Sustainable Development

Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is
from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts:

the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding
priority should be given; and

the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the
environment's ability to meet present and future needs."

Sustainable development recognizes that growth must be both inclusive and environmentally sound to
reduce poverty and build shared prosperity for todays population, and to continue to meet the needs of
future generations. The desirable end result is a state of society where living conditions and resource use
continue to meet human needs without undermining the integrity and stability of the natural systems.

The three pillars of sustainable development economic growth, environmental stewardship, and social
inclusion carry across all sectors of development, from cities facing rapid urbanization to agriculture,
infrastructure, energy development and use, water availability, and transportation. Cities are embracing
low-carbon growth and public transportation. Farmers are picking up the practices of climate-smart
agriculture. Countries are recognizing the value of their natural resources, and industries are realizing how
much they can save through energy and supply chain efficiency.

The question facing countries, cities, corporations, and development organizations today is not whether
to embrace sustainable development but how.

While the modern concept of sustainable development is derived mostly from the 1987 Brundtland
Report, it is also rooted in earlier ideas about sustainable forest management and twentieth century
environmental concerns. As the concept developed, it has shifted to focus more on economic
development, social development and environmental protection for future generations.

In 1992, the UN Conference on Environment and Development published the Earth Charter, which
outlines the building of a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. The action plan
Agenda 21 for sustainable development identified information, integration, and participation as key
building blocks to help countries achieve development that recognizes these interdependent pillars.

It emphasizes that in sustainable development everyone is a user and provider of information. It stresses
the need to change from old sector-centered ways of doing business to new approaches that involve
cross-sectoral co-ordination and the integration of environmental and social concerns into all
development processes. Furthermore, Agenda 21 emphasizes that broad public participation in decision
making is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving sustainable development.

Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to
sustainable development. It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and
Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral
organizations, and individual governments around the world that can be executed at local, national, and
global levels.

Agenda 21 is a 350-page document divided into 40 chapters that have been grouped into 4 sections:

Section I: Social and Economic Dimensions is directed toward combating poverty, especially in developing
countries, changing consumption patterns, promoting health, achieving a more sustainable population,
and sustainable settlement in decision making.

Section II: Conservation and Management of Resources for Development includes atmospheric
protection, combating deforestation, protecting fragile environments, conservation of biological diversity
(biodiversity), control of pollution and the management of biotechnology, and radioactive wastes.

Section III: Strengthening the Role of Major Groups includes the roles of children and youth, women,
NGOs, local authorities, business and industry, and workers; and strengthening the role of indigenous
peoples, their communities, and farmers.

Section IV: Means of Implementation includes science, technology transfer, education, international
institutions and financial mechanisms.

The full text of Agenda 21 was made public at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth
Summit), held in Rio de Janeiro on June 13, 1992, where 178 governments voted to adopt the program.
The final text was the result of drafting, consultation, and negotiation, beginning in 1989 and culminating
at the two-week conference.

Rio+5 (1997)
In 1997, the UN General Assembly held a special session to appraise the status of Agenda 21 (Rio +5). The
Assembly recognized progress as "uneven" and identified key trends, including increasing globalization,
widening inequalities in income, and continued deterioration of the global environment. A new General
Assembly Resolution (S-19/2) promised further action.

Rio+10 (2002)
The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, agreed to at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(Earth Summit 2002), affirmed UN commitment to "full implementation" of Agenda 21, alongside
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other international agreements.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development, WSSD or ONG Earth Summit 2002 took place in
Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002.

Rio+20 (2012)
In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development the attending members
reaffirmed their commitment to Agenda 21 in their outcome document called "The Future We Want". 180
leaders from nations participated.

Hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro from 13 to 22 June 2012, Rio+20 was a 20-year follow-up to the 1992
Earth Summit / United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in the same
city, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in
Johannesburg.
The ten-day mega-summit, which culminated in a three-day high-level UN conference, was organized by
the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and included participation from 192 UN
member states including 57 Heads of State and 31 Heads of Government, private sector companies,
NGOs and other groups.

Objectives
The conference had three objectives:

1. Securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development

2. Assessing the progress and implementation gaps in meeting previous commitments.
3. Addressing new and emerging challenges.

Conference themes
The official discussions had two main themes:

1. How to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty,
including support for developing countries that will allow them to find a green path for development.
2. How to improve international coordination for sustainable development by building an institutional
framework.

Implementation
The Commission on Sustainable Development acts as a high-level forum on sustainable development and
has acted as preparatory committee for summits and sessions on the implementation of Agenda 21. The
UN Division for Sustainable Development acts as the secretariat to the Commission and works within the
context of Agenda 21. Implementation by member states remains voluntary, and its adoption has varied.

