PRESENTACION DE CANVA CON PUNTOS DE LOS 17 ODS

presentacion de las ods

1. ODS

2. What is sustainable development?
Sustainable development involves how we should live today if we want a
better future, addressing present needs without compromising the
opportunities of future generations to meet theirs. The survival of our
societies and our common planet requires a more sustainable world.
It's kind of a juggling act. You have to keep three
different balls in the air at the same time:
economic growth, social inclusion and
environmental protection. If one or two fall to the
ground, the show is over. An economy, for
example, can grow rapidly, but only for a time if
most people remain poor and all natural resources
are depleted.

4. WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
has taken us to climate change. Environ-
mental destruction. Conflict. Poverty and
hunger. Vast inequalities and social
instability.
Unsustainable development happens when
people pursue immediate rewards without
thinking about harms to other people or the
planet. Often, short-term gains are
overshadowed by longer-term costs. That’s
the case when someone cuts down an entire
forest to turn a quick profit – even if an
ecosystem collapses, endangered species die
off and local communities are left at
permanent risk of devastating floods.
A BLUEPRINT FOR OUR COMMON FUTURE
In 2015, UN Member States translated their
vision of sustainable development into a
blueprint for achieving it: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. Its 17 Sustainable
Development Goals — with ambitious targets
Sustainable development is how we must live
today if we want a better tomorrow, by
meeting present needs without compromising
the chances of future generations to meet
their needs. The survival of our societies and
our shared planet depends on a more
sustainable world.
It’s a bit of a juggling act. Three different balls
must be kept in the air at once: economic
growth, social inclusion, and environmental
protection. If one or two fall to the ground, the
act is over. An economy might grow rapidly,
for instance – but only for so long if most
people remain poor and all the natural
resources are used up.
Where development is sustainable, everyone
has access to decent work, quality health care
and education. Natural resource use avoids
pollution and permanent losses to the
environment. Public policy choices ensure
that no one is left behind due to
disadvantages or discrimination.
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES NOW
If you want to understand why sustainable
development is so important in real-world
terms, just look around. On average globally,
people live longer lives with higher incomes.
But a lot of development is unsustainable. It
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5. WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
The SDG Summit, to be held at United Nations
headquarters on 18-19 September 2023, will
be a defining moment for world leaders to
renew their commitments and deliver the
breakthroughs that our world desperately
needs. The Summit will be an opportunity to
review progress and gaps in achieving the
Goals and will seek to provide high-level
political guidance on transformative,
accelerated actions to reach the Goals by
their 2030 endpoint.
ANYONE CAN ACT
It is not only up to our world leaders. Every
person can benefit from a more prosperous,
inclusive and resilient world. We can all do
something about it, regardless of whether we
are in a government or civil society, run a
business or a home, are in school or out of it.
While governments set policies to steer
sustainable development, and both the public
and private sectors have to finance the major
shifts it requires, individual decisions add up
fast. Your choices to earn a living, move
around, make friends or advocate for justice
can all make an impact. Want to know more?
Find out how you can act now for our
common future. Embrace the possible.
to achieve by 2030— cover the three
dimensions of sustainable development: the
economy, social development and the
environment.
However, halfway to our 2030 deadline, the
climate crisis, a weak global economy,
conflicts and the lingering impact of COVID-
19 have put the Goals in jeopardy.
According to the UN SDGs Report 2023:
Special Edition, the number of people living in
extreme poverty in 2020 rose to 724 million,
and now gender equality is some 300 years
away. The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) warns that without
more robust policies across all sectors, the
world is likely to surpass the critical 1.5°C
tipping point by 2035.
It is not too late to reset efforts to reach them,
however. To advance the sustainable
development agenda, governments are
integrating the Goals into national plans.
However, a fundamental shift is needed to put
the world on a better path. And with seven
years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda, it is
needed now.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023

6. FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT:
WHAT TO KNOW NOW
MIXED PROGRESS ON REACHING GLOBAL
TARGETS
In broad strokes, finance for sustainable
development includes public and private
resources, spent by governments, businesses
and households, among others. It involves
funds generated within countries, such as
through taxation, as well as finance provided
by one country to support another in reaching
its development goals, such as through
grants and low-cost loans.

At the United Nations, governments have set
goals and targets for financing sustainable
development. Progress has been mixed on
these commitments, however. It falls far short
of current challenges in poorer countries and
even many nations at a middle-income level.
TOO MUCH AND NOT ENOUGH
The world is full of money. Add up real estate,
equities and other assets held by households,
corporations, governments and financial
institutions and the number falls in the trillions.
So why has there been such a struggle to
achieve the global Sustainable Development
Goals. Answer: because too much money is
flowing to the wrong places.
Acute inequality is one issue. According to an
Oxfam report, since 2020, about $42 trillion,
two thirds of new wealth, went to the richest 1
per cent of people. This happened while
poverty and hunger rates rose, and with about
1.7 billion workers living in countries where
inflation outstrips wages.
Another issue: Our common future depends on
all money eventually aligning with sustainable
development that benefits people and the
planet. Most current finance does not meet
this bar. Shortfalls happen every time an
investor funds a coal mine instead of a wind
farm. Or when a government pays for
education but neglects the quality of schooling
in the poorest communities. Or when people
overspend on too many disposable items like
clothes and electronics.
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7. As a starting point, the UN Secretary-General
has called for an urgent infusion of SDG
financing delivered by the world’s 20 largest
economies. An SDG Stimulus package of
$500 billion a year would mean all countries
could invest in renewable energy, universal
social protection, quality education, decent
jobs, health coverage for everyone,
sustainable food systems, infrastructure and
digital transformation.
FINDING THE FUNDS
If we are serious about sustainable
development – and in a world of so many
crises and risks we really have to be –­ where
should more money come from? To start,
wealthier countries can meet decades-old
commitments to providing official
development assistance. Only a few countries
have kept these promises, and choices about
distributing this finance have not been in line
with sustainable development.
Total assistance reached a record high of $206
billion in 2022, for example, but most of the
increase went to refugees and aid for Ukraine.
The $34 billion sent to countries in Africa, still
among the world’s poorest, was a notable 7.4
per cent less than the year before.
Finding more finance also depends on
resolving the debt crisis faced by dozens of
developing countries, including more than half
the poorest countries. This crisis took off as
Budgets to fund health care, education,
economic development, environmental
protection and so on were straining to keep
up even before the pandemic. The situation
has grown much worse since then due to
record inflation, high interest rates, debt
burdens, costly climate disasters and
massive recovery needs.
For a deep dive into the details of
international agreements on financing for
development, learn more about the Addis
Ababa Action Agenda and Goal 17 of the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
SECURING A SURGE IN FINANCE FOR THE
GLOBAL GOALS
While the world is off track in achieving many
global Sustainable Development Goals,
accelerating progress remains possible – but
only with a rapid, immediate surge in finance.
Countries can work together to find the money,
having agreed to do so. We will all benefit in
the end, because a world where large shares of
people feel insecure and desperate is not safe
or sustainable for anyone.
On the positive side, we know how to find
more funds and even some of the choices
that have to be made for the common good.
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FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT:
WHAT TO KNOW NOW

8. have a social responsibility and a business
incentive to do so. Large corporations, such
as the business giants worth $16 trillion in the
Global Investors for Sustainable Development
Alliance, are central to driving the energy
transition, new consumer purchasing habits
and infrastructure construction to meet many
development goals.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Financing sustainable development requires
whole economies and societies to pull
together for the greater good. Individuals can
play a role by paying taxes and demanding
high-quality services in return. If you live in a
wealthy country, you can advocate for official
development assistance and debt relief for
developing nations.
Other ideas are to consume less to reduce
your environmental footprint and avoid
damages, such as from resource extraction,
that often require public resources for clean-
up and compensation. By purchasing fair
trade items, you can help transfer funds to
people and businesses in developing
countries. And if you buy stocks, try to screen
companies based on their support for social
justice and a healthy planet.
Sustainable development will be a substantial
investment. But it’s the best one we can
make. Our common future depends on it.
countries borrowed to meet pandemic
demands and interest rates skyrocketed.
Some countries now send more funds into
loan repayments than essential services such
as health care.
It’s a complex problem that governments, the
United Nations, international financial
institutions such as the World Bank and private
lenders are working to resolve. The bottom line:
debt should not stop progress towards
sustainable development. Some emerging
innovations include forgiving debts based on
agreements where savings go to essential
public services or environmental protections.
As the largest share of funds for public
services in many countries, taxation needs to
be aligned with sustainable development.
That means taxing people and businesses
enough, and based on their ability to pay.
Sufficient taxation also depends on having
well-functioning economies where industries
thrive, and educated, healthy people can find
decent work. Coordinating and regulating
taxation across countries helps stop tax
evasion.
Finally, private companies can steer finance
towards sustainable development by oper-
ating in line with its core principles. They
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT:
WHAT TO KNOW NOW

9. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES) Global Assessment
Report,found that ‘around 1 million animal
and plant species are now threatened with
extinction, many within decades. This ismore
than ever before in human history’.
With this in mind, the United Nations
Biodiversity Conference in December 2022 (or
COP15) ended with a global agreement to halt
this degradation with the adoption of the
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity
Framework (GBF) outlining worldwide actions
to be taken to secure our life support system.
The Report identifies the following five key
drivers of the nature crisis:
1. Changes in land and sea use: The ways in
which we use land and sea have huge
impacts on biodiversity. Changing the way we
utilise them can relieve the pressure
Biological diversity refers to the variety of life
on Earth and the natural patterns it forms. It is
vital to protect the vast array of species which
our planet has, but in striving for human
development, this often takes a backseat. In
fact, according to the United Nations
Environmental Programme, human activity is
pushing one million species of plants and
animals towards extinction.
This is the largest loss of life since the
dinosaurs.
NATURE IS DECLINING AT AN
UNPRECEDENTED RATE
With species biodiversity and nature declining
at an unprecedented rate, extinction is a very
real possibility for many life forms on our
current track. Species which we might seem
to have vast numbers of are at risk, including
giraffes, oak trees, parrots, cacti and even
seaweed.
This loss of biodiversity threatens every life
on earth, not just those species which are
close to extinction. Fish provide 20 per cent of
animal protein to about 3 billion people. Over
80 per cent of the human diet is provided by
plants. As many as 80 per cent of people
living in rural areas in developing countries
rely on traditional plant‐based medicines for
basic healthcare.
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WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
99
%
of coral reefs would vanish
A rise of 2 degrees Celsius in global
temperatures would mean

10. sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat
desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss.’ It
strives to safeguard our Earth’s natural areas
so humans, and other species can continue to
enjoy them through future generations.
The landmark UN Biodiversity Agreement
contains 23 action based targets to be
reached by 2030 to pave the way for further
targets to be achieved by 2050.
To fund these goals, the Global Environment
Facility will set up a Special Trust Fund – the
GBF Fund to ensure adequate, timely flow of
funds from developed countries to developing
countries.
It is vital that we achieve these targets within
the timescale in order to protect biological
diversity, while developing as a planet. As
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
Executive Director, Inger Andersen, said:
“Success will be measured by our rapid and
consistent progress in implementing what we
have agreed to. The entire UN system is
geared to support its implementation so we
can truly make peace with nature.”
To learn more about SDG15: Life on Land,
please go here.
2. Climate change: Rising global
temperatures could threaten as many as one
in six species at the global level.
3. Pollution: Air, soil and water pollution are
on the rise globally, and reducing this while
managing chemicals and waste is key to
combating the nature crisis. In addition, the
use of pesticides are the main cause of plant
and insect decline.
4. Direct exploitation of natural resources:
Preventing and reversing the degradation of
land and oceans can prevent the loss of one
million endangered species. Through their
spiritual relationship with land, indigenous
people are recognised as the guardians of
biodiversity. In many parts of the world,
Indigenous People are at the forefront of
conservation, as noted by Territories of Life -
a report in part supported by UNEP.
5. Invasive species: Invasive Alien Species
are those which have begun to grow outside
of their usual habitat. They can cause the
decline, or even extinction of the native
species in these environments.
WE FACE A HUGE CHALLENGE, BUT WE
HAVE A ROADMAP
Sustainable Development Goal 15 ‘Life on
Land’ aims to ‘Protect, restore and promote
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WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
Department of Global Communications | August 2023

11. WHAT IS GOAL 1 - NO POVERTY
in food prices across a larger number of
countries compared to the period from 2015
to 2019. This dual challenge of poverty and
food security poses a critical global concern.
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH POVERTY?
Poverty has many dimensions, but its causes
include unemployment, social exclusion, and
high vulnerability of certain populations to
disasters, diseases and other phenomena
which prevent them from being productive.
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT OTHER
PEOPLE’S ECONOMIC SITUATION?
There are many reasons, but in short, because
as human beings, our well- being is linked to
each other. Growing inequality is detrimental
to economic growth and undermines social
cohesion, increas- ing political and social
tensions and, in some circumstances, driving
instability and conflicts.
Eradicating extreme poverty for all people
everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal goal of the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Extreme poverty, defined as surviving on less
than $2.15 per person per day at 2017
purchasing power parity, has witnessed
remarkable declines over recent decades.
However, the emergence of COVID-19 marked
a turning point, reversing these gains as the
number of individuals living in extreme
poverty increased for the first time in a
generation by almost 90 million over previous
predictions.
Even prior to the pandemic, the momentum of
poverty reduction was slowing down. By the
end of 2022, nowcasting suggested that 8.4
per cent of the world’s population, or as many
as 670 million people, could still be living in
extreme poverty. This setback effectively
erased approximately three years of progress
in poverty alleviation.
If current patterns persist, an estimated 7% of
the global population – around 575 million
people – could still find themselves trapped in
extreme poverty by 2030, with a significant
concentration in sub-Saharan Africa.
A shocking revelation is the resurgence of
hunger levels to those last observed in 2005.
Equally concerning is the persistent increase
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12. WHAT IS GOAL 1 - NO POVERTY
generational knowledge is shared, and that
innovation and critical thinking are
encouraged at all ages to support
transformational change in people’s lives and
communities.
Governments can help create an enabling
environment to generate pro- productive
employment and job opportunities for the
poor and the marginalized.
The private sector has a major role to play in
determining whether the growth it creates is
inclusive and contributes to poverty
reduction. It can promote economic
opportunities for the poor.
The contribution of science to end poverty
has been significant. For example, it has
enabled access to safe drinking water,
reduced deaths caused by water-borne
diseases, and improved hygiene to reduce
health risks related to unsafe drinking water
and lack of sanitation.
To find out more about Goal 1 and other
Sustainable Development Goals visit:
www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
WHY IS SOCIAL PROTECTION SO
IMPORTANT?
Strong social protection systems are
essential for mitigating the effects and
preventing many people from falling into
poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic had both
immediate and long-term economic
consequences for people across the globe –
and despite the expansion of social
protection during the COVID-19 crisis, 55 per
cent of the world’s population – about 4
billion people – are entirely unprotected.
In response to the cost-of-living crisis, 105
countries and territories announced almost
350 social protection measures between
February 2022 and February 2023. Yet 80 per
cent of these were short-term in nature, and to
achieve the Goals, countries will need to
implement nationally appropriate universal and
sustainble social protection systems for all.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?
Your active engagement in policymaking can
make a difference in addressing poverty. It
ensures that your rights are promoted and
that your voice is heard, that inter-
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023

