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Introducing global development
Introducing global development

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10 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Taking action to address global development issues such as climate change, environmental degradation, social injustice or food insecurity, requires extensive and sustained levels of cooperation and commitment by actors at many levels of society. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a framework of 17 goals adopted in 2015 by the 193 member states of the United Nations (UN, nd: a) − set out to do just this.

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Figure 9: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals
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A brightly coloured poster. The top of the image contains the words ‘sustainable development goals’ in large, blue letters; the ‘o’ in ‘goals’ has been segmented into about 20 different colours. There is a blue symbol next to these words depicting the globe sitting on two olive branches. Below this there 18 squares, each of a different colour, each containing a number, text and a symbol. The first box is red, contains the number 1, the words ‘no poverty’ and a symbol of a stick family holding hands. The second box is gold, contains the number 2, the words ‘zero hunger’ and a symbol of a steaming bowl. The third box is green, contains the number 3, the words ‘good health and wellbeing’ and a symbol of some zigzag lines and a heart. The fourth box is dark red, contains the number 4, the words ‘quality education’ and a symbol of an open book and pencil. The fifth box is dark orange, contains the number 5, the words ‘gender equality’ and the male and female gender symbols (a circle with an arrow pointing in the north-east direction and a cross positioned at the bottom of the circle) combined as one with an equals sign within. The sixth box is light blue, contains the number 6, the words ‘clean water and sanitation’ and a symbol of a glass or cup which contains the symbol for a drop of water and an arrow pointing downwards. The seventh box is yellow, contains the number 7, the words ‘affordable and clean energy’ and a symbol of a power button. The eighth box is maroon, contains the number 8, the words ‘decent work and economic growth’ and the symbol of a partial bar chart with a zigzag arrow pointing upwards. The ninth box is orange, contains the number 9, the words ‘industry, information and infrastructure’ and a symbol of three cubes or boxes. The tenth box is dark pink, contains the number 10, the words ‘reduced inequalities’ and a square shape with an equals sign within. The eleventh box is mustard, contains the number 11, the words ‘sustainable cities and communities’ and a symbol of some tall buildings and houses. The twelfth box is gold, contains the number 12 and the words ‘responsible consumption and production’ and the infinity symbol containing an arrow within. The thirteenth box is dark green, contains the number 13, the words ‘climate action’ and a symbol of the Earth within the shape of an open eye. The fourteenth box is blue, contains the number 14, the words ‘life below water’ and the symbols of waves and a fish. The fifteenth box is green, contains the number 15, the words ‘life on land’ and the symbols of a tree, birds and the ground. The sixteenth box is dark blue, contains the number 16, the words ‘peace, justice and strong institutions’ and contains the symbols of a dove carrying an olive branch in its beak and perched on a gavel. The seventeenth box is navy blue, contains the number 17 and the words ‘partnerships for the goals’ and a symbol of five interlocking circles. The eighteenth and final box contains the words ‘sustainable development goals’ in the same style as the very top of the image, with the same blue symbol of the Earth on two olive branches.

Figure 9: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN 2015) set out to be far-reaching, people-centred, sustainable and transformative. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that it established to achieve this provide a focus for collaboration between nations but also allow for diversity in approach. Each country decides what matters most to it and where it will target its energies and resources. Targets and indicators are associated with each goal.

The SDGs are global in the sense that they recognise that contemporary development issues are shaped by, and impact on, all countries, and that all need to be involved in addressing such issues as universal concerns. There is a focus on social transformation associated with achieving social justice through a radical transformation of economic, social, political and cultural systems so that resources are more equitably and sustainably shared. The SDGs cover structural issues such as the causes of poverty and economic inequality; social justice issues such as rights, inclusion and equity; policy issues such as peace, governance and human rights and environmental sustainability issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

The need for coordinated global action is reflected in SDG 17 which calls for a ‘global partnership for sustainable development’ involving not only cooperation between the governments of the world but also the involvement of private sector and civil society actors (https://sdgs.un.org/ goals/ goal17 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ). Such a process is intrinsically political and requires building new relationships, new understandings and new institutions. It is a process of learning to do things differently.

Activity 6: Interconnected SDGs

Timing: Allow 25 minutes

Read the list of facts and figures below that is provided on the UN Sustainable Development Goals website (UN, nd; b).

Figure 10: SDG 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all. (Taken from Figure 9.)

Figure 10: SDG 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all. (Taken from Figure 9.)

Look at Figure 9 which shows all 17 SDG goals or visit the SDG website. What other goals do you see as connecting to goal 6?

Bulleted list source: Sustainable Development Goals website: Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all

Comment

  • Health (SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages) has obvious links to goal 3 as lack of access to clear water and sanitation impacts on health. The facts and figures show that nearly 1000 children die every day due to water and sanitation-related diseases.
  • Poverty (SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere) is implied as well as lack of infrastructure (SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation) such as water supply and sewage systems.
  • Gender inequality (SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower women and girls) may be relevant as women and girls often bear responsibility for water collection and are vulnerable when having to practice open defecation.
  • Discharge of untreated sewage and untreated wastewater into waterways and the oceans has adverse environmental consequences (SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources).
  • Justice is relevant (Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies) as well as the need for collaboration and partnership (SDG 17: Revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development) in tackling lack of access to clean water and sanitation.