Earth Charter
The Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful
by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Created
by a global consultation process, and endorsed by organizations representing millions of people, the
Charter "seeks to inspire in all peoples a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for
the well-being of the human family, the greater community of life, and future generations."

It calls upon humanity to help create a global partnership at a critical juncture in history. The Earth
Charter's ethical vision proposes that environmental protection, human rights, equitable human
development, and peace are interdependent and indivisible. The Charter attempts to provide a new
framework for thinking about and addressing these issues. The Earth Charter Initiative organization exists
to promote the Charter.

The drafting of the text was done during a six-year worldwide consultation process (19942000), overseen
by the independent Earth Charter Commission, which was convened by Maurice Strong and Mikhail
Gorbachev with the purpose of developing a global consensus on values and principles for a sustainable
future.
The final text of the Earth Charter was approved at a meeting of the Earth Charter Commission at the
UNESCO headquarters in Paris in March 2000. The official launch was on 29 June 2000 in a ceremony at
The Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.

Preamble
We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the
world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great
promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and
life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join
together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights,
economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth,
declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

Principles
The four pillars and sixteen principles of the Earth Charter are:

I. Respect and Care for the Community of Life

1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.

2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion and love.
3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable and peaceful.
4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations.

II. Ecological Integrity

5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological
diversity and the natural processes that sustain life.
6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited,
apply a precautionary approach.
7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative
capacities, human rights and community well-being.
8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide
application of the knowledge acquired.

III. Social and Economic Justice

9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social and environmental imperative.

10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an
equitable and sustainable manner.
11. Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure
universal access to education, health care and economic opportunity.
12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of
human dignity, bodily health and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of
indigenous peoples and minorities.

IV. Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace

 13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in
governance, inclusive participation in decision-making, and access to justice.
14. Integrate into formal education and lifelong learning the knowledge, values and skills needed for
a sustainable way of life.
15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence and peace.

The Way Forward [SHORTEN]

As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning. Such renewal is the
promise of these Earth Charter principles. To fulfill this promise, we must commit ourselves to adopt and
promote the values and objectives of the Charter.

This requires a change of mind and heart. It requires a new sense of global interdependence and universal
responsibility. We must imaginatively develop and apply the vision of a sustainable way of life locally,
nationally, regionally, and globally. Our cultural diversity is a precious heritage and different cultures will
find their own distinctive ways to realize the vision. We must deepen and expand the global dialogue that
generated the Earth Charter, for we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth
and wisdom.

Life often involves tensions between important values. This can mean difficult choices. However, we must
find ways to harmonize diversity with unity, the exercise of freedom with the common good, short-term
objectives with long-term goals. Every individual, family, organization, and community has a vital role to
play. The arts, sciences, religions, educational institutions, media, businesses, nongovernmental
organizations, and governments are all called to offer creative leadership. The partnership of government,
civil society, and business is essential for effective governance.

In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment
to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the
implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on
environment and development.

Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve
sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.

United Nations Millennium Declaration

On 8 September 2000, following a three-day Millennium Summit of world leaders at the headquarters of
the United Nations, the General Assembly adopted the Millennium Declaration.

The Millennium Declaration has eight chapters and key objectives, adopted by 189 world leaders during
the summit: The Declaration stresses the observance of international human rights law and international
humanitarian law under the Principles of United Nations Charter as well as the treaties on sustainable
development.

1. Values and Principles: Freedom, Equality, Solidarity, Tolerance, Respect for nature, Shared
responsibility.
2. Peace, Security and Disarmament
3. Development and Poverty Eradication
 4. Protecting our Common Environment
5. Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance
6. Protecting the Vulnerable
7. Meeting the Special Needs of Africa
8. Strengthening the United Nations

Millennium Development Goals

Preparations for the 2000 Millennium Summit launched with the report of the Secretary-General entitled,
"We the people: The Role of the United Nations in the Twenty-First Century". MDGs derive from earlier
development targets, where world leaders adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The
approval of the Millennium Declaration was the main outcome of the Millennium Summit.

The MDGs originated from the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The Declaration asserted that
every individual has dignity; and hence, the right to freedom, equality, a basic standard of living that
includes freedom from hunger and violence and encourages tolerance and solidarity. The MDGs set
concrete targets and indicators for poverty reduction in order to achieve the rights set forth in the
Declaration.

The MDGs emphasized three areas: human capital, infrastructure and human rights (social, economic and
political), with the intent of increasing living standards.

1. Human capital objectives include nutrition, healthcare (including child mortality, HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria, and reproductive health) and education.
2. Infrastructure objectives include access to safe drinking water, energy and modern
information/communication technology; increased farm outputs using sustainable practices;
transportation; and environment.
3. Human rights objectives include empowering women, reducing violence, increasing political
voice, ensuring equal access to public services and increasing security of property rights.

The goals were intended to increase an individuals human capabilities and "advance the means to a
productive life".

MDGs emphasize the role of developed countries in aiding developing countries, as outlined in Goal Eight,
which sets objectives and targets for developed countries to achieve a "global partnership for
development" by supporting fair trade, debt relief, increasing aid, access to affordable essential medicines
and encouraging technology transfer. Thus, developing nations ostensibly became partners with
developed nations in the struggle to reduce world poverty.

The MDGs
There are eight goals with 21 targets, and a series of measurable health indicators and economic indicators
for each target.

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

Target 1A: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day.

Poverty gap ratio [incidence x depth of poverty]

Share of poorest quintile in national consumption
Target 1B: Achieve Decent Employment for Women, Men, and Young People

GDP Growth per Employed Person

Employment Rate
Proportion of employed population below $1.25 per day (PPP values)
Proportion of family-based workers in employed population

Target 1C: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Prevalence of underweight children under five years of age

Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Target 2A: By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys

Enrollment in primary education

Completion of primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target 3A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all
levels by 2015

Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality rates

Target 4A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

Under-five mortality rate

Infant (under 1) mortality rate
Proportion of 1-year-old children immunized against measles

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Target 5A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio

Maternal mortality ratio

Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

Target 5B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Adolescent birth rate
Antenatal care coverage
Unmet need for family planning

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

HIV prevalence among population aged 1524 years

Condom use at last high-risk sex
Proportion of population aged 1524 years with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS

Target 6B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

Proportion of population with advanced HIV infection with access to anti-retroviral drugs

Target 6C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

Prevalence and death rates associated with malaria

Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bednets
Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with appropriate anti-malarial drugs
Incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis
Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment
Short Course)

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs;
reverse loss of environmental resources

Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss

Proportion of land area covered by forest

CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP)
Consumption of ozone-depleting substances
Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits
Proportion of total water resources used
Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected
Proportion of species threatened with extinction

Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation

Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural
Proportion of urban population with access to improved sanitation

Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-
dwellers

Proportion of urban population living in slums

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Target 8A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial
system
 Includes a commitment to good governance, development, and poverty reduction both
nationally and internationally

Target 8B: Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

Includes: tariff and quota free access for LDC exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for HIPC
and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous ODA (Official Development
Assistance) for countries committed to poverty reduction

Target 8C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing
States

Through the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the General Assembly

Target 8D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and
international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term

Some of the indicators listed below are monitored separately for the least developed countries (LDCs),
Africa, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States.

1. Official development assistance (ODA):

o Net ODA, total and to LDCs, as percentage of OECD/DAC donors GNI
o Proportion of total sector-allocable ODA of OECD/DAC donors to basic social services
(basic education, primary health care, nutrition, safe water and sanitation)
o Proportion of bilateral ODA of OECD/DAC donors that is untied
o ODA received in landlocked countries as proportion of their GNIs
o ODA received in small island developing States as proportion of their GNIs
2. Market access:
o Proportion of total developed country imports (by value and excluding arms) from
developing countries and from LDCs, admitted free of duty
o Average tariffs imposed by developed countries on agricultural products and textiles and
clothing from developing countries
o Agricultural support estimate for OECD countries as percentage of their GDP
o Proportion of ODA provided to help build trade capacity
3. Debt sustainability:
o Total number of countries that have reached their HIPC decision points and number that
have reached their HIPC completion points (cumulative)
o Debt relief committed under HIPC initiative, US$
o Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services

Target 8E: In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs
in developing countries

Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs on a sustainable basis

Target 8F: In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies,
especially information and communications
 Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 population
Personal computers in use per 100 population
Internet users per 100 Population

Criticisms
1. A perceived lack of analytical power and justification behind the chosen objective.
2. The MDGs lacked strong objectives and indicators for within-country equality, despite significant
disparities in many developing nations.
3. Iterations of proven local successes should be scaled up to address the larger need through human
energy and existing resources using methodologies such as participatory rural appraisal and asset-
based community development.
4. The MDGs were attacked for insufficient emphasis on environmental sustainability.
5. Agriculture was not specifically mentioned in the MDGs even though most of the world's poor are
farmers.
6. The entire MDG process has been accused of lacking legitimacy as a result of failure to include,
often, the voices of the very participants that the MDGs seek to assist.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is a set of 17 "Global Goals" with 169 targets between them.
The goals are contained in paragraph 54 United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015.
The Resolution is a broader intergovernmental agreement that acts as the Post 2015 Development Agenda
(successor to the Millennium Development Goals). The SDGs build on the Principles agreed upon under
The Future We Want. It is a non-binding document released as a result of Rio+20 Conference held in
2012 in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.