13. WHAT IS GOAL 2 - ZERO HUNGER
less productive individuals, who are more
prone to disease and thus often unable to
earn more and improve their livelihoods.
2 billion people in the world do not have reg-
ular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient
food. In 2022, 148 million children had
stunted growth and 45 million children under
the age of 5 were affected by wasting.
HOW MANY PEOPLE GO HUNGRY?
It is projected that more than 600 million
people worldwide will be facing hunger in
2030, highlighting the immense challenge of
achieving the zero hunger target.
People experiencing moderate food insecurity
are typically unable to eat a healthy, balanced
diet on a regular basis because of income or
other resource constraints.
Goal 2 is about creating a world free of
hunger by 2030.The global issue of hunger
and food insecurity has shown an alarming
increase since 2015, a trend exacerbated by a
combination of factors including the
pandemic, conflict, climate change, and
deepening inequalities.
By 2022, approximately 735 million people –
or 9.2% of the world's population – found
themselves in a state of chronic hunger – a
staggering rise compared to 2019. This data
underscores the severity of the situation,
revealing a growing crisis.
In addition, an estimated 2.4 billion people
faced moderate to severe food insecurity in
2022. This classification signifies their lack of
access to sufficient nourishment. This
number escalated by an alarming 391 million
people compared to 2019.
The persistent surge in hunger and food
insecurity, fueled by a complex interplay of
factors, demands immediate attention and
coordinated global efforts to alleviate this
critical humanitarian challenge.
Extreme hunger and malnutrition remains a
barrier to sustainable development and
creates a trap from which people cannot
easily escape. Hunger and malnutrition mean
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14. %
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HUNGRY
PEOPLE?
Shockingly, the world is back at hunger levels
not seen since 2005, and food prices remain
higher in more countries than in the period
2015–2019. Along with conflict, climate
shocks, and rising cost of living, civil
insecurity and declining food production have
all contributed to food scarcity and high food
prices.
Investment in the agriculture sector is critical
for reducing hunger and poverty, improving
food security, creating employment and
building resilience to disasters and shocks.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
We all want our families to have enough food
to eat what is safe and nutritious. A world
with zero hunger can positively impact our
economies, health, education, equality and
social development.
It’s a key piece of building a better future for
everyone. Additionally, with hunger limiting
human development, we will not be able to
achieve the other sustainable development
goals such as education, health and gender
equality.
HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE ZERO HUNGER?
Food security requires a multi-dimensional
approach – from social protection to
safeguard safe and nutritious food especially
for children to transforming food systems to
achieve a more inclusive and sustainable
world. There will need to be investments in
rural and urban areas and in social protection
so poor people have access to food and can
improve their livelihoods.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
You can make changesin your own life—at
home, at work and in the community—by
supporting local farmers or markets and
making sustainable food choices, supporting
good nutrition for all, and fighting food waste.
You can also use your power as a consumer
and voter, demanding businesses and govern-
ments make the choices and changes that
will make Zero Hunger a reality. Join the
conversation, whether on social media
platforms or in your local communities.
To find out more about Goal #2 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit
www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 2 - ZERO HUNGER

15. ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES
A significant portion of the global population
still lacks access to vital healthcare services.
To bridge this gap and ensure equitable
healthcare provision, addressing disparities is
critical. Various determinants of health,
including environmental and commercial
factors, need attention to pave the way for
achieving our common objective of Health for
All and achieving the Sustainable
Development Goal targets.
HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE THESE TARGETS?
Ensuring healthy lives for all requires a strong
commitment, but the benefits outweigh the
cost. Healthy people are the foundation for
healthy economies. Countries worldwide are
urged to take immediate and decisive actions
to predict and counteract health challenges.
Great strides have been made in improving
people’s health in recent years. 146 out of 200
countries or areas have already met or are on
track to meet the SDG target on under-5
mortality. Effective HIV treatment has cut
global AIDS-related deaths by 52 per cent
since 2010 and at least one neglected tropical
disease has been eliminated in 47 countries.
However, inequalities in health care access
still persist. The COVID-19 pandemic and
other ongoing crises have impeded progress
towards Goal 3. Childhood vaccinations have
experienced the largest decline in three
decades, and tuberculosis and malaria deaths
have increased compared with pre-pandemic
levels.
The Sustainable Development Goals make a
bold commitment to end the epidemics of
AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other
communicable diseases by 2030. The aim is
to achieve universal health coverage, and
provide access to safe and affordable
medicines and vaccines for all.
To overcome these setbacks and address
long-standing health care shortcomings,
increased investment in health systems is
needed to support countries in their recovery
and build resilience against future health
threats.
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WHAT IS GOAL 3 - GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

16. are richer, more educated, and living in urban
areas, especially in low-income countries.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
You can start by promoting and protecting
your own health and the health of those
around you, by making well-informed choices,
practicing safe sex and vaccinating your
children.
You can raise awareness in your community
about the importance of good health, healthy
lifestyles as well as people’s right to quality
health care services, especially for the most
vulnerable such as women and children.
You can also hold your government, local
leaders and other decision-makers
accountable to their commitments to improve
people access to health and health care.
To find out more about Goal #3 and the other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
http://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
This becomes especially critical in
safeguarding vulnerable population groups
and individuals residing in regions burdened
by high disease prevalence. By doing so, we
can strengthen health systems and foster
resilience in the face of health adversities.
Immunization is one of the world’s most
successful and cost-effective health
interventions. However, the alarming decline
in childhood vaccination – the largest
sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in
approximately 30 years – is leaving millions
of children at risk from devastating but
preventable diseases.
DOES EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO
HEALTHCARE?
Universal health coverage (UHC) aims to
ensure that everyone can access quality
health services without facing financial
hardship. While efforts to combat infectious
diseases like HIV, TB and malaria led to
significant expansions in service coverage
between 2000 and 2015, progress has since
slowed.
Inequalities continue to be a fundamental
challenge for UHC. Coverage of reproductive,
maternal, child and adolescent health
services tends to be higher among those who
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 3 - GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

17. To deliver on Goal 4, education financing
must become a national investment priority.
Furthermore, measures such as making
education free and compulsory, increasing
the number of teachers, improving basic
school infrastructure and embracing digital
transformation are essential.
WHAT PROGRESS HAVE WE MADE SO FAR?
While progress has been made towards the
2030 education targets set by the United
Nations, continued efforts are required to
address persistent challenges and ensure that
quality education is accessible to all, leaving no
one behind.
Between 2015 and 2021, there was an increase
in worldwide primary school completion, lower
secondary completion, and upper secondary
completion. Nevertheless, the progress made
during this period was notably slower
compared to the 15 years prior.
Progress towards quality education was
already slower than required before the
pandemic, but COVID-19 has had devastating
impacts on education, causing learning
losses in four out of five of the 104 countries
studied.
Without additional measures, an estimated
84 million children and young people will stay
out of school by 2030 and approximately 300
million students will lack the basic numeracy
and literacy skills necessary for success in life.
In addition to free primary and secondary
schooling for all boys and girls by 2030, the
aim is to provide equal access to affordable
vocational training, eliminate gender and
wealth disparities, and achieve universal
access to quality higher education.
Education is the key that will allow many other
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be
achieved. When people are able to get quality
education they can break from the cycle of
poverty.
Education helps to reduce inequalities and to
reach gender equality. It also empowers
people everywhere to live more healthy and
sustainable lives. Education is also crucial to
fostering tolerance between people and
contributes to more peaceful societies.
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WHAT IS GOAL 4 – QUALITY EDUCATION

18. and highly digitalized countries – is not
addressed.
ARE THERE GROUPS THAT HAVE MORE
DIFFICULT ACCESS TO EDUCATION?
Yes, women and girls are one of these
groups. About 40 per cent of countries have
not achieved gender parity in primary
education.
These disadvantages in education also
translate into lack of access to skills and
limited opportunities in the labour market for
young women.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Ask our governments to place education as a
priority in both policy and practice. Lobby our
governments to make firm commitments to
provide free primary school education to all,
including vulnerable or marginalized groups.
To find out more about Goal #4 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
http://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
WHAT CHALLENGES REMAIN?
According to national education targets, the
percentage of students attaining basic
reading skills by the end of primary school is
projected to rise from 51 per cent in 2015 to
67 per cent by 2030. However, an estimated
300 million children and young people will still
lack basic numeracy and literacy skills by
2030.
Economic constraints, coupled with issues of
learning outcomes and dropout rates, persist
in marginalized areas, underscoring the need
for continued global commitment to ensuring
inclusive and equitable education for all. Low
levels of information and communications
technology (ICT) skills are also a major barrier
to achieving universal and meaningful
connectivity.
WHERE ARE PEOPLE STRUGGLING THE
MOST TO HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATION?
Sub-Saharan Africa faces the biggest
challenges in providing schools with basic
resources. The situation is extreme at the
primary and lower secondary levels, where
less than one-half of schools in sub-Saharan
Africa have access to drinking water,
electricity, computers and the Internet.
Inequalities will also worsen unless the digital
divide – the gap between under-connected
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 4 – QUALITY EDUCATION

