The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The Global Goals are a set of 17 commitments made by 193 world leaders, to end extreme poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030. SEE THE 17 GOALS
The sustainable development goals of the UN are a bold commitment to finish what we started and end poverty in all forms and dimensions by 2030. These 17 goals involve targeting the most vulnerable, increasing basic resources and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters.
SEE THE 17 GOALS
SDG 1- No poverty:
Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 1 aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. Its objectives include ensuring that the entire population especially the poorest and most vulnerable have equal rights to economic resources, access to basic services, property and land control, natural resources, and new technologies.
SDG2-Zero hunger:
SDG 2 aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people–especially children–have sufficient and nutritious food all year. However, Zero Hunger encounters multifaceted challenges arising from climate change impacts, rapid urbanization, and the imperative to foster sustainable agricultural practices while reducing disparities. Thus SDG aims to promote sustainable agriculture, supporting small-scale farmers and equal access to land, technology, markets, and investments in infrastructure technology.
SDG 3- Good Health and wellbeing:
Almost all of the other 16 goals are directly related to health or will contribute to health indirectly. SDG3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages by addressing reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health; as communicable and non-communicable diseases. Good health allows us to live our lives to the fullest, participate in activities we enjoy, and be there for the people we care about. Well-being, on the other hand, is a broader concept that encompasses our physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as our relationships and social connections.
SDG 4-Quality Education:
SDG 4 aims at ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary schooling by 2030. SDG 4 also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to quality higher education. Since 2000, there has been enormous progress in achieving the target of universal primary education. The total enrollment rate in developing regions reached 91 percent in 2015, and the worldwide number of children out of school has dropped by almost half. There has also been a dramatic increase in literacy rates, and many more girls are in school than ever before.
SDG 5-Gender Equality:
Gender equality is a human right but there are still large inequalities in some regions, with women systematically denied the same work rights as men. Sexual violence and exploitation, the unequal division of unpaid care and domestic work, and discrimination in public office all remain huge barriers. Climate change and disasters continue to have a disproportionate effect on women and children, as do conflict and migration. SDG 5 is focused on ending all discrimination against women and girls which includes (1) ending gender disparities, (2) eliminating violence against women and girls’ lives, (3) eliminating early and forced marriage, and (4) securing equal participation and opportunities. UNDP has made gender equality central to its work and we’ve seen remarkable progress in the past 20 years. it’s proven that empowering women and girls helps economic growth and development.
SDG6-Clean water and sanitation:
Dwindling drinking water supplies are affecting every continent. Water and sanitation are critical to the health of people and the planet. Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people, an alarming figure that is projected to rise as temperatures do. Universal safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 requires we invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities, and encourage hygiene. Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems is essential.
SDG 7-Affordable and clean energy:
Affordable and Clean Energy refers to the provision of energy services that are accessible, affordable, reliable, and environmentally sustainable. Clean energy is critical to addressing climate change, reducing air pollution, fostering sustainable development in all areas of society, and promoting equal access to energy services. This involves reducing reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy alternatives. Investing in solar, wind, and thermal power, improving energy productivity, and ensuring energy for all are vital if we can achieve SDG 7 by 2030. Between 2000 and 2018, the number of people with electricity increased from 78 to 90 percent, and the number without electricity dipped to 789 million.
SDG 8-Decent work and economic growth:
SDG 8 pursues to achieve higher economic productivity and job creation through diversification and innovations in technology simultaneously protecting labour rights and promoting a safe and secure working environment. It also aims to eradicate forced labour, human trafficking, and child labour. However, as the global economy continues to recover we are seeing slower growth, widening inequalities, and not enough jobs to keep up with a growing labour force. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015.
SDG 9-Industry, innovation, and Infrastructure:
SDG-9 seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation which are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research, infrastructure, and innovation, are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development. With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming ever more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies. According to a UNDP report, more than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet, and 90 percent are from the developing world. Bridging this digital divide is crucial to ensure equal access to information and knowledge, as well as foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
SDG 10- Reduced Inequalities:
Inequalities based on income, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, class, ethnicity, religion, and opportunity continue to persist across the world. Inequality threatens long-term social and economic development, harms poverty reduction, and destroys people’s sense of fulfillment and self-worth. This, in turn, can breed crime, disease, and environmental degradation. Too much of the world’s wealth is held by a very small group of people. This often leads to financial and social discrimination. In order for nations to flourish, equality and prosperity must be available to everyone – regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, or economic status. When every individual is self-sufficient, the entire world prospers. Income inequality is on the rise—the richest 10 percent have up to 40 percent of global income whereas the poorest 10 percent earn only between 2 to 7 percent. If we take into account population growth inequality in developing countries, inequality has increased by 11 percent. Income inequality has increased nearly everywhere in recent decades but at different speeds. It’s lowest in Europe and highest in the Middle East. These widening disparities require sound policies to empower lower-income earners and promote economic inclusion of all regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity.
