Realising the Sustainable Development Goals: How can we make the world more Sustainable?
Making the world more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable have been global agenda for many years. The history takes back in 2000 when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted; it was the first global anti-poverty movement. After fifteen years, a progress was made but the world realized to engage further effort to end extreme poverty, hunger, preserve the environment, promote, respect human right and end wars. As result of that, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the core element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015.
The 2030 Agenda
The 2030 Agenda is universal, transformative, and inclusive emphasizing that “no one will be left behind” with multi-stakeholder partnerships needed at all levels of society to achieve the global goals. Albeit, the SDGs has gained ground everywhere because it aimed at tackling the major pressing challenge of human life and environment and focusing suitability for the entire world. Almost all the world’s societies acknowledge the SDGs and how it frames for the combination of economic development, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. The SDGs are the plan of action for people, planet, and prosperity; the goals have 169 targets and over 230 indicators to trace and measure the scale of progress made. Moreover, the World Bank Group developed an Atlas for SDGs to figure out countries’ performances. Therefore, everyone should unlock their potentials to realize the 2030 agenda and making the planet more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable.
Making the world more Sustainable
People should direct and mobilize their energy and effort for productive aim since they are the greatest driving force for making the world more prosperous. Individuals, governments, the private sector, civil societies, academic community, need to do things differently; therefore, everyone must recognize fixing the global challenges needs collective efforts and responsibilities. The borderline between nations and communities are disappearing because people’s lives affect one another regardless of their country or continent.
As the Somali Prime-minister Hassan Ali Khaire remarked: “We cannot talk about a sustainable planet without demonstrating a commitment to make this world livable for ourselves and the future generation.” We have to learn, understand and advocate the global goals to lead and act on it. However, this will be the critical emphasis on localizing the global 2030 agenda.
Fortunately, the UN launched SDGs Young Leaders programme which is selected on biennial basis for a 17 young change-makers to Advocate and promote the Goals and engage larger audiences locally and globally. Furthermore, people can act on the global goals. If we want to make the world more sustainable, we need to figure out the answer to this critical question: How can we make the world more sustainable? The answer has its root in planting trees, donating blood, quitting the plastic usage, reducing wastes, respecting and promoting the human rights, welcoming the immigrants and others can be among the indispensable activity that everyone can do to make the world more sustainable. “Everyone, everywhere, can do something to make the world safer, sustainable and secure” Said by António Guterres, The Secretary-General of the United Nation.
In Addition, people can donate and volunteer for realizing the global goals. Philanthropists and volunteers can play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs; Philanthropists like Melinda and Bill Gates have been committed to improving the lives of many people under Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Therefore, their work uplifted millions of people from hunger, diseases, and poverty. On the other hand, volunteers have been contributing impact-oriented development through the spirit of volunteerism, and they are agents for change and the cause of peace and Development everywhere with free cost services. According to UN “Overall [volunteers] contributes across all goal areas. Volunteers deliver technical expertise, develop skills, build capacities, modeling attitudes and catalyzing behavioral changes and leading to increased social capital and strengthened social cohesion.” Cate Blanchett, Shah Rukh Khan, and Elton John, 2018 Crystal Awards winners, were honored at annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos for their indispensable volunteerism and Philanthropies in communities.
Moreover, building partnership for development is inevitable in all development processes. Localising, financing, implementing, and reporting the Global Goals needs strong partnership among all stakeholders in communities. The United Nations or the Governments cannot turn into reality the global goals without the private sector or the Civil Societies or others; therefore, partnerships provide crucial space and role for everyone to play and contribute to the planet more sustainable.
Conclusions, the Sustainable Development Goals are the core global policy framework for the planet to end the pressing problems. For the coming 13 years, we all need to act on the Global Goals and turn them into reality, because there is no alternative for our Planet. However, everyone on earth must play a role; we should advocate, volunteer, donate, act, or partner about the Goals. Therefore, governments, the private sector, civil societies and academic community, all of us we need to do things differently to make our planet more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable.