The United Nations (UN) has been at the forefront of coordinating international efforts to tackle the most pressing global challenges. Recognizing the critical role of sustainable development in maintaining the earth’s health and fostering equitable growth, the UN introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015.
These 17 goals, set to be achieved by 2030, are a universal call to action to end poverty, safeguard the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
1. No Poverty
The first goal aims to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day. This includes implementing social protection systems and measures for everyone, and by 2030, aiming to substantially cover the poor and the vulnerable.
2. Zero Hunger
The second goal targets the elimination of hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. It focuses on providing access to sufficient and nutritious food all year round for all people, particularly the poor and people in vulnerable situations such as infants.
3. Good Health and Well-being
The third goal seeks to ensure health and well-being for all, at every stage of life. This involves reducing maternal and child mortality, ending epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, and reducing illnesses and death from hazardous chemicals and pollution.
4. Quality Education
This goal aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. It focuses on increasing literacy and numeracy, granting equal access to affordable vocational training, and providing all youth and a substantial proportion of adults with relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
5. Gender Equality
The fifth goal is about achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. It includes ending all forms of discrimination, violence, and harmful practices towards women and girls, recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work, and ensuring women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership.
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal six aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. This involves achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene, and protecting water-related ecosystems.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
This goal aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. It involves substantially increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix and doubling the improvement in energy efficiency.
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8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal eight promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. This involves achieving higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation.
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
The ninth goal seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation. It involves increasing access to financial services and making infrastructure more sustainable and industries more inclusive and sustainable.
10. Reduced Inequalities
The tenth goal aims to reduce inequality within and among countries. This involves empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all people, regardless of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic status.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal eleven focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It includes ensuring access to safe and affordable housing and basic services, and improving urban planning and management in a way that is both participatory and inclusive.
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
The twelfth goal aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. This involves promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing universal access to quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient basic services.
13. Climate Action
The thirteenth goal calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. This involves strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of more vulnerable regions to climate-related hazards, and integrating climate change measures into policies and planning.
14. Life Below Water
Goal fourteen aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources. This includes managing and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems, preventing and significantly reducing marine pollution, and addressing the impacts of ocean acidification.
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15. Life on Land
The fifteenth goal aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss. This includes implementing sustainable management of all types of forests, and ensuring conservation of mountain ecosystems.
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The sixteenth goal seeks 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. This includes reducing all forms of violence, and tackling corruption and bribery.
17. Partnerships for the Goals
The seventeenth goal aims to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. This involves mobilizing resources to empower developing countries and enhancing international support for effective and targeted capacity-building.
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These goals are ambitious, interconnected, and holistic, recognizing that progress in one area often depends on progress in others. Achieving the SDGs requires cooperation between governments, the private sector, civil society, and individuals on a scale never seen before. As we inch closer to 2030, the focus of global efforts will intensify, further spotlighting the importance of these goals in shaping a sustainable and equitable future for all.
