CHALLENGE 8 – Know The Goals
Join the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) movement adding to the global community of action
The goal of challenge #8:
- Educate myself on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Established ways to align my sustainable lifestyle changes to these existing goals
Learning more about the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over the last week has been so inspiring! … And has made me realise I have chosen an inadequate name for my blog; Green doesn’t quite cut it when looking at these goals 😝
The goals address 17 different areas of hardship or imbalance surrounding life on our planet. They embrace big picture thinking that goes beyond environmental consciousness, but puts the equality and wellbeing of humankind at the center of the development debate, in order to achieve long-term sustainability for people and planet as a whole. This is a visionary, borderless, all-inclusive concept that I want to be part of!
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Explained
Where do the SDGs come from?
The SDGs were created by the United Nations Assembly in 2015 as a follow on of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A total of 193 nations committed to working in international partnership on improving each of the areas. It was felt that whilst the MDGs were a good initiative, not enough concrete development actually came from them. The SDGs were in turn created with a framework of targets, performance indicators and monitoring that improved the chances of success. Initially 10 goals were proposed, but a majority of nations agreed this was not sufficient to encompass enough of the major challenges faced daily around the world, therefore 17 goals were created.
What topics do the SDGs cover?
Topics cover an array of issues such as poverty, gender equality, energy use, climate action, peace, justice, responsible consumption to name but a few. Here you can see the visual icons for all 17 area. You can read about every goal in detail on the official UN SDG website, each as eye-opening and inspiring as the next!
Who are the SDGs for?
The successful implementation towards these goals will positively impact everyone, in creating a more considerate, dignified and safer world. Whats more, they state a strong claim of ‘leave no one behind’. With this, the fact that there are vast inequalities around the world is taken as a foundation for monitoring the rate of improvement of each goal. Development is only considered a success, when ALL communities, regardless where in the world and how underdeveloped, reach a new improved level of standard. For this reason activities ‘endeavour to reach the furthest behind first’.
How can I support the SDGs?
1st – learn about them – take this quiz
2nd – talk about them – help spread the word – speak about them with friends, family, colleagues etc.
3rd – chose 1 or 2 goals that resonate with you and look into how you could actively support
4th – join in! Take action however small or big
Becoming part of something bigger than ourselves for positive change is always a great feeling! The below image shows the first 6 goals with a small statement underneath as to how individuals can acknowledge and support. Some ways are as simple as using our voices to denounce hate speech or discrimination.
One of the drivers for talking publicly about my Better Me Green project, was the fact that I am a BIG believer in communities being far more powerful than the sum of their parts. Often, its best not trying to re-invent the wheel, but rather use our individual say and energy to support existing causes, thereby boosting the critical mass. The thing I like about the goals, is although they are a framework for the highest level of policy making, they still take an inclusive approach towards individuals and local communities. Click here or on the image to visit the website and learn more
Finally, these goals are voluntary. Although the 193 nations agreed to them there is no legally binding regulations enforcing them. This means they will only happen if we work to make them happen. For this, there needs to be a proactive approach from individuals, communities, companies and policy makers.
From my perspective, through establishing the 17 SDGs as they are, the UN is clearly confronting the fact that it is us humans that are causing the major problems driving climate change. However, in order to protect nature, both on land and in the oceans, we must first address the unrest and inequalities that we have among the human race, to be able to collectively carve new sustainable ways of living for the future. In the long-term benefiting all life on our planet. Ok so I’m not going to scrap the name Better Me Green just yet ; )
Going forward, I plan to link my weekly challenges to the relevant Sustainable Development Goals. If you are / plan to start doing something to support these goals, please let me know with a comment below, I would love to hear about it and perhaps get some new ideas of my own.
Thanks for reading
Your Better Me Greener
Charlotte
November 30, 2019 @ 3:07 pm
These are very interesting and I think quite achievable goals, I also like that there is a strong focus on humanity.
December 2, 2019 @ 9:22 am
I think they do a great job of painting a vision for how the world can look if we all work together. They are achievable, but only if a lot of people and politicians are willing to look past their own shadows!