United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, often referred to simply as SDGs, is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. There are 17 integrated and indivisible goals, which balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.

The goals seek to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom and recognises that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan and take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path.

The premise of the Social Circular Economy is a set of boundary conditions and principles that ensure all activity translates to contributing toward positive impact for people, planet and prosperity. Therefore the 17 goals, and the associated 169 targets and 232 (non-repeating) indicators, represent a great framework to measure and evaluate the benefits of the Social Circular Economy. 

End poverty in all its forms everywhere
​​​Intensified efforts are required to boost the incomes, alleviate the suffering and build the resilience of those still in extreme poverty. Social protection systems need expansion and risks need mitigation for disaster-prone areas that also tend to be the most impoverished.

Reduce inequality within and among countries
Progress in reducing inequality within and among countries has been mixed. The voices of developing countries still need to be strengthened in decision-making forums of international economic and financial institutions. 

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
​Requires focused efforts, especially Africa and Asia. More investments in agriculture, including government spending and aid, are needed to increase capacity for agricultural productivity.

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Rapid urbanisation has brought more slum dwellers, greater air pollution, inadequate basic services and infrastructure, and unplanned urban sprawl. Better urban planning are needed to make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Impressive advancements have been made since 2000 but progress must be accelerated to meet the Sustainable Development Goals health targets by 2030, in particular in those regions with the highest burden of disease.

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Needs strong framework for sustainable consumption and production integrated into national plans, consumer behaviour and sustainable business practices, and adherence to international norms on hazardous chemicals / wastes management.

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allNeeds increasing efforts, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia and for vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities, indigenous people, refugee children and poor children in rural areas.

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Mitigating climate change and its impacts will require building on the momentum achieved by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Stronger efforts are needed to build resilience and limit climate-related hazards and natural disasters.

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Gender inequality persists worldwide, depriving women and girls of basic rights and opportunities. More vigorous efforts, including legal frameworks, to counter discrimination often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms.

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
The increasingly adverse impacts of climate change (including ocean acidification), overfishing and marine pollution are jeopardizing recent gains in protecting portions of the world’s oceans.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Access to safe water and sanitation and sound management of freshwater ecosystems are essential to human health and to environmental sustainability and economic prosperity.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Land productivity, biodiversity loss and wildlife poaching remain serious concerns.

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Progress falls short in every area to achieve energy access for all and to meet renewable energy and energy efficiency targets. Needs bolder policy commitments, more financing and willingness of countries to embrace new technologies on a much wider scale.

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Progress along with effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, remains uneven across and within regions.

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Increasing labour productivity, reducing the unemployment rate, especially for young people, and improving access to financial services and benefits.

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Requires coherent policies, an enabling environment at all levels and by all actors and a reinvigorated Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Renewed investment will be needed in the least developed countries to build needed infrastructure and ensure the doubling of industry’s share of GDP in those countries by 2030.

Source: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/