17 #GlobalGoals, SDGs 2015

What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve.

∼Norman Vincent Peale

Have you heard about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?   You may hear more about them over the next two weeks, as they are the language of global change:

 There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 3 overall aims:
"End extreme poverty. Fight inequality & injustice. Fix climate
change" by 2030.
--adopted by 193 UN members in September 2015.

Here is a visual summary (I wish it was more readable):

Readable details from a UN fact sheet:

1. End Poverty in all its forms everywhere.
2. End Hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, promote sustainable agriculture.
3. Ensure Health and Well-Being for all.
4. Quality Education–inclusive, equitable, and lifelong.
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation Services for all.
7. Access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable Clean Energy for all (1 in 5, globally, lack access to electricity).
8. Economic growth and decent employment.
9. Resilient Infrastructure and sustainable industrialization.
10. Reduce inequalities.
11. Make Cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (By 2030, almost 60% of the world population will live in cities. Cities account for 75% of carbon emissions, but have great potential for conservation and efficiency).
12. Sustainable consumption and production (reduce waste of food, water, energy, and natural resources).
13. Urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
14. Conserve oceans, seas, and marine resources.
15. Protect life on land: manage forests, combat desertification, halt land degradation and biodiversity loss.
16. Peace, Justice, and strong institutions.
17. Strengthen partnerships for fulfilling the goals.

The goals sound both wonderful and overwhelming.  They are stars on the horizon for governments, non-profit groups,and individuals. Their success is closely connected to the level of commitment achieved at the Paris climate talks over the next two weeks (Nov 30 to Dec 11). Funding is of course a big concern, especially for less wealthy nations.

I like goal number 12 because it addresses the fact that current rates of consumption and waste, particularly in the industrialized portion of the world, are unsustainable.  I am guessing that we need an overall adjustment, in which some of us reduce our materialism, and others gain improvements, such as clean water, food, electricity, and toilets.

If you’re interested in all this, there is a GlobalGoals app.  I just downloaded it so I can’t offer an assessment yet.  On Twitter, check out: #globalgoals, #action2015, @The Global Goals, and @UNFCCC.