19. WHAT IS GOAL 5 – GENDER EQUALITY
Political leadership, investments and
comprehensive policy reforms are needed to
dismantle systemic barriers to achieving Goal
5. Gender equality is a cross-cutting objective
and must be a key focus of national policies,
budgets and institutions.
HOW MUCH PROGRESS HAVE WE MADE?
International commitments to advance
gender equality have brought about
improvements in some areas: child marriage
and female genital mutilation (FGM) have
declined in recent years, and women’s
representation in the political arena is higher
than ever before. But the promise of a world
in which every woman and girl enjoys full
gender equality, and where all legal, social
and economic barriers to their empowerment
have been removed, remains unfulfilled. In
fact, that goal is probably even more distant
than before, since women and girls are being
hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gender equality is not only a fundamental
human right, but a necessary foundation for a
peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
There has been progress over the last decades,
but the world is not on track to achieve gender
equality by 2030.
Women and girls represent half of the world’s
population and therefore also half of its
potential. But gender inequality persists
everywhere and stagnates social progress.
On average, women in the labor market still
earn 23 percent less than men globally and
women spend about three times as many hours
in unpaid domestic and care work as men.
Sexual violence and exploitation, the unequal
division of unpaid care and domestic work, and
discrimination in public office, all remain huge
barriers. All these areas of inequality have
been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic:
there has been a surge in reports of sexual
violence, women have taken on more care
work due to school closures, and 70% of health
and social workers globally are women.
At the current rate, it will take an estimated 300
years to end child marriage, 286 years to close
gaps in legal protection and remove
discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to
be represented equally in positions of power
and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years
to achieve equal representation in national
parliaments.
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20. WHAT IS GOAL 5 – GENDER EQUALITY
WHAT CAN WE DO?
If you are a girl, you can stay in school, help
empower your female classmates to do the
same and fight for your right to access sexual
and reproductive health services. If you are a
woman, you can address unconscious biases
and implicit associations that form an
unintended and often an invisible barrier to
equal opportunity.
If you are a man or a boy, you can work
alongside women and girls to achieve gender
equality and embrace healthy, respectful
relationships.
You can fund education campaigns to curb
cultural practices like female genital
mutilation and change harmful laws that limit
the rights of women and girls and
prevent them from achieving their full
potential.
The Spotlight Initiative is an EU/UN
partnership, and a global, multi-year initiative
focused on eliminating all forms of violence
against women and girls – the world’s largest
targeted effort to end all forms of violence
against women and girls..
To find out more about Goal #5 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment
ARE THERE ANY OTHER GENDER-RELATED
CHALLENGES?
Yes. Worldwide, nearly half of married women
lack decision-making power over their sexual
and reproductive health and rights. 35 per
cent of women between 15-49 years of age
have experienced physical and/ or sexual
intimate partner violence or non-partner
sexual violence.1 in 3 girls aged 15-19 have
experienced some form of female genital
mutilation/cutting in the 30 countries in Africa
and the Middle East, where the harmful
practice is most common with a high risk of
prolonged bleeding, infection (including HIV),
childbirth complications, infertility and death.
This type of violence doesn't just harm
individual women and girls; it also
undermines their overall quality of life and
hinders their active involvement in society.
WHY SHOULD GENDER EQUALITY MATTER
TO ME?
Regardless of where you live in, gender equality
is a fundamental human right. Advancing
gender equality is critical to all areas of a
healthy society, from reducing
poverty to promoting the health, education,
protection and the well-being of girls and boys.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023

21. WHY?
Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a
human right. To get back on track, key
strategies include increasing sector-wide
investment and capacity-building, promoting
innovation and evidence-based action,
enhancing cross-sectoral coordination and
cooperation among all stakeholders, and
adopting a more integrated and holistic
approach to water management.
Water is essential not only to health, but also
to poverty reduction, food security, peace and
human rights, ecosystems and education.
Nevertheless, countries face growing
challenges linked to water scarcity, water
pollution, degraded water-related ecosystems
and cooperation over transboundary water
basins.
Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene
is the most basic human need for health and
well-being. Billions of people will lack access
to these basic services in 2030 unless
progress quadruples. Demand for water is
rising owing to rapid population growth,
urbanization and increasing water needs from
agriculture, industry, and energy sectors.
The demand for water has outpaced
population growth, and half the world’s
population is already experiencing severe
water scarcity at least one month a year.
Water scarcity is projected to increase with
the rise of global temperatures as a result of
climate change.
Investments in infrastructure and sanitation
facilities; protection and restoration of water-
related ecosystems; and hygiene education
are among the steps necessary to ensure
universal access to safe and affordable
drinking water for all by 2030, and improving
water-use efficiency is one key to reducing
water stress.
There has been positive progress. Between
2015 and 2022, the proportion of the world's
population with access to safely managed
drinking water increased from 69 per cent to
73 per cent.
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WHAT IS GOAL 6 –
CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

22. %
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
In 2022, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely
managed drinking water, including 703 million
without a basic water service; 3.5 billion
people lacked safely managed sanitation,
including 1.5 billion without basic sanitation
services; and 2 billion lacked a basic
handwashing facility, including 653 million
with no handwashing facility at all.
By managing our water sustainably, we are
also able to better manage our production of
food and energy and contribute
to decent work and economic growth.
Moreover, we can preserve our water
ecosystems, their biodiversity, and take action
on climate change.
ARE WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGED
LINKED?
Water availability is becoming less
predictable in many places. In some regions,
droughts are exacerbating water scarcity and
thereby negatively impacting people’s health
and productivity and threatening sustainable
development and biodiversity worldwide.
Ensuring that everyone has access to
sustainable water and sanitation services is a
critical climate change mitigation strategy for
the years ahead.
Without better infrastructure and
management, millions of people will continue
to die every year from water-related diseases
such as malaria and diarrhoea, and there will
be further losses in biodiversity and
ecosystem resilience, undermining prosperity
and efforts towards a more sustainable
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Civil society organizations should work to
keep governments accountable, invest in
water research and development, and
promote the inclusion of women, youth and
indigenous communities in water resources
governance.
Generating awareness of these roles and turn-
ing them into action will lead to win-win
results and increased sustainability and
integrity for both human and ecological
systems.
You can also get involved in the World Water
Day and World Toilet Day campaigns that aim
to provide information and inspiration to take
action on hygiene issues.
To find out more about Goal #6 and the other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 6 –
CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

23. WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT THIS GOAL?
A well-established energy system supports all
sectors: from businesses, medicine and
education to agriculture, infrastructure,
communications and high technology.
Access to electricity in poorer countries has
begun to accelerate, energy efficiency
continues to improve, and renewable energy
is making impressive gains. Nevertheless,
more focused attention is needed to improve
access to clean and safe cooking fuels and
technologies for 2.3 billion people.
For many decades, fossil fuels such as coal,
oil or gas have been major sources of
electricity production, but burning carbon
fuels produces large amounts of greenhouse
gases which cause climate change and have
Goal 7 is about ensuring access to clean and
affordable energy, which is key to the
development of agriculture, business,
communications, education, healthcare and
transportation.
The world continues to advance towards
sustainable energy targets – but not fast
enough. At the current pace, about 660 million
people will still lack access to electricity and
close to 2 billion people will still rely on
polluting fuels and technologies for cooking
by 2030.
Our everyday life depends on reliable and
affordable energy. And yet the consumption of
energy is the dominant contributor to climate
change, accounting for around 60 percent of
total global greenhouse gas emissions.
From 2015 to 2021, the proportion of the
global population with access to electricity
has increased from 87 per cent to 91 per cent.
Ensuring universal access to affordable
electricity by 2030 means investing in clean
energy sources such as solar, wind and
thermal. Expanding infrastructure and
upgrading technology to provide clean energy
in all developing countries is a crucial goal
that can both encourage growth and help the
environment.
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WHAT IS GOAL 7 –
AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