Income inequality requires global solutions. This involves improving the regulation and monitoring of financial markets and institutions, encouraging development assistance and foreign direct investment to regions where the need is greatest. Facilitating the safe migration and mobility of people is also important to bridging the widening divide.
SDG11-Sustainable cities and communities:
UNDP describes ‘Making cities sustainable’ as creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and economies. Goal 11 is about making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Cities represent the future of global living. Over half of the world’s population reached 8 billion in 2022 in urban areas. By 2050, it is expected that two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be urban. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.
SDG12.-Responsible consumption and production:
“Responsible consumption” refers to Consumers who do not harm the environment with natural resources and product consumption behaviours. We must learn how to use and produce in sustainable ways that will reverse the harm that we have inflicted on the planet. The efficient management of our shared natural resources, and the way we dispose of toxic waste and pollutants, are important targets to achieve this goal. Encouraging industries, businesses, and consumers to recycle and reduce waste is equally important, as is supporting developing countries to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption by 2030. A large share of the world population is still consuming far too little to meet even their basic needs. Halving the per capita of global food waste at the retailer and consumer levels is also important for creating more efficient production and supply chains. This can help with food security, and shift us towards a more resource-efficient economy.
SDG 13.Climate Action:
There is no country that is not experiencing the drastic effects of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50 percent higher than in 1990. Global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system, which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act. The annual average economic losses from climate-related disasters are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. This is not to mention the human impact of geophysical disasters, which are 91 percent climate-related, and which between 1998 and 2017 killed 1.3 million people, and left 4.4 billion injured. The goal aims to mobilize US$100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries to both adapt to climate change and invest in low-carbon development. Supporting vulnerable regions will directly contribute not only to Goal 13 but also to the other SDGs. These actions must also go hand in hand with efforts to integrate disaster risk measures, sustainable natural resource management, and human security into national development strategies. It is still possible, with strong political will, increased investment, and using existing technology, to limit the increase in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, aiming at 1.5°C, but this requires urgent and ambitious collective action. (Source: UNDP).
In 2017 the IMF and the World Bank introduced on a pilot basis joint Climate Change Policy Assessments (CCPA) that provide assessments of preparedness, macroeconomic impact, mitigation, adaptation, and financing strategies for small, vulnerable, and capacity-constrained countries. This is to help countries adapt and build resilience to climate change. India has been progressing rapidly towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SDG 14- Life below water:
SDG 14 aims to protect and ensure sustainable marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification. Much of the waste that we produce on land ends up in the oceans. We shall stop using plastic bags: Usage and wrong disposal of plastic is a major causes of marine pollution. Enhancing conservation and the sustainable use of ocean-based resources through international law will also help mitigate some of the challenges facing our oceans. This includes reducing marine pollution and ocean acidification, ending overfishing, and conserving marine and coastal ecosystems.
Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, today we are seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks overexploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.
SDG 15- Life on Land:
SDG 15 aims at preserving diverse forms of life on land and requires targeted efforts to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss. Human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80 percent of the human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resources. Forests cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface; provide vital habitats for millions of species, and are important sources for clean air and water, as well as being crucial for combating climate change.
Every year, 13 million hectares of forests are lost, while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares, disproportionately affecting poor communities. While 15 percent of land is protected, biodiversity is still at risk. Nearly 7,000 species of animals and plants have been illegally traded. Wildlife trafficking not only erodes biodiversity, but creates insecurity, fuels conflict, and feeds corruption. Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage and support global food and water security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and peace and security. (Source: UNDP)
SDG 16-Peace, Justice, and strong institutions:
SDG 16 addresses promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development, affecting economic growth, and often resulting in grievances that last for generations. Sexual violence, crime, exploitation, and torture are also prevalent where there is conflict, or no rule of law, and countries must take measures to protect those who are most at risk. SDG 16 aims to significantly reduce all forms of violence, and work with governments and communities to end conflict and insecurity. Strengthening the rule of law involves respect for the norms of international law, including the use of force, and recognition of the primary responsibility of States to protect their populations from genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes. We cannot hope for sustainable development without peace, stability, human rights, and effective governance, based on the rule of law. Yet our world is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy peace, security, and prosperity, while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of conflict and violence. This is not inevitable and must be addressed.
SDG 17- Partnerships for the Goals:
SDG 17 deals with revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda is universal and calls for action by all countries – developed and developing to ensure no one is left behind. It requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society. We cannot hope for sustainable development without peace, stability, human rights, and effective governance, based on the rule of law. Yet our world is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy peace, security, and prosperity, while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of conflict and violence. This is not inevitable and must be addressed. The humanitarian crises brought on by conflict or natural disasters continue to demand more financial resources and aid. Many countries also require Official Development Assistance to encourage growth and trade. So, assisting developing countries in attaining long-term debt financing and debt relief promoting international trade, and helping them increase their exports is all part of achieving a universal rules-based and equitable trading system that is fair and open and benefits all.
Related articles on climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
| Core Elements of Sustainable Development | Global Issues and Initiatives |
| India’s progress in SDGs including Climate change, and CSR Activities | 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN |
