Sustainable Development Goals
Taking action on Climate Change and creating sustainable environments have been in the making since the Rio Climate Change Summit held in 1992. A series of goals were set to be achieved by 2000 known as Agenda 21.
In 2010 another goal setting exercise took place known as the Millennium Development Goals even though many felt they did not go far enough.
With the level of climate damage forecast by 2050, its irreversible nature, and with more people on the planet, the Sustainable Development Goals were agreed in 2015 by 193 countries. They are an urgent attempt to get everyone on board to take targeted action.
What you can do
People around the globe also find their purpose through making a difference, or achieving a positive change, no matter how big or small.
Some may take on to engage with UN sustainability goals and see which ones are meaningful to them. Others in business or the workplace can fulfil some dimensions of the goals in their business actions.
Others choose to make contributions to society in different ways. But we can all do something.
Explore the SDGs and think about how your lifestyle can contribute to some positive targets in your home, community or country.
The current challenges
The Covid-19 pandemic has posed many challenges in 2020 and 2021 and in some instances slowed down the progress that all societies were making towards achieving the SDGs.
As we slowly emerge from the various disruptions, new ways of resolving many of theSDG goals will have to be found or accelerated.
Many companies, businesses, governments and their public services, and social organisations will have to step up their actions.
A checklist
Purposeful intention
Choosing a sustainable lifestyle is about taking a creative, holistic, solutions-focused approach.
What personal sustainability goals can we take? We can start by one area of the SDGs and see how that resonates in our lives.
Find out what challenges it brings. What solutions can we work towards? Can we join others and form social networks? How can small changes be incorporated into our life activities?
Mahatma Gandhi said “In a gentle way, you can shake the world”.
Call for change
Getting involved with raising awareness with SDGs is one way of connecting with others locally and globally and taking action.
Take a look at "Project Everyone" a UK not-for-profit working in partnership with the UN and involved with the SDG campaign. Take a look at www.globalgoals.org
For practical campaigning ideas look at the following site - can you do something similar locally?
un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ be-the-change
