Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao Named as UN SDSN Youth's Local Pathways Fellow for Ithaca

Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao, a recent Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree and a Ph.D. student in the Erickson Lab, is named as a Local Pathways Fellow by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network - Youth Initiative (SDSN Youth), representing the city of Ithaca. Elvis is among 51 fellows across 41 cities around the world, with the goal of “championing local pathways for sustainable development.” He hopes to contribute to the Tompkins County Energy Roadmap, which sets a strategic goal of 80% reductions in GHG emissions from 2008 levels by 2050.

The fellowship utilizes two of SDSN’s flagship products: the SDG Cities Guide, which had served as a foundation of the training program design, and the SDG Academy’s Sustainable Cities MOOC, integrated as the core component of the curriculum. 

A practically-oriented training program is designed to provide a guiding framework for action, and connect fellows with leading development experts and practitioners in the field. The program will take fellows on a 12-month journey, throughout which they will explore the practical steps, strategies and solutions their cities may put in place to ‘localize’ the globally adopted goals and targets.

About the Local Pathways Fellowship:
The Local Pathways Fellowship is an initiative of SDSN Youth, in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN Habitat), the City of Milan (Milan Urban Food Policy Pact) and a range of stakeholders. SDSN Youth’s mission is to empower young people globally to create sustainable solutions. Through the Local Pathways Fellowships and its many initiatives, SDSN Youth aims to amplify the tremendous energy and capabilities of youth in materializing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).