24. water for essential hygiene, to enabling
communications and IT services that connect
people while maintaining social distancing.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX THESE ISSUES?
Countries can accelerate the transition to an
affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy
system by investing in renewable energy
resources, prioritizing energy efficient
practices, and adopting clean energy
technologies and infrastructure.
Businesses can maintain and protect eco-
systems and commit to sourcing 100% of
operational electricity needs from renewable
sources.
Employers can reduce the internal demand for
transport by prioritizing telecommunications
and incentivize less energy intensive modes
such as train travel over auto and air travel.
Investors can invest more in sustainable energy
services, bringing new technologies to the
market quickly from a diverse supplier base.
You can save electricity by plugging appliances
into a power strip and turning them off
completely when not in use, including your
computer. You can also bike, walk or take
public transport to reduce carbon emissions.
To find out more about Goal #7 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
harmful impacts on people’s well-being and
the environment. This affects everyone, not
just a few. Moreover, global electricity use is
rising rapidly. In a nutshell, without a stable
electricity supply, countries will not be able to
power their economies.
Without electricity, women and girls have to
spend hours fetching water, clinics cannot store
vaccines for children, many schoolchildren can
not do homework at night, and people cannot
run competitive businesses. Slow progress
towards clean cooking solutions is of grave
global concern, affecting both human health and
the environment, and if we don’t meet our goal
by 2030, nearly a third of the world’s population
– mostly women and children – will continue
tobe exposed to harmful household air pollution.
To ensure access to energy for all by 2030,
we must accelerate electrification, increase
investments in renewable energy, improve
energy efficiency and develop enabling
policies and regulatory frameworks.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES TO LACK
OF ACCESS TO ENERGY?
Energy services are key to preventing disease
and fighting pandemics – from powering
healthcare facilities and supplying clean
water for essential hygiene, to enabling
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 7 –
AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

25. WHAT DOES “DECENT WORK” MEAN?
Decent work means opportunities for
everyone to get work that is productive and
delivers a fair income, security in the
workplace and social protection for families,
better prospects for personal development
and social integration. A continued lack of
decent work opportunities, insufficient
investments and under-consumption lead to
an erosion of the basic social contract
underlying democratic societies: that all must
share in progress.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
A persistent lack of decent work
opportunities, insufficient investments and
under-consumption contribute to the erosion
Goal 8 is about promoting inclusive and
sustainable economic growth, employment
and decent work for all.
Multiple crises are placing the global
economy under serious threat. Global real
GDP per capita growth is forecast to slow
down in 2023 and with ever increasing
challenging economic conditions, more
workers are turning to informal employment.
Globally, labour productivity has increased
and the unemployment rate has decreased.
However, more progress is needed to
increase employment opportunities,
especially for young people, reduce informal
employment and labour market inequality
(particularly in terms of the gender pay gap),
promote safe and secure working
environments, and improve access to
financial services to ensure sustained and
inclusive economic growth.
The global unemployment rate declined
significantly in 2022, falling to 5.4 per cent
from a peak of 6.6 per cent in 2020 as
economies began recovering from the shock
of the COVID-19 pandemic. This rate was
lower than the pre-pandemic level of 5.5 per
cent in 2019.
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WHAT IS GOAL 8 –
DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

26. unemployment rate is much higher than the
rate for adults aged 25 and above. Globally,
nearly 1 in 4 young people – 289 million –
were not in education, employment or training
WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX THESE ISSUES?
Providing youth the best opportunity to
transition to a decent job calls for investing in
education and training of the high- est
possible quality, pro- viding youth with skills
that match labour market demands, giving
them access to social protection and basic
services regardless of their contract type, as
well as leveling the playing field so that all
aspiring youth can attain productive
employment regardless of their gender,
income level or socio-economic background.
Governments can work to build dynamic,
sustainable, innovative and people-centred
economies, promoting youth employment and
women’s economic empowerment, in
particular, and decent work for all.
Implementing adequate health and safety
measures and promoting supportive working
environments are fundamental to protecting
the safety of workers, especially relevant for
health workers and those pro- viding essential
services.
To find out more about Goal #8 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
of the basic social contract: that all must
share in progress. The creation of quality jobs
remain a major challenge for almost all
economies.
Achieving Goal 8 will require a wholesale
reform of the financial system to tackle rising
debts, economic uncertainty and trade
tensions, while promoting equitable pay and
decent work for young people.
Sustained and inclusive economic growth can
drive progress, create decent jobs for all and
improve living standards.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE UNEMPLOYED?
The estimated total global unemployment in
2022 was 192 million. Projections indicate
that global unemployment is expected to
decrease further to 5.3 per cent in 2023,
equivalent to 191 million people.
The pandemic disproportionately affected
women and youth in labour markets. Women
experienced a stronger recovery in employ-
ment and labour force participation than men.
However, young people aged 15–24 continue
to face severe difficulties in securing decent
employment, and the global youth in 2022.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 8 –
DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

27. Goal 9 seeks to build resilient infrastructure,
promote sustainable industrialization and
foster innovation.
Economic growth, social development and
climate action are heavily dependent on
investments in infrastructure, sustainable
industrial development and technological
progress. In the face of a rapidly changing
global economic landscape and increasing
inequalities, sustained growth must include
industrialization that first of all, makes
opportunities accessible to all people, and
second, is supported by innovation and
resilient infrastructure.
Even before the outbreak of the COVID-19
pandemic, global manufacturing – considered
an engine of overall economic growth – has
been steadily declining due to tariffs and
trade tensions. The manufacturing decline
caused by the pandemic has further caused
serious impacts on the global economy.
This is primarily due to high inflation, energy
price shocks, persistent disruptions in the
supply of raw materials and intermediate
goods, and global economic deceleration.
While LDCs in Asia have made considerable
progress, African LDCs would need to change
WHAT IS GOAL 9 –
INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Department of Global Communications | August 2023
the current trajectory and accelerate progress
significantly to attain the target by 2030.
However, medium-high and high-technology
industries demonstrated robust growth rates.
HOW MUCH PROGRESS HAVE WE MADE?
As of 2022, 95 per cent of the world’s
population was within reach of a mobile
broadband network, but some areas remain
underserved.
Investment in research and development
globally – as well as financing for economic
infrastructure in developing countries – has
increased, and impressive
progress has been made in mobile
connectivity with almost the entire world
population (97 per cent) living within reach of
a mobile cellular signal.
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28. WHAT IS THE PRICE OF INACTION?
The price is steep. Ending poverty would be
more difficult, given the industry’s role as a
core driver of the global development agenda
to eradicate poverty and advance sustainable
develop- ment. Additionally, failing to improve
infra- structure and promote technological
innovation could translate into poor health
care, inadequate sanitation and limited
access to education.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Establish standards and promote regulations
that ensure company projects and initiatives
are sustainably managed.
Collaborate with NGOs and the public sector
to help promote sustainable growth within
developing countries.
Think about how industry impacts on your life
and well-being and use social media to push
for policymakers to pri- oritize the SDGs.
To find out more about Goal #9 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
Investments in infrastructure – transport,
irrigation, energy and information and
communication technology – are crucial to
achieving sustainable development and
empowering communities in many countries.
To achieve Goal 9 by 2030, it is also essential
to support LDCs, invest in advanced
technologies, lower carbon emissions and
increase mobile broadband access.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Inclusive and sustainable industrialization,
together with innovation and infrastructure,
can unleash dynamic and competitive
economic forces that generate employment
and income. They play a key role in
introducing and promoting new technologies,
facilitating- ing international trade and
enabling the efficient use of resources.
The growth of new industries means
improvement in the standard of living for
many of us. If industries pursue sustainability,
this approach will have a positive effect on
the environment.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 9 –
INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

