2022 International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals Opens in Beijing

The 2022 International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2022) was open on September 6, 2022 in Beijing, China. The three-day event is sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and hosted by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) and the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), CAS.

Being a high-level international academic conference in the field of sustainable development and big data, FBAS 2022 aims to strengthen international exchange and cooperation, towards innovative uses of big data to support the UN 2030 Agenda as well as the China proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI).

FBAS 2022 builds on the success of FBAS 2021---the first FBAS forum was held in Beijing in September 2021 to mark the founding of CBAS, with nearly 1,000 participants from 61 countries and regions globally.

At the opening ceremony of FBAS 2022, Prof. ZHANG Yaping, Vice President of CAS, pointed out that digital technology, especially big data, plays a crucial role in analyzing sustainable development issues related to the Earth system and human activities as well as in assisting national governments in decision-making processes.

He said that CAS attaches great importance to the research in the field of sustainable development and big data, and regards the founding of CBAS as an important starting point.

He stressed that CAS will further cooperate with global research institutions and scientists to enable people of all countries to benefit from digital technologies through the new pattern of digital cooperation.

Prof. GUO Huadong, Director General of CBAS, mentioned in his keynote speech that the implementation of UN 2030 Agenda and GDI calls for scientific and technological innovation, into which digital technologies inject one of the most promising impetuses.

He added that the new mission of CBAS is to work with the international scientific communities and stakeholders for launching a "Sustainable Development Satellite Constellation Plan" and developing and sharing "data and information for SDGs monitoring", which are among the deliverables of the High-level Dialogue on Global Development.

Irina Bokova, Former Director-General of UNESCO remarked via a video link that the establishment of CBAS last year was a "milestone enthusiastically embraced by the UN communities". She also mentioned that only eight years has left for the 2030 Agenda and "drastic gaps" are seen in several areas. She stressed that only "an ardent, urgent, more ambitious, and well-resourced global plan" will ensure that science can effectively support the SDGs.

FBAS 2022, with the theme "Digital Technology Empowers Global Sustainable Development", features a wide range of academic discussions on topics such as zero hunger, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, life below water, life on land, digital technology, and youth innovation.

The event was co-organized by 40 international organizations, research institutes and universities with eight keynote speeches, 57 parallel sessions, more than 300 oral reports, and 13 theme conferences, which will be attended by around 700 people from 61 countries and regions.

Zhang Yaping, Vice President of CAS delivers welcome remarks.

Guo Huadong, Director General of CBAS delivers a keynote speech.

Inauguration ceremony of Alliance of Sustainable Development Goals Satellites (ASSA).

Launching ceremony of CBAS Global SDG Partnership Programme.

Signing ceremony between CBAS and the National Communication Center for Science and Technology, CAST.