As part of the ongoing tripartite collaboration between the University of Sussex (Sussex), the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), and the University of Ghana, Sussex, led by the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP), hosted the third in a series of events that focuses on international research cooperation.
The event, held in March, brought together researchers to discuss synergy drivers, integrated solutions designed to fast-track the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how to make the policies count with the limited time and resources available. Chaired by Dr Hikima Baah from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), the participants shared research and real-world experience, with the aim of moving beyond traditional, siloed approaches to development toward highly integrated, multi-impact policies and positive results across multiple global targets.
The keynote speaker, Professor Joseph Alcamo, Director of the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP), introduced synergy drivers as evidence-based policies that advance multiple SDGs simultaneously and described these drivers as an engine for the final phase of SDG implementation. He pointed to clean cookstove programmes as a single intervention that substantively reduces health-threatening indoor air pollution (SDG 3), empowers women (SDG 5), lessens deforestation, and protects the climate (SDG 13), all at the same time. His remarks drew on the recent report “ Synergy Drivers for Accelerating the SDGs ” funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and produced by the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme.
A Tripartite perspective on impact – panellist insights & case studies:
From solar-powered cooling in Nigeria to forest-linked health clinics, the panel demonstrated how the synergy drivers are already at work:
- Professor Albert Ahenkan (University of Ghana) argued that progress often stalls because water, energy, and climate are managed by separate ministries. By treating them as an interconnected nexus, Ghana can use renewable energy to power irrigation, securing both food and water for the future. It can optimise infrastructure, such as using renewable energy to power water irrigation, thereby boosting food security and climate resilience simultaneously.
- Dr John Thompson (IDS – Institute of Development Studies) redefined social safety nets not just as charity, but as essential infrastructure. He used the LEAP (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty) program to show that the program creates a triple win, using cash transfers to reduce immediate poverty while ensuring children stay in school and families access healthcare.
- Sephora Imomoh (University of Sussex – SSRP) presented evidence that when women lead green energy businesses, the benefits double. These businesses do more than provide electricity; they provide women with technical skills and economic independence, which research shows is a direct deterrent to gender-based violence and a driver for community-wide SDG adoption.
- Dr Jo Middleton (Brighton and Sussex Medical School) shared the success of the Planetary Health approach. By establishing health clinics in or near conservation areas, researchers found that local communities were less likely to engage in illegal logging or poaching because their immediate well-being was tied to the presence of the conservation-linke health services.
- Representing industry, Dr Patrick Agese (PAM Africa Energy Group) provided his insight and argued that the technology is only a driver if people can afford it. His work on Solar Battery Hubs and So-Cool kiosks focuses on solving the affordability gap and providing green energy to the 30,000+ people who need it the most.
In breakout groups, the speakers and participants discussed learnings from the cases. Although results have been seen across the contexts, discussions raised the issues of how far synergy drivers were sustainable in various policies and finance contexts. The question of policy implementation also arose. In some cases, policy facilitates synergy drivers and the SDGs on paper, but implementation poses a stumbling block. In these cases, policy actors need to work closely with private and third sector partners to be realistic about what can be achieved and under which circumstances. The responsibilities of various actors need to be more precisely defined, and mechanisms for holding stakeholders to account are part of the necessary infrastructure.
Next steps
Participants noted the need for their shared experience to be collated into accessible resources that could be used to facilitate policy change to support SDG synergy drivers. An evidence database or map of high-impact strategies could be a useful resource for stakeholders including policy actors and researchers. In the context of their tripartite agreement, the three institutions will therefore continue work to make the viable synergy drivers uncovered in this event more visible to a range of stakeholders.
