of The Best Weather Presenter at the International Weather Festival in 2002. Extensive communication skills built through the 15-year journalism career. Especially, experienced in strategic media management for discourse on climate and energy policies.
Holding Master of Public Administration of Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and PhD in Public Governance from Hosei University. Pulished numerous books, including the most recent “Climate Policies as an agenda for Media (2023 Minerva Shobo)”.
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Derek Walker (Osaka)
Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
Wales is the only country in the world with a Well-being of Future Generations Act and the role provides advice and support to government and public bodies to take a longer-term view on policy decisions. The commissioner’s job is to protect and promote the needs of future generations.
Derek Walker is the second ever Future Generations Commissioner, having started the role on March 1, 2023, when he called for ‘urgent and transformational change’ in Wales.
Previously he was chief executive of Cwmpas, the UK’s largest co-operative development agency. Derek spent 12 years as CEO, working to support people and communities to create jobs and strengthen communities, and changed the organisation’s focus to development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations.
Derek began his career as policy officer for London Councils, in London and Brussels. He has also worked as Head of External Affairs at the Big Lottery Fund (Wales), as Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Wales TUC and was the first employee of Stonewall Cymru.
Derek grew up on a farm near Cwmbran and is a keen runner and tennis player, loves to read and is a Welsh learner. He now lives in Cardiff with his partner Mike and has two grown-up children. His ambition while at Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School was to be a journalist and he has a Masters degree in International Journalism from Cardiff University. He’s happy how life has turned out and says being the guardian of the interests of people not yet born is the greatest privilege.
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Mete Coban MBE (London)
Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy
Mete Coban MBE became the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy in July 2024, overseeing the Mayor’s world-leading climate action plan for the capital.
Before becoming Deputy Mayor, Mete was a Councillor and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment, and Transport in the London Borough of Hackney, delivering a £61 million Green New Deal to tackle the climate crisis. He is best known for pioneering Hackney’s Community Energy Fund, providing clean, green, community-owned energy to 39 not-for-profits.
Mete is widely credited with making politics more accessible to young people as the Founder of the youth-led charity My Life My Say. He led the Give an X voter registration campaign, which resulted in over 488,000 newly registered voters ahead of the UK General Election in July 2024.
In the New Year's 2020 Honours List, Mete received an MBE for services to young people, recognising his efforts to make politics and democracy more accessible to the younger generation. Mete also serves as a Trustee at the London Marathon Foundation and My Life My Say.
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Rachael Orr (London)
CEO, Climate Reach
Rachael is the CEO of Climate Outreach, experts in climate change communications. Rachael leads a team who focus on how we can put people at the heart of addressing climate change.
Rachael joined Climate Outreach from PlaceShapers, the national network for community-based housing associations. She led their organisational strategy, member services, policy and campaigns with a particular focus on place, community and sustainability.
Previously, Rachael was Head of Oxfam's UK programme, leading Oxfam's advocacy, campaigning and programme work on UK poverty and held various senior policy and campaigning roles at Shelter.
Rachael has also served in various governance roles. She was Chair of Angel Shed Theatre Company, an inclusive theatre charity in Islington and a Non-Executive Director at Suffolk Housing Society.
She is currently Chair of Trustees at the Refugee Council.
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Co-organiser
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
More Information
SDGs+Beyond Future Society for Life Week
SDGs and beyond: UK climate leadership on the global stage
With the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals fast approaching, the UK has made ambitious, mission-driven commitments to integrating climate change measures into national policies and planning, and to accelerating a just transition to a net-zero, nature-positive future.
-
2025.10.06[Mon]
17:30～18:30
(Venue Open 17:00)
- Pavilion
- * Programme times and content are subject to change. Any changes will be announced on this website and via the ticket booking system.
- * The schedule is subject to change depending on the organiser's circumstances.
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SDGs+Beyond Future Society for Life Week
