I walk by this van with EarthSupply.com printed on the side. When I look it up, I discover it is a company providing eco-friendly restaurant supplies such as paper straws instead of plastic ones, sugar cane or paper to-go boxes/bags instead of styrofoam ones, birch cutlery instead of plastic, etc. When I briefly worked at Mary Kay Inc., it had paper cups instead of styrofoam ones around the coffeepot. I try to remember to bring some cloth bags instead of using the plastic ones at the grocery store. And I recycle all my paper, cardboard and plastic and glass bottles. There is a lot to be said for preserving our environment. Farming methods abusing the land led to the Dust Bowl from 1930-1936. The burning of fossil fuels which causes global warming has resulted in increased frequency and intensity of North Atlantic hurricanes, deadly extreme heat waves, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, etc., according to Amanda McMillan’s March 11, 2016 article “Global Warming 101” for the Natural Resources Defense Council. In 2015 the United Nations considered sustainability so important, it developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. Let’s explore what they are.
According to Wikipedia, the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. They are included in a UN Resolution called the 2030 Agenda or what is colloquially known as Agenda 2030.
The 17 SDGs are: (1) No Poverty, (2) Zero Hunger, (3) Good Health and Well-Being, (4) Quality Education, (5) Gender Equality, (6) Clean Water and Sanitation, (7) Affordable and Clean Energy, (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (10) Reducing Inequality, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (13) Climate Action, (14) Life Below Water, (15) Life On Land, (16) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and (17) Partnerships for the Goals.
Though the goals are broad and interdependent, on July 6, 2017, the SDGs were made more "actionable" by a UN Resolution adopted by the General Assembly. The resolution identifies specific targets for each goal, along with indicators that are being used to measure progress toward each target. The year by which the target is meant to be achieved is usually between 2020 and 2030. For some of the targets, no end date is given.
To facilitate monitoring, a variety of tools exist to track and visualize progress towards the goals. All intend to make data more available and more easily understood. For example, the online publication SDG-Tracker, launched in June 2018, presents available data across all indicators. The SDGs pay attention to multiple cross-cutting issues, like gender equity, education and culture cut across all of the SDGs. There were serious impacts and implications of the COVID-19 on all 17 SDGs in the year 2020.
Goal No. 1: No Poverty
SDG 1 is to: "End poverty in all its forms everywhere." Achieving SDG 1 would end extreme poverty globally by 2030.
The goal has seven targets and 13 indicators to measure progress. The five "outcome targets" are: eradication of extreme poverty; reduction of all poverty by half; implementation of social protection systems; ensuring equal rights to ownership, basic services, technology and economic resources; and the building of resilience to environmental, economic and social disasters. The two targets related to "means of achieving" SDG 1 are mobilization of resources to end poverty and the establishment of poverty eradication policy frameworks at all levels.
Despite ongoing progress, 10% of the world lives in poverty and struggle to fulfill basic needs such as health, education and access to water and sanitation. Extreme poverty remains high in low-income countries, particularly those affected by conflict and political upheaval. A study published in September 2020 found that poverty increased by 7% in just a few months due to the COVID-19, even though it had been steadily decreasing for the last 20 years.
Goal No. 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 2 is to: "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.”
SDG 2 has eight targets and 14 indicators to measure progress. The five "outcome targets" are: ending hunger and improving access to food; ending all forms of malnutrition; agricultural productivity; sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices; and genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals. The three "means of achieving" targets include: addressing trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets and food commodity markets and their derivatives.
Globally, 1 in 9 people are undernourished, the vast majority of whom live in developing countries. Undernutrition causes wasting or severe wasting of 52 million children worldwide. It contributes to nearly half or 45% of deaths in children under five — 3.1 million children per year.
Goal No. 3: Good Health and Well-Being
SDG is to: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages."
SDG 3 has 13 targets and 28 indicators to measure progress toward targets. The first nine targets are "outcome targets." Those are: reduction of maternal mortality; ending all preventable deaths under five years of age; fight communicable diseases; ensure reduction of mortality from noncommunicable diseases and promote mental health; prevent and treat substance abuse; reduce road injuries and deaths; grant universal access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning and education; achieve universal health coverage; and reduce illnesses and deaths from hazardous chemicals and pollution. The four "means to achieving" SDG 3 targets are: implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; support research, development and universal access to affordable vaccines and medicines; increase health financing and support health workforce in developing countries; and improve early warning systems for global health risks.
Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common causes of child and maternal mortality. Between 2000 and 2016, the worldwide under-five mortality rate decreased by 47% — from 78 deaths per 1,000 live births to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births. Still, the number of children dying under age five is very high: 5.6 million in 2016.