29. Inequality threatens long-term social and
economic development, harms poverty
reduction and destroys people’s sense of
fulfillment and self-worth.
The incomes of the poorest 40 per cent of the
population had been growing faster than the
national average in most countries. But
emerging yet inconclusive evidence suggests
that COVID-19 may have put a dent in this
positive trend of falling within-country inequality.
The pandemic has caused the largest rise in
between-country inequality in three decades.
Reducing both within- and between-country
inequality requires equitable resource
distribution, investing in education and skills
development, implementing social protection
measures, combating discrimination,
supporting marginalized groups and fostering
international cooperation for fair trade and
financial systems.
WHY DO WE NEED TO REDUCE INEQUALITIES?
Inequalities based on income, sex, age,
disability, sexual orientation, race, class,
ethnicity, religion and opportunity continue to
persist across the world. Inequality threatens
long-term social and economic development,
harms poverty reduction and destroys
people’s sense of fulfillment and self-worth.
This, in turn, can breed crime, disease and
environmental degradation.
WHAT IS GOAL 10 – REDUCED INEQUALITIES
Department of Global Communications | August 2023
diseases such as measles and tuberculosis or
in childbirth. Older persons, migrants and
refugees face lack of opportunities and
discrimination – an issue that affects every
country in the world. One in five persons
reported being discriminated on at least one
ground of discrimination prohibited by
international human rights law.
We cannot achieve sustainable development
and make the planet better for all if people are
excluded from the chance for a better
life.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF
INEQUALITY?
Women and children with lack of access to
healthcare die each day from preventable
One in six people worldwide has experienced
discrimination in some form, with women
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30. WHAT CAN WE DO?
Reducing inequality requires transformative
change. Greater efforts are needed to
eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, and
invest more in health, education, social
protection and decent jobs especially for
young people, migrants and refugees and
other vulnerable communities.
Within countries, it is important to empower
and promote inclusive social and economic
growth. We can ensure equal opportunity and
reduce inequalities of income if we eliminate
discriminatory laws, policies and practices.
Among countries, we need to ensure that
developing countries are better represented in
decision-making on global issues so that
solutions can be more effective, credible and
accountable.
Governments and other stakeholders can also
promote safe, regular and responsible
migration, including through planned and well-
managed policies, for the millions
of people who have left their homes seeking
better lives due to war, discrimination,
poverty, lack of opportunity and other drivers
of migration.
To find out more about Goal #10 and the
other Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
and people with disabilities disproportionately
affected.
Discrimination has many intersecting forms,
from from religion, ethnicity to gender and
sexual preference, pointing to the urgent need
for measures to tackle any kind of
discriminatory practices and hate speech.
HOW DO WE TACKLE DISCRIMINATION?
In today’s world, we are all interconnected.
Problems and challenges like poverty, climate
change, migration or economic crises are
never just confined to one country or region.
Even the richest countries still have
communities living in abject poverty. The
oldest democracies still wrestle with racism,
homophobia and transphobia, and religious
intolerance. Global inequality affects us all, no
matter who we are or where we are from.
CAN WE ACHIEVE EQUALITY FOR
EVERYONE?
It can – and should be – achieved to ensure a
life of dignity for all. Political, economic and
social policies need to be universal and pay
particular attention to the needs of
disadvantaged and marginalized
communities.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 10 – REDUCED INEQUALITIES

31. WHAT IS GOAL 11 - SUSTAINABLE CITIES?
WHY ARE CITIES NOT FUTURE PROOF YET?
Most of the urban growth is taking place in
small cities and intermediate towns,
exacerbating inequalities and urban poverty.
In 2020, an estimated 1.1 billion urban
residents lived in slums or slum-like
conditions, and over the next 30 years, an
additional 2 billion people are expected to live
in such settlements, mostly in developing
countries.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST PRESSING
CHALLENGES CITIES ARE FACING?
Inequality and the levels of urban energy
consumption and pollution are some of the
challenges. Cities occupy just 3 per cent of
the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80 per
cent of energy consumption and 75 per cent
of carbon emissions.
Goal 11 is about making cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable.
Cities represent the future of global living. The
world’s population reached 8 billion on 2022
over half living in urban areas. This figure is
only expected to rise, with 70 per cent of
people expected to live in cities by 2050.
Approximately 1.1 billion people currently live
in slums or slum-like conditions in cities, with
2 billion more expected in the next 30 years.
However many of these cities are are not
ready for this rapid urbanisation, and it
outpaces the development of housing,
infrastructure and services, which led to a rise
in slums or slum-like conditions.
Urban sprawl, air pollution and limited open
public spaces persist in cities.
Good progress has been made since the
implementation of the SDGs in 2015, and
now the number of countries with national
and local disaster risk reduction strategies
has doubled. But issues still remain and in
2022, only half of the urban population had
convenient access to public transport.
Sustainable development cannot be achieved
without significantly transforming the way
urban spaces are built and managed.
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32. WHAT IS GOAL 11 - SUSTAINABLE CITIES?
IS IT EXPENSIVE TO PUT SUSTAINABLE
PRACTICES IN PLACE?
The cost is minimal in comparison with the
benefits. For example, there is a cost to
creating a functional public transport network,
but the benefits are huge in terms of
economic activity, quality of life, the
environment, and the overall success
of a networked city.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP ACHIEVE THIS
GOAL?
Take an active interest in the governance and
management of your city. Advocate for the
kind of city you believe you need.
Develop a vision for your building, street, and
neighbourhood, and act on that vision. Are
there enough jobs? Can your children walk to
school safely? Can you walk with your family
at night? How far is the nearest public
transport? What’s the air quality like? What
are your shared public spaces like? The better
the conditions you create in your community,
the greater the effect on quality of life.
To find out more about Goal #11 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment
Many cities are also more vulnerable to
climate change and natural disasters due to
their high concentration of people and
location so building urban resilience is crucial
to avoid human, social and economic losses.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT ME?
All these issues will eventually affect every
citizen. Inequality can lead to unrest and
insecurity, pollution deteriorates everyone’s
health and affects workers’ productivity and
therefore the economy, and natural disasters
have the potential to disrupt everyone’s
lifestyles. Air pollution caused affecting the
health of millions is not only an urban problem,
but is also affecting towns and rural areas.
WHAT HAPPENS IF CITIES ARE JUST LEFT
TO GROW ORGANICALLY?
The cost of poorly planned urbanization can
be seen in some of the huge slums, tangled
traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and
sprawling suburbs all over the world.
By choosing to act sustainably we choose to
build cities where all citizens live a decent
quality of life, and form a part of the city’s
productive dynamic, creating shared
prosperity and social stability without harming
the environment.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023

33. WHAT IS GOAL 12 -
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION?
data, as well as investments in technologies,
infrastructure, education and monitoring. A
staggering 931 million tons of food is wasted
a year, despite a huge number of the global
population going hungry.
WHY DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE
CONSUME?
Economic and social progress over the last
century has been accompanied by
environmental degradation that is
endangering the very systems on which our
future development and very survival depend.
A successful transition will mean
improvements in resource efficiency,
consideration of the entire life cycle of
economic activities, and active engagement
in multilateral environmental agreements.
Goal 12 is about ensuring sustainable
consumption and production patterns, which
is key to sustain the livelihoods of current and
future generations.
Our planet is running out of resources, but
populations are continuing to grow. If the
global population reaches 9.8 billion by 2050,
the equivalent of almost three planets will be
required to provide the natural resources
needed to sustain current lifestyles.
We need to change our consumption habits,
and shifting our energy supplies to more
sustainable ones are one of the main changes
we must make if we are going to reduce our
consumption levels. However, global crises
triggered a resurgence in fossil fuel subsidies,
nearly doubling from 2020 to 2021.
We are seeing promising changes in
industries, including the trend towards
sustainability reporting being on the rise,
almost tripling the amount of published
sustainability over just a few years, showing
increased levels of commitment and
awareness that sustainability should be at the
core of business practices.
Food waste is another sign of over
consumption, and tackling food loss is urgent
and requires dedicated policies, informed by

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34. WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
There are many aspects of consumption that
with simple changes can have a big impact on
society as a whole.
Governments need to implement and enforce
policies and regulations that include
measures such as setting targets for reducing
waste generation, promoting circular
economy practices, and supporting
sustainable procurement policies.
Transitioning to a circular economy involves
designing products for longevity, repairability,
and recyclability. It also involves promoting
practices such as reusing, refurbishing, and
recycling products to minimize waste and
resource depletion.
Individuals can also adopt more sustainable
lifestyles – this can involve consuming less,
choosing products with lower environmental
impacts, and reducing the carbon footprint of
day-to-day activities.
HOW CAN I HELP AS A BUSINESS?
It’s in businesses’ interest to find new
solutions that enable sustainable
consumption and production patterns. A
better understanding of environmental and
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
social impacts of products and services is
needed, both of product life cycles and how
these are affected by use within lifestyles.
Innovation and design solutions can both
enable and inspire individuals to lead more
sustainable lifestyles, reducing impacts and
improving well-being.
HOW CAN I HELP AS A CONSUMER?
There are two main ways to help:
1. Reducing your waste and 2. Being
thoughtful about what you buy and choosing
a sustainable option whenever possible.
Ensure you don’t throw away food, and reduce
your consumption of plastic—one of the main
pollutants of the ocean. Carrying a reusable
bag, refusing to use plastic straws, and
recycling plastic bottles are good ways to do
your part every day.
Making informed purchases also helps. By
buying from sustainable and local sources
you can make a difference as well as
exercising pressure on businesses to adopt
sustainable practices.
To take action, visit: www.un.org/en/actnow
To find out more about Goal #12 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment
WHAT IS GOAL 12 -
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION?

