TACOMA, Washington — The U.N. has released an updated sustainable development roadmap for the coming decade, through to 2030. Citing major developments in global poverty reduction, since the implementation of the original sustainable development goals in 2015, the U.N. stands by its promise of eradicating global poverty by 2030. This article will divulge the details of the revisions to the U.N.’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the methodology the U.N. plans to implement well into the future and what these goals mean for the hundreds of millions still impacted by extreme poverty.
Updated Sustainable Development Goals
In September 2015, the U.N. and its constituent countries committed to 17 goals for the future, known now in popular parlance as “Sustainable Development Goals.” Each goal is specifically designed to address a particular aspect, from climate change to gender inequality, that influences the landscape of global poverty.
Since its implementation, the success of these goals cannot be understated. However, with recent global developments, such as COVID-19, a worsening biosphere and growing wealth inequality, the U.N. has released updated guidelines and goals for 2030. The U.N.’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals preserve its initial goals, but with an added emphasis on specific areas of development that require immediate attention and direct action.
The Rundown: Goals of Interest
The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and their revisions covered a broad variety of topics and developmental demands. Here are two main concepts:
- Environmental Stability: The U.N. committed itself and its constituents to cutting global emissions by half by 2030. In addition, the U.N. emphasizes the importance of investments in green energy and sustainable jobs, as well as a shift to a global carbon tax rather (as opposed to taxing citizens) as the climate worsens.
- COVID-19 and Global Fragility: The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the environment, the global economy, as well as exacerbating the social, political and economic issues millions continue to endure. The U.N. has focused on SDGs that ensure decent work, protection for workers, investments in world peace, robust healthcare systems, tax reforms and ready access to the internet for all.
As one could imagine, there is no clear delineation where one SDG ends and the other begins. Each interest area includes SDGs that overlap. The environment is irrevocably intertwined with women’s well-being, while women’s well-being is dependent on education and a stable, healthy economy with effective tax infrastructure. The global economy is influenced by the environment and its health. Its cyclical, and neglect of any single SDG ensures almost entirely the failure of others.
UN Eradicating Poverty with the Sustainable Development Goals
The U.N.’s message of SDGs has been clear for nearly a decade and there is still much to be done to end poverty, inequality and the destruction of the environment. Much progress has been made, and there is hope to be had, but Malala Yousafzai reminded the world’s leaders during the U.N.’s 75th-anniversary conference that they cannot stop now. “Five years have passed since the U.N. member [countries]agreed to the sustainable development goals. These goals represent the future of millions of people, of girls who want to go to school, of women who fight for their rights, and of young people who fight for clean air and a safe planet. So far, you have not kept up with your goals,” said Yousafzai.
The U.N.’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals strengthen and mature every year, and in unprecedented times, there is no exception. The U.N. continues to be hopeful in eradicating global poverty, reducing pollution and unsustainable resource exploitation and stabilizing emerging countries’ economies. Still, 10% of the world’s population remains imbued in poverty and hardship, and the global health crisis of COVID-19 has created an increasingly unstable environment for hundreds of millions across the globe.
—Henry Comes-Pritchett
Photo: Flickr