Draft:The Beyond Lab

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Beyond Lab is a sustainability and policy innovation initiative based in Geneva, Switzerland, operating within the United Nations Office at Geneva.^[1] It is the successor to the SDG Lab, which was launched in January 2017 as a platform intended to connect stakeholders working on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Geneva’s international ecosystem.^[2]

The initiative is led by Özge Aydogan, who was appointed Director in November 2022.^[3]

The SDG Lab was launched in January 2017 and described as a convening and partnership-oriented initiative supporting collaboration linked to the SDGs.^[4] A 2022 publication by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) describes the SDG Lab and IISD as co-convening the “Geneva 2030 Ecosystem” beginning in 2016, reflecting early work focused on coordination among Geneva-based actors engaged in sustainable development.^[5]

The Lab has been associated with the Building Bridges initiative, a sustainable finance convening launched in Geneva in 2019.^[6] Building Bridges publications also list Beyond Lab among participating organizations in later editions.^[7]

In November 2022, Özge Aydogan was appointed Director, following a leadership transition referenced in an SDG Lab annual report published via Building Bridges.^[8]

Beyond Lab’s work is oriented toward long-term sustainability, systems transformation, and intergenerational accountability, including exploration of approaches that frame sustainability beyond economic growth metrics alone.

In a public presentation hosted by the Enterprise for Society Center (E4S), Aydogan outlined a progression from “conventional” and “contemporary” sustainability paradigms toward a “regenerative” approach, emphasizing sustainability as a systems challenge shaped by complexity and feedback effects.^[9] In the same presentation, she described the SDGs as universal and integrated, while also arguing that post-2030 sustainability frameworks would require new forms of measurement and governance that account for long-term impacts and future generations.^[10]

At an Osaka Expo forum in Japan, Aydogan discussed themes linked to “beyond GDP” and regenerative development, and argued that sustainability communication requires broader public discourse, including cultural and artistic approaches to bridge differences in perspective.^[11] In that discussion, she also emphasized the role of intergenerational equity and youth participation in shaping future sustainability goals and indicators.^[12]

Beyond Lab’s activities include convening, public engagement and the development of concepts and tools intended to support long-term policy decision-making.

One initiative associated with the Lab is Youth Moving Beyond GDP, which focuses on youth participation in debates on economic measurement and concepts of progress beyond gross domestic product.^[13]

The Lab is also developing the Futures Balance, a framework supporting long-term policy planning and intergenerational accounting concepts, that includes an AI based digital tool that allows policy makers to translate foresight into policy processes and supports the decision makers analyse spill over effects.^[14][15]

Özge Aydogan has served as Director since November 2022.^[16] An OECD Government Foresight Community summary published in 2020 identifies her as a policy and strategy specialist participating in foresight discussions.^[17]

Beyond Lab and its leadership have been covered by international and Swiss media. Xinhua News Agency has reported on themes associated with the Lab’s work, including well-being, long-term governance, and youth engagement.^[18]

Swiss public broadcaster RTS has featured a segment on approaches associated with the Lab, including the use of “constructive hope” and practical tools for civic engagement in sustainability transitions.^[19]