On 19 July 2014, the UN General Assembly's Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) forwarded a proposal for the SDGs to the Assembly. The proposal contained goals and
covered a broad range of sustainable development issues such as poverty and hunger, improving health
and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and
forests. On 5 December 2014, the UN General Assembly accepted the Secretary-General's Synthesis
Report which stated that the agenda for the post-2015 SDG process would be based on the OWG
proposals.

The Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post 2015 Development Agenda (IGN) began in January 2015
and ended in August 2015. Following the negotiations, a final document was adopted at the UN
Sustainable Development Summit September 2527, 2015 in New York, USA. The title of the agenda is
Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On 25 September 2015, the 194 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development
Agenda. Following the adoption, UN agencies under the umbrella of the United Nations Development
Group, decided to support an independent campaign to help communicate the agreed Sustainable
Development Goals to a wider constituency. Known as Project Everyone, the independent campaign
introduced the term Global Goals and was supported by corporate institutions and other International
Organizations. Because this decision was made without the approval of the member states, it met
resistance. In addition, several sections of civil society and governments felt the UNDG ignored
"sustainability," even though it was the most important aspect of the agreement.

The 17 SDGs are listed below, together with some of their key facts and figures:

Goal 1: No Poverty - End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Extreme poverty has been cut by more than half since 1990- however, more than 1 in 5 people live on less
than $1.25 a day. Poverty includes lack of basic services, such as education, hunger, social discrimination
and exclusion, and lack of participation in decision making. Gender inequality plays a large role in the
perpetuation of poverty and its risks. Age groups are affected differently when struck with poverty; its
most devastating effects are on children, to whom it poses a great threat. It affects their education, health,
nutrition, and security. It also negatively affects the emotional and spiritual development of children
through the environment it creates.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture
Globally, 1 in 9 people are undernourished, the vast majority of these people live in developing countries.
Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of todays
global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households. Poor nutrition
causes nearly half (45 per cent) of deaths in children under five 3.1 million children each year.

Goal 2 targets:
1. By 2030, end hunger & all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally
agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the
nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
2. By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in
particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers.
3. By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural
practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that
strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and
other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
4. By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated
animals and their related wild species.
5. Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural
infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant
and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing
countries, in particular least developed countries
6. Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including
through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export
measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development
Round
7. Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their
derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order
to help limit extreme food price volatility
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all
at all ages
Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers
associated with child and maternal mortality, and major progress has been made on increasing access to
clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

However, only half of women in developing countries have received the health care they need, and the
need for family planning is increasing exponentially, while the need met is growing slowly - more than 225
million women have an unmet need for contraception.

An important target is to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from pollution-related
diseases.

Goal 3 targets:
1. By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births
2. By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries
aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5
mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
3. By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and
combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
4. By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through
prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
5. Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and
harmful use of alcohol
6. By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
7. By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for
family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into
national strategies and programs
8. Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential
health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and
vaccines for all
9. By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and
air, water and soil pollution and contamination

Goal 4: Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all
Major progress has been made for education access, specifically at the primary school level, for both boys
and girls. However, access does not always mean quality of education, or completion of primary school.
Currently, 103 million youth worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 per cent of them
are women

Goal 4 target:
"By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary
education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes"- shows the commitment to
nondiscriminatory education outcomes
Goal 5: Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
1. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and
representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable
economies and benefit societies and humanity at large
2. Eliminating violence such as trafficking and sexual exploitation and abolishing harmful traditional
practices against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, such as child, early and
forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
3. Adopting and strengthening sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of
gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
4. Putting a stop to all forms of discrimination against all women and girls globally.
5. Compulsory completion of secondary education for the girl child
6. Implementation and accessibility of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights to women and
girls globally
7. Aiding women and girls empowerment through technology
8. Listen to girls: SDGs can deliver transformative change for girls only if they have been consulted
and their priorities and needs have been taken into account. Girls should be viewed as agents of
change and not as beneficiaries therefore their engagement in the implementation of the SDGs
is crucial. For this we need to recognize the leadership potential of girls. We have witnessed
firsthand the massive contributions that girls and young women as volunteers delivered for MDGs

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all
The first three out of eight targets include:

"By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all."