35. ACT NOW
The climate crisis continues unabated as the
global community shies away from the full
commitment required for its reversal. 2010 –
2019 was the warmest decade ever recorded,
bringing with it massive wildfires, hurricanes,
droughts, floods and other climate disasters
across continents.
Climate change is disrupting national
economies and affecting lives and livelihoods,
especially for the most vulnerable.
Between 2010 and 2020, highly vulnerable
regions, home to approximately 3.3–3.6
billion people, experienced 15 x higher human
mortality rates from floods, droughts and
storms compared to regions with very low
vulnerability.
Every person, in every country in every
continent will be impacted in some shape or
form by climate change. There is a climate
cataclysm looming, and we are
underprepared for what this could mean.
Climate change is caused by human activities
and threatens life on earth as we know it. With
rising greenhouse gas emissions, climate
change is occurring at rates much faster than
anticipated. Its impacts can be devastating
and include extreme and changing weather
patterns and rising sea levels.
If left unchecked, climate change will undo a lot
of the development progress made over the
past years. It will also provoke mass migrations
that will lead to instability and wars.
To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-
industrial levels, emissions must already be
decreasing and need to be cut by almost half
by 2030, just seven years away. But, we are
drastically off track from this target.
Urgent and transformative going beyond mere
plans and promises are crucial. It requires
raising ambition, covering entire economies
and moving towards climate-resilient
development, while outlining a clear path to
achieve net-zero emissions. Immediate
measures are necessary to avoid catastrophic
consequences and secure a sustainable
future for generations to come.
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WHAT IS GOAL 13 - CLIMATE ACTION?

36. ARE WE INVESTING ENOUGH TO COMBAT
CLIMATE CHANGE?

According to the UNFCCC, global climate
finance flows reached an annual average
of $803 billion in 2019–2020, a 12 per cent
increase compared to prior years. However,
this still falls short of the levels needed to
limit warming, and fossil-fuel-related flows
exceeded climate financing for adaptation
and mitigation in 2020.
In 2019, at least 120 of the 153 developing
countries had undertaken activities to
formulate and implement National Adaptation
Plans to enhance climate adaptation and
resilience, an increase of 29 countries over
the previous year. Furthermore, progress in
meeting the 2020 disaster risk reduction
target has been slow.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
There are many things that each of us can do
as individuals. To find out what you can do,
go to: www.un.org/en/actnow
To read more about the UN’s efforts on
climate change: un.org/climatechange
To find out more about Goal #13 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T TAKE
ACTION?
If left unchecked, climate change will cause
average global temperatures to increase
beyond 3°C, and will adversely affect every
ecosystem. Already, we are seeing how
climate change can exacerbate storms and
disasters, and threats such as food and water
scarcity, which can lead to conflict. Doing
nothing will end up costing us a lot more than
if we take action now.
SOLVING THE PROBLEM
To address climate change, we have to vastly
raise our ambition at all levels. Much is
happening around the world – investments in
renewable energy have soared. But more
needs to be done. The world must transform
its energy, industry, transport, food,
agriculture and forestry systems to ensure
that we can limit global temperature rise to
well below 2°C, maybe even 1.5°C. In
December 2015, the world took a significant
first step by adopting the Paris Agreement, in
which all countries committed to take action
to address climate change. However, more
actions are critically needed in order to meet
the targets.
Businesses and investors need to ensure
emissions are lowered, not just because it is
the right thing to do, but because it makes
economic and business sense as well.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 13 - CLIMATE ACTION?

37. of coral reefs would vanish
future. This includes increasing funding for
ocean science, intensifying conservation
efforts, and urgently turning the tide on
climate change to safeguard the planet's
largest ecosystem. Current efforts to protect
are not yet meeting the urgent need to
safeguard this vast, yet fragile, resource.
WHY?
The ocean is our planet’s life support and
regulate the global climate system. It is the
world’s largest ecosystem, home to nearly a
million known species and containing
vast untapped potential for scientific
discovery.
Oceans and fisheries continue to support the
global population’s economic, social and
environmental needs. Despite the critical
importance of conserving oceans, decades of
irresponsible exploitation have led to an
alarming level of degradation.
Goal 14 is about conserving and sustainably
using the oceans, seas and marine resources.
Healthy oceans and seas are essential to
human existence and life on Earth.
The Ocean is intrinsic to our life on earth.
Covering three-quarters of the Earth’s surface,
contain 97 percent of the Earth’s water, and
represent 99 percent of the living space on
the planet by volume.
They provide key natural resources including
food, medicines, biofuels and other products;
help with the breakdown and removal of
waste and pollution; and their coastal
ecosystems act as buffers to reduce damage
from storms. They also act as the planet’s
greatest carbon sink.
Worryingly, marine pollution is reaching
extreme levels, with over 17 million metric
tons clogging the ocean in 2021, a figure set
to double or triple by 2040. Plastic is the most
harmful type of ocean pollution.
Currently, the ocean’s average pH is 8.1 which
is about 30 per cent more acidic than in pre-
industrial times. Ocean acidification threatens
the survival of marine life, disrupts the food
web, and undermines vital services provided
by the ocean and our own food security.
Careful management of this essential global
resource is a key feature of a sustainable
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WHAT IS GOAL 14 - LIFE BELOW WATER?

38. HOW IS THE OCEAN CONNECTED TO OUR
HEALTH?
The health of the ocean is intimately tied to
our health. The diversity of species found in
the ocean offers great promise for
pharmaceuticals.
Furthermore, marine fisheries provide 57
million jobs globally and provide the primary
source of protein to over 50% of the
population in least developed countries.
SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?
For open ocean and deep sea areas,
sustainability can be achieved only through
increased international cooperation to protect
vulnerable habitats. Establishing complete,
effective and equitably managed systems of
government-protected areas should be
pursued to conserve bio-diversity and ensure
a sustainable future for the fishing industry.
One example is the Biodiversity Beyond
National Jurisdiction Agreement in 2023 that
provides a legal framework for all activities in
the ocean and seas.
On a local level, we should make ocean-
friendly choices when buying products or
eating food derived from oceans and
consume only what we need. Reducing our
plastic use is critical.
To find out more about Goal #14 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
http://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
The ocean absorbs around 23 per cent of
annual CO2 emissions generated by human
activity and helps mitigate the impacts of
climate change. The ocean has also absorbed
more than 90% of the excess heat in the
climate system. Ocean heat is at record
levels, causing widespread marine heatwaves,
threatening its rich eco-systems and killing
coral reefs around the world.
Increasing levels of debris in the world’s
oceans are also having a major environmental
and economic impact. Every year, an
estimated 5 to 12 million metric tonnes of
plastic enters the ocean, costing roughly $13
billion per year – including clean-up costs and
financial losses in fisheries and other
industries. About 89% of plastic litter found
on the ocean floor are single-use items like
plastic bags.
About 80% of all tourism takes place in
coastal areas. The ocean-related tourism
industry grows an estimated US$ 134 billion
per year and in some countries, the industry
already supports over a third of the labour
force.
Unless carefully managed, tourism can pose a
major threat to the natural resources on
which it depends, and to local culture and
industry.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 14 - LIFE BELOW WATER?

39. Goal 15 is about conserving life on land. It is
to protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat
desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and stop biodiversity loss.
Earth’s ecosystems are vital for sustaining
human life, they contribute to over half of
global GDP and encompass diverse cultural,
spiritual, and economic values.
However, the world is facing a triple crisis of
climate change, pollution and biodiversity
loss.
Between 2015 and 2019, at least 100 million
hectares of healthy and productive land were
degraded every year, impacting the lives of
1.3 billion people.
Agricultural expansion is the direct driver of
almost 90 per cent of deforestation. This is in
direct relation to our food systems, and oil
palm harvesting accounted for 7 per cent of
global deforestation from 2000 to 2018.
Global and regional efforts to sustain forest
ecosystems as well as their social, economic
and environmental functions are essential, in
particular for developing countries and the
tropics.

We need to shift humanity’s relationship with
nature to achieve Goal 15, and realise that
1
WHAT IS GOAL 15 - LIFE ON LAND?
nature is the root of our life of earth. The
recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework provides renewed
impetus for Goal 15, outlining four outcome-
oriented goals to be achieved by 2050 and 23
targets to be achieved by 2030.
WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
Forests cover nearly 31 per cent of the world
and are home to more than 80 per cent of all
terrestrial species of animals, plants and
insects. However, biodiversity is declining
faster than at any other time in human history.
Globally, one fifth of the Earth’s land area are
degraded, an area nearly the size of India and
the Russian Federation combined. Land
degradation drive species to extinction and
intensifies climate change
.

