The SDG Pulse: Sept 2025
Climate Scientists Score Victories Against Trump Administration
Climate scientists achieved major wins as coordinated scientific opposition forced policy retreats. A coalition of 85 scientists released a 450-page review dismantling an Energy Department report downplaying climate change, while separate legal pressure led to dissolution of a controversial climate contrarian working group that couldn't respond to the "deluge" of scientific criticism.
Key developments:
Scientific mobilization - Over 100 scientists submitted 400+ pages challenging federal climate reports
Legal victories - Environmental Defense Fund lawsuit forced dissolution of contrarian advisory group
Data manipulation exposed - Administration cherry-picked limited datasets while ignoring peer-reviewed evidence
A New Playbook: How Nonprofits Are Reinventing Themselves
Amid 2025's challenges, nonprofits are adapting with innovative strategies to survive and potentially emerge stronger. Organizations face existential decisions about handling uncertainty while federal funding tightens and donor expectations evolve.Youth-driven priorities:
Organizational transformation trends:
Strategic pivots: Moving beyond traditional service delivery models to address root causes
Capacity building: Investing in technology, staff development, and sustainable funding diversification
Community partnerships: Forming deeper collaborations to maximize impact with limited resources
Source: Adobe Stock
Place-Based Strategy to Foster Rural U.S. Prosperity
A comprehensive three-pronged approach can revitalize America's rural communities by recognizing local assets and building capacity. With 25% of rural counties classified as "distressed," strategic investment paired with community engagement offers proven pathways to prosperity.
Rural development strategies:
Data-driven targeting: Using poverty indicators and community assets to guide public-private investment
Capacity building: Providing grant-writing expertise and technical assistance to small towns lacking administrative resources
Community engagement: Ensuring residents lead their own economic development rather than having solutions imposed
Demonstrators rally in opposition to a plan by Elon Musks’s xAI to use gas turbines for a new data center rally ahead of a public comment meeting on the project at Fairley High School in Memphis, TN on April 25, 2025. Photo: Getty Images
NAACP Develops Guiding Principles for AI Data Centers
The NAACP released comprehensive guiding principles following a Memphis convening of 70 advocates to protect frontline communities from "dirty data centers." The framework addresses Big Tech's expansion into communities of color amid growing AI infrastructure demands.
The Framework calls for:
Community ownership: Requiring community-owned renewable energy for all data center operations
Legal accountability: Binding commitments with public disclosure and corporate tax accountability
Environmental justice: Clear rules preventing dirty data centers from polluting Black and Brown neighborhoods
Unpacking the "Beyonds": Constructive Hope in SDG Implementation
UN Geneva's Beyond Lab explores constructive hope as sustainability practitioners engage with psychological research to address the emotional challenges of working toward the SDGs. The approach connects mental health and affective sciences with sustainable development practice.
Constructive hope framework:
Psychological integration: Incorporating mental health perspectives into sustainability work to prevent burnout
Affective sciences: Understanding emotional dimensions of climate and development challenges
Practitioner support: Providing tools for UN representatives and sustainability professionals to maintain resilience
This month's Pulse highlights just how interconnected the challenges of climate, equity, and peace have become - issues we'll be tackling at our Climate & Conflict event during NY Climate Week 2025, where we'll explore how environmental challenges reshape national security and peace.
As we gather during Climate Week, we invite you to explore these perspectives and engage with our programming. We've also pulled together a curated list of Climate Week events you won't want to miss - gatherings where climate, finance, technology, and justice intersect. Explore the events here: Climate Week Events.