Goal No. 4: Quality Education
SDG 4 is to: "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."
SDG 4 has ten targets which are measured by 11 indicators. The seven "outcome-oriented targets" are: free primary and secondary education; equal access to quality pre-primary education; affordable technical, vocational and higher education; increased number of people with relevant skills for financial success; elimination of all discrimination in education; universal literacy and numeracy; and education for sustainable development and global citizenship. The three "means of achieving targets" are: build and upgrade inclusive and safe schools, expand higher education scholarships for developing countries and increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries.
Major progress has been made in access to education, specifically at the primary school level, for both boys and girls. The number of out-of-school children has almost halved from 112 million in 1997 to 60 million in 2014. In terms of the progress made, global participation in tertiary education reached 224 million in 2018, equivalent to a gross enrollment ratio of 38%.
Goal No. 5: Gender Equality
SDG 5 is to: "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls."
SDG 5 as nine targets and 14 indicators. Six of the targets are "outcome-oriented:" ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; ending violence and exploitation of women and girls; eliminating harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation; increasing value of unpaid care and promoting shared domestic responsibilities; ensuring full participation of women in leadership and decision-making; and ensuring access to universal reproductive rights and health. The three "means of achieving" targets are: fostering equal rights to economic resources, property ownership and financial services for women; promoting empowerment of women through technology; and adopting and strengthening policies and enforcing legislation for gender equality.
In 2020, representation by women in single or lower houses of national parliament reached 25%, up slightly from 22% in 2015. Women now have better access to decision-making positions at the local level, holding 36% of elected seats in local deliberative bodies, based on data from 133 countries and areas. While female genital mutilation and cutting is becoming less common, at least 200 million girls and women have been subjected to this harmful practice.
Goal No. 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 6 is to: "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." The eight targets are measured by 11 indicators.
The six "outcome-oriented targets" include: Safe and affordable drinking water; end open defecation and provide access to sanitation and hygiene, improve water quality, wastewater treatment and safe reuse, increase water-use efficiency and ensure freshwater supplies, implement integrated water resources management, protect and restore water-related ecosystems. The two "means of achieving" targets are to expand water and sanitation support to developing countries and to support local engagement in water and sanitation management.
The Joint Monitoring Program of WHO and UNICEF reported in 2017 that 4.5 billion people currently do not have safely managed sanitation. Also in 2017, only 71% of the global population used safely managed drinking water, and 2.2 billion persons were still without safely managed drinking water. With regards to water stress: "In 2017, Central and Southern Asia and Northern Africa registered very high water stress — defined as the ratio of fresh water withdrawn to total renewable freshwater resources — of more than 70%." Official development assistance disbursements to the water sector increased to $9 billion in 2018.
Affordable and Clean Energy
SDF 7 is to: "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all."
The goal has five targets to be achieved by 2030. Progress towards the targets is measured by six indicators. SDG 7 has five "outcome targets:" Universal access to modern energy; increase global percentage of renewable energy; double the improvement in energy efficiency; promote access to research, technology and investments in clean energy; and expand and upgrade energy services for developing countries. In other words, these targets include access to affordable and reliable energy while increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. This would involve improving energy efficiency and enhancing international cooperation to facilitate more open access to clean energy technology and more investment in clean energy infrastructure. Plans call for particular attention to infrastructure support for the least developed countries, small islands and land-locked developing countries.
Progress in expanding access to electricity has been made in several countries, notably India, Bangladesh and Kenya. The global population without access to electricity decreased to about 840 million in 2017 from 1.2 billion in 2010. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the largest access deficit. Renewable energy accounted for 17.5% of global total energy consumption in 2016. Of the three end uses of renewables — electricity, heat and transport — the use of renewables grew fastest with respect to electricity. Between 2018 and 2030, the annual average investment will need to reach approximately $55 billion to expand energy access, about $700 billion to increase renewable energy and $600 billion to improve energy efficiency.
Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 8 is to: "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all."
SDG 8 has twelve targets in total to be achieved by 2030. Some targets are for 2030; others are for 2020. The first ten are "outcome targets." These are: sustainable economic growth; diversify, innovate and upgrade for economic productivity; promote policies to support job creation and growing enterprises; improve resource efficiency in consumption and production; full employment and decent work with equal pay; promote youth employment, education and training; end modern slavery, trafficking and child labor; protect labor rights and promote safe working environments; promote beneficial and sustainable tourism; universal access to banking, insurance and financial services. In addition, there are also two targets for "means of achieving:" Increase aid for trade support and develop a global youth employment strategy.
