Sustainable Development Goals

The World Best Plan for a Better place !

What you should know

Agenda 2030: 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDG)

The United Nations wants to eliminate hunger and extreme poverty around the world by 2030. The UN General Assembly adopted the so-called ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ often referred to as the ‘2030 Agenda’ or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for short.

It is about nothing less than changing the world – that is what the United Nations says. The way to achieve this goal is described in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are 17 of them, with an impressive 169 subgoals: The fight against poverty, hunger and climate change are among them. In addition, there is a commitment to education, environmental protection and peaceful societies.

The global community wants to achieve these goals by 2030, and the member states agreed on a voluntary commitment to this effect at their summit in New York.

The new catalog builds on the Millennium Development Goals from the year 2000. Although not all of them were achieved, it was possible to halve extreme poverty in the world. The new goals now even state that the aim is to achieve “the end of poverty in all its forms worldwide.

However, the goals have at least two major shortcomings:

I- The SDGs continue to focus on consistent economic growth, which in the history of mankind has been accompanied by a corresponding consumption of resources (and the resulting environmental damage).

The SDGs do not in any way address the international.

II- The SDGs do not in any way address the international power structure resulting from the monetary economy.

What the UN Secretaries General said

Antonio Guterres
Actual UN's Secretary- General



“Our aim is to show that transformation is possible and is happening right now – in so many places, with so many innovations – and with the engagement of so many people. This annual SDG Moment is our opportunity to demonstrate that, as one United family of Nations, we have what it takes to eradicates poverty and hunger, tackle climate change, deliver gender equality and achieve all 17 globals goals.”

"In its essence, sustainability means ensuring prosperity and environmental protection without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A sustainable world is one where people can escape poverty and enjoy decent work without harming the earth’s essential ecosystems and resources; where people can stay healthy and get the food and water they need; where everyone can access clean energy that doesn’t contribute to climate change; where women and girls are afforded equal rights and equal opportunity."
Ban Ki-Moon
Ex UN's Secretary-General

The 17 goals at a glance:

1. The end of poverty

By 2030, there should be no one left who has to eke out a living on $1.25 a day. That is ambitious. But in the past 15 years, we have succeeded in halving the number of extremely poor people. But it’s not just about the world’s poorest. In developed countries, at least half of the people considered poor there according to the respective country definitions should have made the leap from the lowest income group to a higher one by 2030. In Germany, there is no recognized definition of poverty at all.

2. The end of hunger

Nearly 800 million people do not have enough to eat. They lack the money to buy food in cities, or they go hungry in the countryside because they can’t harvest enough. Every year, 2.9 million children under the age of five die of malnutrition. The figures were collected by the World Food Program (WFP). It’s not just a matter of making sure everyone gets enough to eat. Many people do not get enough vitamins and minerals. The UN is now also declaring war on this “hidden hunger.

3. A healthy life for all

Investing in health can save lives. With this message, development organizations managed to negotiate strong health goals back in 2000. The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are no different. The treatment of AIDS and other diseases is to be improved.

4. Free education for all

By 2030, every child in the world should not only be able to learn to read, write and do arithmetic. Children should also receive free secondary education in addition to an elementary school that is free of charge for them. The education goal is about lifelong learning, vocational training and universities. And because basic knowledge is not enough, the quality of education is to be measured.

5. Equality between men and women

In the Development Goals, the formula was still: Promote gender equality. In the new Sustainable Development Goals, the formula is: Achieve equality between men and women. This is a great success for women’s rights activists. Because in Muslim countries in particular, goal five is not considered the most important goal. But they have not prevented it either. The individual goals range from the end of discrimination against women to the fair participation of women in the economy and in power.

6. Clean water and toilets

Drilling wells and inaugurating them has proven easier than cutting red ribbons at toilet stalls. Between 1990 and 2015, 2.6 billion more people have clean water. 2.1 billion more people have basic sanitation. Still, 2.4 billion people do not have a toilet, and 946 million people must relieve themselves in the forest, fields or ditches. By 2030, everyone should be able to drink clean water and have a toilet nearby. In addition, water supplies are to be better managed so that they do not become scarce.

