The overall ambition of BEYOND 2020, the World Sustainable Built Environment conference (WSBE), is to collectively formulate a transformational plan for the built environment to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The purpose of this transformational plan is to link the built environment to the relevant UN SDGs, in order to lay foundations for the development of global and regional implementation strategies by 2030.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all in that they address all the key global challenges which we as humanity face. BEYOND 2020’s contribution is centred around goal number 11 “Sustainable cities and communities” that we consider the focal point for the delivery and application of a more sustainable built environment. Around goal number 11, we have identified 10 other goals that are similarly relevant for the building sector and contribute to the achievement of sustainable cities and communities (see overview here).

BEYOND 2020 has the ambition to pave the way for a sustainable built environment globally, but by taking into consideration specific regional perspectives that would allow concrete actions to achieve the UNSDGs by 2030. We believe that it is key to build on the regional strengths, capabilities and conditions, in order to set up commitments and implementation plans that can actually be realized in different parts of the world.

YOUR SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION
In order to support the development of the BEYOND 2020 transformational plan, the Scientific Committee is looking for contributions that address one of the 20 conference scientific topics:

-Social inclusion for liveable societies
-Energy systems for the future
-Climate change mitigation and adaptation in the built environment
-Urban metabolism and circularity
-Health, comfort and well-being for a better life
-Housing for all
-Resilient transport systems and mobility solutions
-Architectural morphology
-Technology and material innovations
-Promoting green and blue structures for sustainable living environments
-Transformation and conservation
-Sustainable management of terrestrial and inland ecosystems
-Urban planning and design
-Urban transition - from the current state to a future state
-Design for hope
-New governance approaches for a sustainable built environment
-Life-long learning for all
-Sustainable businesses and economic models
-Digitalization for responsive cities
-Management and leadership

We believe that these strategically selected topics will assure the right balance between contributions that address the SDG-related challenges from a global and regional perspective, but also propose concrete innovations, approaches and tools needed to transform the built environment in line with SDG goals by 2030.

On the conference website more information on the topics can be found.

Abstracts (and then papers) will be double-blind reviewed. Accepted papers will be published by IOP proceedings on the Earth and Environmental Science Journal with ISBN/DOI.