Countries by gross domestic product or GDP per capita in 2018
Over the past five years, economic growth in least developed countries has been increasing at an average rate of 4.3%. In 2018, the global growth rate of real GDP per capita was 2%. In addition, the rate for least developed countries was 4.5% in 2018 and 4.8% in 2019, less than the 7% growth rate targeted in SDG 8. In 2019, 22% of the world's young people were not in employment, education or training — a figure that has hardly changed since 2005. Addressing youth employment means finding solutions with and for young people who are seeking a decent and productive job. Such solutions should address both supply — education, skills development and training — and demand. In 2018, the number of women engaged in the labor force was put at 48% while that of men was 75%.
Goal No. 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 9 is to: "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation."
SDG 9 has eight targets, and progress is measured by 12 indicators. The first five targets are "outcome targets:" Develop sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructures; promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization; increase access to financial services and markets; upgrade all industries and infrastructures for sustainability; enhance research and upgrade industrial technologies. The remaining three targets are "means of achieving" targets: Facilitate sustainable infrastructure development for developing countries; support domestic technology development and industrial diversification; universal access to information and communications technology.
In 2019, 14% of the world's workers were employed in manufacturing activities. This percentage has not changed much since 2000. The share of manufacturing employment was the largest in Eastern and Southeastern Asia (18%) and the smallest in sub-Saharan Africa (6%). The intensity of global carbon dioxide emissions has declined by nearly one quarter since 2000, showing a general decoupling of carbon dioxide emissions from GDP growth. As of 2020, nearly the entire world population lives in an area covered by a mobile network. Millions of people are still unable to access the internet due to cost, coverage and other reasons. It is estimated that just 53% of the world's population are currently internet users.
Goal No. 10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG 10 is to: "Reduce income equality within and among countries."
The goal has ten targets to be achieved by 2030. Progress towards targets will be measured by indicators. The first seven targets are "outcome targets:" Reduce income inequalities; promote universal social, economic and political inclusion; ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination; adopt fiscal and social policies that promotes equality; improved regulation of global financial markets and institutions; enhanced representation for developing countries in financial institutions; responsible and well-managed migration policies. The other three targets are "means of achievement" targets: Special and differential treatment for developing countries; encourage development assistance and investment in least developed countries; reduce transaction costs for migrant remittances.
In 73 countries during the period 2012–2017, the bottom 40% of the population saw its incomes grow. Still, in all countries with data, the bottom 40% of the population received less than 25% of the overall income or consumption. Women are more likely to be victims of discrimination than men. Among those with disabilities, 3 in 10 personally experienced discrimination, with higher levels still among women with disabilities. The main grounds of discrimination mentioned by these women was not the disability itself, but religion, ethnicity and sex, pointing to the urgent need for measures to tackle multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. In 2019, 54% of countries have a comprehensive set of policy measures to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people.
Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 11 is to: "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable."
SDG 11 has 10 targets to be achieved, and this is being measured with 15 indicators. The seven "outcome targets" include: Safe and affordable housing, affordable and sustainable transport systems; inclusive and sustainable urbanization; protect the world's cultural and natural heritage; reduce the adverse effects of natural disasters; reduce the environmental impacts of cities; provide access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces. The three "means of achieving" targets include: Strong national and regional development planning; implement policies for inclusion, resource efficiency and disaster risk reduction; support least developed countries in sustainable and resilient building.
The number of slum dwellers reached more than 1 billion in 2018, or 24 per cent of the urban population. The number of people living in urban slums is highest in Eastern and Southeastern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia. In 2019, only half of the world's urban population had convenient access to public transport, defined as living within 500 meters' walking distance from a low-capacity transport system such as a bus stop and within 1 km of a high-capacity transport system such as a railway. In the period 1990–2015, most urban areas recorded a general increase in the extent of built-up area per person.
Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 12 is to: "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns."
The 11 targets of the goal are: Implement the 10‑Year Framework of Programs on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns; achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources; reducing by half the per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels; achieving the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle; reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse; encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices; promote public procurement practices that are sustainable; and ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development. The three "means of achieving" targets are: support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity; develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts; and remove market distortions, like fossil-fuel subsidies, that encourage wasteful consumption.
By 2019, 79 countries and the European Union have reported on at least one national policy instrument to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. This was done to work towards the implementation of the "10-Year Framework of Programs on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns." Global fossil fuel subsidies in 2018 were $400 billion. This was double the estimated subsidies for renewables and is detrimental to the task of reducing global carbon dioxide emissions.
Goal No. 13: Climate Action
SDG is to: "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy."