7. Clean energy for all

The lack of electricity has proven to be one of the biggest obstacles to development, especially in Africa. More than two billion people have no electricity at all. And the developed world’s energy systems are ruining the climate. In addition, millions of people die every year from air pollution from coal-fired power plants outside and open fires for cooking inside. The goal of providing clean energy to the entire world by 2030 benefits the climate, saves the lives of millions of women and children, and helps underdeveloped countries create jobs and income through self-reliant economic development.

8. A better world economy

The developing countries want to “grow sustainably”. They hope for a permanent upswing that will solve all of their problems. In this, they hardly differ from the developed countries, of which very few can imagine a sustainable economy without great growth. Youth unemployment should fall. The unions have immortalized themselves in the goal with their wish for good work for everyone. But it also includes the requirement for higher energy efficiency and lower resource consumption.

9. Sustainable infrastructure

Since the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, there have been heated discussions about whether there is a right to development. The developing countries are in complete agreement on this. And since they are in the majority in the United Nations, they have also asserted themselves on this. This goal is about mobility, urban development and “industrialization” in the still less developed countries. If this infrastructure is built along the lines of the old industrialization, it is likely to fuel climate change considerably. However, the goal description at least talks about a “sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

10. Less inequality

This goal, too, refers on the one hand to the state of the world: there are rich and poor countries. But it also refers to the inequality within countries and societies. Therefore, all people should be able to participate in progress. Above all, the incomes of the poor should rise. It advises a tax policy that counteracts inequality. By UN standards, this is a pretty clear indication that almost everywhere a small class is downright indecently rich. A well-planned migration policy is also called for here.

11. Cities should be livable

About half of humanity already lives in the world’s cities. They should offer living opportunities for all people, be resistant to natural and other disasters and as safe as possible from crime. They should develop sustainably and not become downright uninhabitable because of air pollution, immobility in endless traffic jams and unhealthy housing. Goal 11 complements Infrastructure Goal 9 with the social issues of living together.

12 Sustainable consumption

The demand to consume only enough to ensure that the limits of the Earth system are not exceeded is aimed primarily at the industrialized countries. The main issue is to adapt the economic systems of the developed countries to the capacities and raw material reserves of our planet – and still leave enough room for the development of the poor countries. In Germany, the government is discussing this in citizens’ dialogs under the heading: ‘Living well’. The proposals are rather vague. But one is relatively concrete: At least no more subsidies should be paid for destructive, non-renewable energies.

13. Pombating climate change

This is the only sustainability goal that has a footnote. It emphasizes that the most important place to negotiate this issue is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Without a consistent climate policy, all other sustainability goals are unattainable.

14. Protect oceans

The deplorable state of the world’s fish stocks has led the United Nations to set itself a comprehensive conservation target for the world’s oceans for the first time. Less trash and chemicals are to end up in the ocean. The aim is to end overfishing by 2020.

15. Protection of nature

The objectives of all environmental conventions are reflected in this goal. The loss of biological diversity is to be stopped. Desertification is to be slowed down, the loss of fertile soils is to be prevented as far as possible, and forests and natural landscapes are to be preserved. To this end, natural resources are to be better managed and not overexploited. The successes that have been achieved are offset by the rapid extinction of species. 

16. Peace and Justice

Development does not succeed in war. A peaceful world is a prerequisite for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Peace requires justice, a functioning police force and judiciary, and state institutions that are not undermined by corruption. This is discussed as “state building” and “good governance.” Specifically, the illegal arms trade and money laundering are to be combated.

17. A global partnership

The 17 SDGs are to become the strategic guiding principles for all countries in their policies. But for developing countries to achieve them, they still need help. The money for this, the development of new technologies and the increase in the efficiency of administrations are among the topics that are argued about in every international agreement. Few countries, however, find this sufficient. They demand a better partnership at eye level in order to move forward.

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