The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development draws a plan for action for people, planet and prosperity. It particularly mentioned “a spirit of strengthened global solidarity”, with a focus on “the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable”. As Response Innovation Lab, we center our work on innovation, focus on humanitarian settings, and adopt a locally-driven, collaborative approach to envision sustainable impact for the people and planet in the regions of our operations. We strive to constantly strengthen our model and work to contribute to the Agenda and what it envisages. 

We apply the power of collaborative innovation, strategic partnership and disruptive technologies to create long term sustainable solutions to humanitarian challenges. We are passionate about the application of new ideas and new ways of working to increase the resilience of individuals and encourage self-generated solutions to protect populations from future conflicts, disasters and emergencies.  

We encompass the aims of many of the SDG goals in our work based on key needs and demands identified in the regions of our operations country - since each situation and context comes with different, and often unique, challenges. 

Innovative techniques and platforms are proving to be keybe a key factors in humanitarian responses to ongoing regional conflicts, severe weather patterns, a changing climate and forced migration. In a complex world, innovative action can deliver the creativity, strategy and new models of working and co-creation to support people facing urgent humanitarian challenges. 

The Response Innovation Lab's current work is directly aligned with most of the Sustainable Development Goals. Click on the individual SDGs below to check out how our work is relevant.

  • GOAL 3. Good Health | Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

    RIL supported an international NGO in Amman, Jordan to create more effective and efficient solutions for sanitation with a projected impact of 40,000 healthier Syrian parents, children and communities (lower rates of infections and diarrheal diseases). This also included a recycling component essential for a promoting a healthier planet.

  • Goal 4. Quality Education | Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

    RIL supported the use of new education programs including English language learning, connection to fabrication labs and appropriate online learning platforms to 15,000 refugees and their host communities. This is benefiting the educational opportunities and the ability to gain employment for vulnerable youth in Jordan.

  • Goal 6. Clean Water and Sanitation | Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

    RIL has been supporting private sector, academic, NGO and local entrepreneur groups to come together to discuss water access challenges in Somalia. They have mapped out over 100 local organizations who can support thinking and innovative action on challenging issues of water access and will implement a range of projects to trial different solutions for supporting populations with water access in Somalia. In Syria, RIL has identified WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) as a key challenge to tackle through innovations and has initiated Challenge Calls to explore solutions. Learn more about the project here.

  • Goal 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities | Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

    RIL’s operations follow a “locally-driven, field-based” approach. By supporting the local humanitarian innovation ecosystem, RIL helps strengthen systems and solutions that contribute to safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable communities, directly aligned with the aims of this SDG. This focus is embedded in RIL’s mission and in how we operate on the ground.

  • Goal 13. Climate Action | Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

    RIL has been facilitating discussions and supporting projects around climate adaptation and resilience. In Uganda, RIL’s U-Learn consortium—an initiative working on the uptake of evidence and learning in Uganda’s refugee response—compiled and disseminated learnings on climate-smart agriculture, and conducted actor mapping in Climate. In Somalia, RIL implemented IGNITE Food Systems Challenge in support of the World Food Programme and supported selected innovators with grants and training.

  • Goal 17. Partnerships for the Goals | Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

    RIL has been recognised as an “ecosystem facilitator” to bring together innovators, local and regional NGOs, international NGOs, impact networks, private sector actors, governments, and academia to foster dialogues and to co-create solutions. Through Ecosystem Maps, RIL identifies and maps key actors within local humanitarian innovation ecosystems, helping organisations connect and collaborate. Through its conveners—ranging from Challenge Mapping workshops to the annual event RILx—RIL creates open spaces for cross-sector exchange and learning. As a collaborative initiative, RIL’s work is grounded in a collaborative approach to leverage partnerships to address resource gaps and fuel sustainable impact.