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Human Dimensions of Global Warming

What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

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In 2015, the UN adopted a comprehensive list of goals to work toward through 2030. The video below gives a brief (3 minutes) history of how the SDGs emerged from the lessons learned with the Millennium Development Goals which preceded them (and which the Our World in Data reading this week addresses). The Millenium Development Goals were important for a number of reasons, but perhaps most notably, they are known for being the first time concrete goals related to sustainability were broadly adopted and benchmarked.  
Transitioning from the MDGs to the SDGs
Click here for a transcript

PRESENTER: In the year 2000, leaders from 189 countries agreed on a vision for the new millennium. They wanted to end extreme poverty in all of its forms. So they made a list of eight goals called the Millennium Development Goals. And they wanted to achieve these goals in 15 years.

One of the leading organizations working to fulfill these goals has been the United Nations Development Program, or UNDP. We're present in more than 170 countries and territories.

We championed the goals so that people everywhere would know what they were and how people could do their part. We funded projects that helped fulfill the goals. We helped countries accelerate NDG progress by breaking down the silos and working across sectors. We acted as scorekeeper, helping countries to track progress.

As a result, the number of people that live on less than $1.25 per day has dropped by more than half. The number of primary school age kids who don't go to school down by almost half. The number of people getting life saving treatment for HIV increased by over 15 times. Child mortality down by almost half.

As much progress as we've made together, there's still a lot more to do. Over 800 million people are still living on less than $1.25 a day. One in nine people on our planet goes to sleep hungry each night. Deforestation remains alarmingly high in many countries. Oceans are becoming more acidic, threatening food security and marine ecosystems. And about one of every six adults in the world is illiterate. 2/3 of them are women.

We think those are tough numbers, and so do leaders from the countries where we work. So in September 2015, they agreed on a new set of goals to help finish the work we all started in 2000. The new goals are called the Stable Development Goals, or SDGs.

We have made significant progress in the last 15 years, and we think there's plenty of room for hope, for action in the next 15 years. Today, the world is more connected by technology. We know more about how to balance the three pillars of sustainable development, social progress, economic growth, and environmental protection.

However, our climate is changing. Our planet is transforming. And there are more people on earth than ever before. We at UNDP believe everyone can have enough of what they need living within our planetary boundaries, and we are working around the world to make this happen.

Our goals to reach by 2030 are to eradicate extreme poverty, protect our environment, and much more. UNDP has 50 years of experience working with countries to make this a more prosperous, healthy, inclusive, and sustainable world. Join us.

Credit:United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

How did we do with the Millenium Development Goals? As the video illustrates, we made progress on some, but certainly not all of them. Taking the lessons learned from that initial process, the goals were reimagined and structured differently into the current Sustainable Development Goals, which will carry us through 2030.  The World Bank has a nicely done interactive visualization to explore progress on the MDGs by country and indicator.

all 17 sustainable development goals in infographic
Within these 17 broadly-scoped goals are more specific targets and actions.
Click here for a text alternative of the image above

Sustainable Development Goals: 17 Goals to Transform our World

  1. No poverty

  2. Zero hunger

  3. Good health and well-being

  4. Quality education

  5. Gender Equality

  6. Clean Water and Sanitation

  7. Affordable and Clean Energy

  8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

  9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  10. Reduced Inequalities

  11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

  12. Responsible Consumption and Production

  13. Climate Action

  14. Life Below Water

  15. Life on Land

  16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  17. Partnerships for the Goals

But this graphic really just scratches the surface. To better understand how the UN envisions the world achieving these goals, please explore About the Sustainable Development Goals.  For example, here's the more detailed description and discussion of Goal 13: Climate Action.  (Hint: This goal-by-goal resource will be pivotal in incorporating the goals correctly into your Exam 3 assignment, so definitely worth your time!)