Table of Contents
At the historic United Nations summit held in New York in September 2015, world leaders pledged to end poverty and combat climate change and injustice by 2030. An honourable and great commitment, right? But, how will they achieve that?
The 17 Goals were adopted by all 193 UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals. This set the new universal standard for development.
And those Goals are?
The common abbreviation used is SGDs. And what do they represent?
(1) NO POVERTY
The World Bank defines “extreme poverty” as living on less than $1.90 per person per day. The share of men, women, and children of all ages living below that threshold is stipulated to be at least halved by 2030.
(2) ZERO HUNGER
To enable access to healthy, nutritious, and adequate foods, and to eliminate all forms of malnourishment. The food and agricultural sector are of the utmost importance as they offer key solutions for development and are central to promoting sustainable agriculture and investing in agricultural infrastructure and research.
(3) GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Ensuring the possibility of a healthy lifestyle and promoting wellness for everyone of every age. Supporting vaccine research and development, preventing epidemics, working towards effectively preventing and treating addiction, and enabling access to all kinds of healthcare to all.
(4) QUALITY EDUCATION
Free, equal, and high-quality primary and secondary education should be available to all children around the world. Similarly, all adults should have access to affordable and high-quality higher education brimming with knowledge and skills needed to encourage sustainability.
(5) GENDER EQUALITY
When fighting for equality it’s elementary to first eradicate all forms of gender discrimination and eliminate all sorts of violence against women and girls, including questionable traditions which harm them all too often. Females should be entitled to comprehensive and actual involvement and equal opportunity to participate in all levels of decision-making in politics, economy and public life, as well as the right to all forms of property.
(6) CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
Clean and accessible water is a key part of the world we wish to live in. SDGs aim to enable equal access to affordable drinkable water sources and to better the quality of water by limiting pollution and encouraging recycling and safe reusing.
(7) AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
UN strives to ensure access to inexpensive, reliable, sustainable, and up-to-date sources of energy as it is a central part of almost every larger challenge and/or opportunity.
(8) DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Societies should create conditions that enable full and productive employment, high-quality jobs, and decent work. Those are to be achieved by encouraging innovativity, diversification, and technological renovation on one hand, and actively taking measures against child and forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking.
(9) INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The goal is to establish a first-rate, reliable, durable, and lasting infrastructure, affordable and accessible, both regional and international, that will contribute to economic development and well-being. It is vital to support local technological development, research, and innovation, and absolutely expand the information and communications technology network for it to be available to all.
(10) REDUCED INEQUALITIES
Tenth SDG stipulates that inequalities will be reduced by eradicating discriminatory laws, politics and actions, and by supporting putting in place adequate legislation and operations. That includes enabling orderly, safe, legal and responsible population mobility, also by well-managed migration acts.
(11) SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
There has to be a future where cities offer access to basic services, sources of energy, accommodation, transport, and other. UN members want to ensure open, safe and sustainable cities and settlements, lower harmful environmental impacts, and a generally accessible safe and open green and public areas, as well as well-connected areas.
(12) RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Economies should reach sustainability in managing natural resources, reduce food and general waste, ensure proper handling of chemicals and other waste materials, and most of all raise awareness regarding sustainable consumption and production patterns.
(13) CLIMATE ACTION
Member states will strengthen preparedness to natural disasters and the ability to adapt to unforeseen scenarios which includes adjoining actions to fight global climate change into politics, strategies and country schemes, and educating their people, raising awareness and early warnings.
(14) LIFE BELOW WATER
The purpose is to limit ocean pollution, to manage aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems sustainably and to protect them efficiently, to regulate fishing and eliminate illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing and overfishing, and to improve conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their sources.
(15) LIFE ON LAND
Sustainable forest management, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation and blocking biodiversity loss. Protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, adopting actions to eradicate poaching and endangered species trading. These are some of the ways to follow and achieve the 15th SDG.
(16) PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
UN strives to enable access to justice for all and to build effective and accountable institutions on all levels. They wish to promote peaceful and open societies, to reduce violence and child abuse, to limit illegal cash flow and arms dealing, to eliminate all forms of corruption and to fortify institutions’ capability of fighting crime and terrorism.
(17) PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS
The Agenda 2030 also aims to revive global partnership for sustainable development in areas of financing, technology, strengthening capacities, trade, systemic issues, compliance of policies and institutional levels, forming multilateral partnerships, and following and holding accountability in data accessibility and reliability.
But why are we even discussing SDGs?
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Do you see yourself as a #impact entrepreneur? We’d love to have you over for coffee and discuss working together towards a brighter future!