"By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open
defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations."

"By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of
hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially
increasing recycling and safe reuse globally."

Experts have stated that without progress on Goal 6, the other goals and targets cannot be achieved. Safe
drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from disease and enable societies to be productive. A
study from 2016 showed how sanitation, when done with a resource recovery and reuse focus can
contribute towards achieving at least fourteen of the SDGs, especially in an urban context. Recovering the
resources embedded in excreta and wastewater like nutrients, water and energy contributes towards
achieving Goal 12 (sustainable consumption and production) and Goal 2 (zero hunger) while ensuring
adequate sanitation and wastewater management along the entire value chain in cities contributes to
Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), Goal 1 (no poverty) and Goal 8 (decent work and economic
growth).
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all
Goal 7 targets:
1. By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
2. By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
3. By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
4. By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and
technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel
technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology
5. By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable
energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island
developing States, and land-locked developing countries, in accordance with their respective
programmes of support

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Goal 8 targets:
1. Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular,
at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
2. Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading
and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
3. Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation,
entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of
micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
4. Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production
and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance
with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with
developed countries taking the lead
5. By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men,
including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
6. By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
7. Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and
human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour,
including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8. Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers,
including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
9. By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and
promotes local culture and products
10. Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to
banking, insurance and financial services for all
11. Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries,
including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to
Least Developed Countries
 12. By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the
Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote

inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities - Reduce income inequality within and among countries
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities and human settlements
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and
production patterns
Goal 13: Climate Action - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by
regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy
Nations and other parties negotiating at the UN have highlighted the links between the post-2015 SDG
process, the Financing for Development process to be concluded in Addis Ababa in July 2015, and the COP
21 Climate Change conference in Paris in December 2015.

Development and climate are inextricably linked, particularly around poverty, gender equality, and
energy. The UN encourages the public sector to take initiative in this effort to minimize negative impacts
on the environment. This renewed emphasis on climate change mitigation was made possible by the
partial Sino-American convergence that developed in 2015-2016, notably at the UN COP21 summit (Paris)
and ensuing G20 conference (Hangzhou).

Goal 14: Life Below Water - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development
The United Nations Ocean Conference of 2017 sought to find ways and call for the implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14.

Goal 15: Life on Land - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies
for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals - Strengthen the means of implementation and
revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Targets and indicators
As of August 2015, there were 169 proposed targets for these goals and 304 proposed indicators to show
compliance.
 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21 or CMP 11 was held in Paris, France, from
30 November to 12 December 2015. It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP)
to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th session of
the Conference of the Parties (CMP) to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

The conference negotiated the Paris Agreement, a global agreement on the reduction of climate change,
the text of which represented a consensus of the representatives of the 196 parties attending it. The
agreement will enter into force when joined by at least 55 countries which together represent at least 55
percent of global greenhouse emissions. On 22 April 2016 (Earth Day), 174 countries signed the agreement
in New York, and began adopting it within their own legal systems (through ratification, acceptance,
approval, or accession).

According to the organizing committee at the outset of the talks, the expected key result was an
agreement to set a goal of limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (C) compared to pre-
industrial levels. The agreement calls for zero net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to be reached
during the second half of the 21st century. In the adopted version of the Paris Agreement, the parties will
also "pursue efforts to" limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C. The 1.5 C goal will require zero emissions
sometime between 2030 and 2050, according to some scientists.

The agreement establishes a "global stocktake" which revisits the national goals to "update and enhance"
them every five years beginning 2023. However, no detailed timetable or country-specific goals for
emissions were incorporated into the Paris Agreement as opposed to the previous Kyoto Protocol.

A number of meetings took place in preparation for COP21, including the Bonn Climate Change
Conference, 19 to 23 October 2015, which produced a draft agreement.

The objective of the 2015 conference was to achieve, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations,
a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world. The European Union and
195 nations were the participating parties.

President Obama insisted on Americas essential role in that regard: Weve led by example [] from
Alaska to the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains [...] weve seen the longest streak of private job creation in
our history. Weve driven our economic output to all time-highs while driving our carbon pollution down
to its lowest level in nearly two decades. And then, with our historic joint announcement with China last
year, we showed it was possible to bridge the old divide between developed and developing nations that
had stymied global progress for so long [] That was the foundation for success in Paris.