The targets cover a wide range of issues surrounding climate action. There are five targets in total. The first three targets are "output targets:" Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters, integrate climate change measures into policies and planning and build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change. The remaining two targets are "means of achieving" targets: to implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and to promote mechanisms to raise capacity for planning and management. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
The decade between 2010 and 2019 was the warmest decade recorded in history. Currently climate change is affecting the global community in each country of the world. Its impact affects not only national economies, but also lives and livelihoods — especially those in vulnerable conditions. By 2018, climate change continued exacerbating the frequency of natural disasters, such as massive wildfires, droughts, hurricanes and floods, affecting more than 39 million people. Over the period 2000 to 2018, greenhouse emissions of developed countries and economies in transitions have declined by 6.5%. The emissions of the developing countries are up by 43% in the period between 2000 and 2013. In 2019, at least 120 of 153 developing countries had undertaken activities to formulate and implement national adaptation plans.
Goal No. 14: Life Below Water
SDG 14 is to: "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”
The first ten targets are "outcome targets:" Reduce marine pollution; protect and restore ecosystems; reduce ocean acidification; sustainable fishing; conserve coastal and marine areas; end subsidies contributing to overfishing; increase the economic benefits from sustainable use of marine resources. The last three targets are "means of achieving" targets: to increase scientific knowledge, research and technology for ocean health; support small scale fishers; implement and enforce international sea law.
The current efforts to protect oceans, marine environments and small-scale fishers are not meeting the need to protect the resources. One of the key drivers of global overfishing is illegal fishing. It threatens marine ecosystems, puts food security and regional stability at risk and is linked to major human rights violations and even organized crime. Increased ocean temperatures and oxygen loss act concurrently with ocean acidification and constitute the "deadly trio" of climate change pressures on the marine environment.
Goal No. 15: Life on Land
SDG 15 is to: "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.”
The nine "outcome targets" include: conserve and restore terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems; end deforestation and restore degraded forests; end desertification and restore degraded land; ensure conservation of mountain ecosystems, protect biodiversity and natural habitats; protect access to genetic resources and fair sharing of the benefits; eliminate poaching and trafficking of protected species; prevent invasive alien species on land and in water ecosystems; and integrate ecosystem and biodiversity in governmental planning. The three "means of achieving targets" include: increase financial resources to conserve and sustainably use ecosystem and biodiversity; finance and incentivize sustainable forest management; combat global poaching and trafficking.
The proportion of forest area fell, from 31.9% of total land area in 2000 to 31.2% in 2020, representing a net loss of nearly 100 million hectares of the world's forests. This was due to decreasing forest area decreased in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeastern Asia, driven by land conversion to agriculture. Desertification affects as much as one-sixth of the world's population, 70% of all drylands and one-quarter of the total land area of the world. It also leads to spreading poverty and the degradation of billion hectares of cropland. A report in 2020 stated that globally, the species extinction risk has worsened by about 10% over the past three decades.
Goal No. 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 16 is to: "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels."
The goal has ten "outcome targets:" Reduce violence; protect children from abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence; promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice; combat organized crime and illicit financial and arms flows, substantially reduce corruption and bribery; develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions; ensure responsive, inclusive and representative decision-making; strengthen the participation in global governance; provide universal legal identity; ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms. There are also two "means of achieving targets:" Strengthen national institutions to prevent violence and combat crime and terrorism; promote and enforce nondiscriminatory laws and policies.
With more than a quarter of children under five unregistered worldwide as of 2015, about one in five countries will need to accelerate progress to achieve universal birth registration by 2030. Data from 38 countries over the past decade suggest that high-income countries have the lowest prevalence of bribery (an average of 3.7%), while lower-income countries have high levels of bribery when accessing public services (22.3%).
Goal No. 17: Partnership for the Goals
SDG 17 is to: "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development."
This goal has 19 outcome targets and 24 indicators. Increasing international cooperation is seen as vital to achieving each of the 16 previous goals. Goal 17 is included to assure that countries and organizations cooperate instead of compete. Developing multi-stakeholder partnerships to share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial support is seen as critical to overall success of the SDGs. The goal encompasses improving north–south and south-south cooperation, and public-private partnerships which involve civil societies are specifically mentioned.
With $5 trillion to $7 trillion in annual investment required to achieve the SDGs, total official development assistance reached $147.2 billion in 2017. This, although steady, is below the set target. In 2016, six countries met the international target to keep official development assistance at or above 0.7% of gross national income. Humanitarian crises brought on by conflict or natural disasters have continued to demand more financial resources and aid.
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