40. emergence of zoonotic diseases – diseases
transmitted from wildlife to people – like
COVID-19.
Every year, some two million people, mostly in
low and middle-income countries, die from
neglected zoonotic diseases. The same
outbreaks can cause severe illness, deaths,
and productivity losses among livestock
populations in the developing world, a major
problem that keeps hundreds of millions of
small-scale farmers in severe poverty. In the
last two decades alone, zoonotic diseases
have caused economic losses of more than
$100 billion, not including the cost of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Some things we can do to help include
recycling, eating a locally-based diet that is
sustainably sourced, and consuming only
what we need.
We must be respectful toward wildlife and
only take part in ecotourism opportunities
that are responsibly and ethically run in order
to prevent wildlife disturbance. Well-managed
protected areas support healthy ecosystems,
which in turn keep people healthy. It is
therefor critical to secure the involvement of
the local communities in the development
and management of these protected areas.
To find out more about Goal #15 and the
other Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
Biodiversity and the ecosystem services it
underpins can also be the basis for climate
change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
strategies as they can deliver benefits that
will increase the resilience of people.
WHAT DOES LOSS OF FORESTS MEAN?
Lost forests mean the disappearance of
livelihoods in rural communities, increased
carbon emissions, diminished biodiversity
and the degradation of land. While forest loss
remains high, 2020 data show that the
proportion of forests in protected areas and
under long-term management plans
increased or remained stable at the global
level and in most regions of the world.
An irreversible effect of human activity on the
environment is species extinction, which
upsets the balance of nature and makes
ecosystems more fragile and less resistant to
disruptions. A recent UN report on biodiversity
found that around 1 million animal and plant
species are now threatened with
extinction, many within decades, more than
ever before in human history.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT OUR HEALTH?
Increased demand for animal protein, a rise in
intense and unsustainable farming, the
increased use and exploitation of wildlife, and
the climate crisis are all driving the increased
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 15 - LIFE ON LAND?

41. Goal 16 is about promoting peaceful and
inclusive societies, providing access to justice
for all and building effective, accountable and
inclusive institutions at all levels. People
everywhere should be free of fear from all
forms of violence and feel safe as they go
about their lives whatever their ethnicity, faith
or sexual orientation.

However, ongoing and new violent conflicts
around the world are derailing the global path
to peace and achievement of Goal 16.
Alarmingly, the year 2022 witnessed a more
than 50 per cent increase in conflict-related
civilian deaths – the first since the adoption
of Agenda 2030 – largely due to the war in
Ukraine.

High levels of armed violence and insecurity
have a destructive impact on a country’s
development, while sexual violence, crime,
exploitation and torture are prevalent where
there is conflict or no rule of law, and
countries must take measures to protect
those who are most at risk.
Governments, civil society and communities
need to work together to find lasting solutions
to conflict and insecurity. Strengthening the
rule of law and promoting human rights is key
to this process, as is reducing the flow of
WHAT IS GOAL 16 -
PEACE, JUSTICE, AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS?
illicit arms, combating corruption, and
ensuring inclusive participation at all times.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
High levels of armed violence and insecurity
have a destructive impact on a country’s
development. Sexual violence, crime,
exploitation and torture are prevalent where
there is conflict or no rule of law.
Governments, civil society and communities
need to work together to find lasting solutions
to conflict and insecurity. Strengthening the
rule of law and promoting human rights is key
to this process, as is reducing the flow of
illicit arms, combating corruption, and
ensuring inclusive participation at all times.
1

42. often resulting in long-standing grievances
among communities.
Violence also affects children’s health,
development and well-being, and their ability
to thrive. It causes trauma and weakens
social inclusion.
Lack of access to justice means that conflicts
remain unresolved and people cannot obtain
protection and redress. Institutions that
do not function according to legitimate laws
are prone to arbitrariness and abuse of power,
and less capable of delivering public service
to everyone.
To exclude and to discriminate not only
violates human rights, but also causes
resentment and animosity, and could give rise
to violence.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Exercise your rights to hold your elected
officials to account, to freedom of
information and share your opinion with your
elected representatives. Promote inclusion
and respect towards people of different
ethnic origins, religions, gender, sexual
orientations or different opinions.
To find out more about Goal #16 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO WHERE I LIVE?
Goal 16 aligns with the broader human rights
framework by promoting societies that
respect and uphold individual rights, as well
as the right to privacy, freedom of expression,
and access to information.
Peace is a fundamental precondition for
social and economic development. Without
peace, societies are often plagued by conflict,
violence, and instability, which can hinder
progress and result in the loss of lives and
resources.
Equal access to justice is essential for
protecting the rights of individuals, resolving
disputes, and ensuring that vulnerable
populations are not marginalized or
mistreated.
Crimes threatening peaceful societies,
including homicides, trafficking and other
organized crimes, as well as discriminatory
laws or practices, affect all countries.
WHAT IF WE DON’T TAKE ACTION?
Armed violence and insecurity have a
destructive impact on a country’s
development, affecting economic growth and
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 16 -
PEACE, JUSTICE, AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS?

43. While official development assistance (ODA)
flows continue to reach record peaks, the
increase in 2022 is primarily attributed to
spending on refugees in donor countries and
aid to Ukraine.
Goal 17 is about revitalizing the global
partnership for sustainable development. The
2030 Agenda is universal and calls for action
by all countries – developed and developing –
to ensure no one is left behind. It requires
partnerships between governments, the
private sector, and civil society.
The Sustainable Development Goals can only
be realized with a strong commitment to
global partnership and cooperation to ensure
no one is left behind in our journey to
development.
However, not all countries are setting off from
the same start line, and low and middle
income countries are facing a tidal wave of
debt which they are treading water.
Developing countries are grappling with an
unprecedented rise in external debt levels
following the COVID-19 pandemic,
compounded by challenges such as record
inflation, escalating interest rates, competing
priorities and constrained fiscal capacity,
underscoring the urgent need for debt relief
and financial assistance.
WHAT IS GOAL 17 - PARTNERSHIPS?
Department of Global Communications | August 2023
To be successful, everyone will need to
mobilize both existing and additional
resources, and developed countries will need
to fulfill their official development assistance
commitments.
WHY?
In light of the consequences of the COVID-19
pandemic, we have seen that strengthening
multilateralism and global partnerships are
more important than ever if we are to solve
the world’s problems.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO ME?
We are all in this together. The Agenda, with
its 17 goals, is universal and calls for action
by all countries, both developed countries and
developing countries, to ensure no one is left
behind.
1

44. HOW CAN WE ENSURE THE RESOURCES
NEEDED ARE EFFECTIVELY MOBILIZED?
This will be primarily the responsibility of
countries. Reviews of progress will need to be
undertaken regularly in each country,
involving civil society, business and
representatives of various interest groups. At
the regional level, countries will share
experiences and tackle common issues, while
on an annual basis, at the United Nations, the
High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable
Development (HLPF), they will take stock of
progress at the global level, identifying gaps
and emerging issues, and recommending
corrective action.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
Join/create a group in your local community
that seeks to mobilize action on the
implementation of the SDGs.
Encourage your governments to partner with
businesses for the implementation of the
SDGs.
To find out more about Goal #17 and other
Sustainable Development Goals, visit:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
HOW MUCH PROGRESS HAVE WE MADE?
Support for implementing the SDGs has been
steady but fragile, with major and persistent
challenges.
Financial resources remain scarce, trade
tensions have been increasing, and crucial
data are still lacking.
A growing share of the global population has
access to the Internet, and a Technology Bank
for Least Developed Countries has been
established, yet the digital divide persists.
AS PARTNERS, WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO
DO TO REACH THIS?
We will need to mobilize both existing and
additional resources— technology
development, financial resources, capacity
building— and developed countries will need
to fulfill their official development assistance
commitments.
Multistakeholder partnerships will be crucial
to leverage the inter-linkages between the
Sustainable Development Goals to enhance
their effectiveness and impact and accelerate
progress in achieving the Goals.
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Department of Global Communications | August 2023
WHAT IS GOAL 17 - PARTNERSHIPS?