What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
How did they come about?
In 2015, the United Nations created the 2030 Agenda, a shared plan for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. At the heart of this plan, are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which represent an urgent call to action by all countries, in a global partnership. They recognize that eradicating poverty and other deprivations must go hand in hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and stimulate economic growth, all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
These goals were developed year by year until they were finally formed. The first step was taken in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, the so-called Rio 92, where more than 170 countries signed Agenda 21, a comprehensive action plan to foster global partnerships in pursuit of sustainable development in order to improve human living conditions and preserve the environment.
In 2000, the 8 Millennium Development Goals were presented, which aimed to:
End hunger and poverty;
Quality basic education for all;
Gender equality and empowerment of women;
Reduce infant mortality;
Improve the health of pregnant women;
Fight AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;
Quality of life and respect for the environment;
Everyone working for development.
Two years later, in Johannesburg, 2002, at the so-called Rio +10, sustainable development and Agenda 21 were discussed, with 189 countries present, and an action plan was adopted against poverty and misery, consumption, management of natural resources, globalization, human rights, contribution to the private sector and the environment, etc.
Ten years later, in Rio de Janeiro, the so-called Rio +20 took place, its main objective being the renewal of political commitments to sustainable development, discussions such as the green economy, and the eradication of poverty. As a result, the members of the organization presented the document “The Future We Want”. This document included a process for developing the Sustainable Development Goals, written on top of the Millennium Development Goals. However, the document was also known for its lack of clarity and objectivity, failing to establish concrete goals.
It was only in 2015, in New York, that the document “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” was drawn up – a guide for global actions over the next 15 years, replacing Agenda 21. The 17 SDGs were formed
What are they?
Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
1.1 By 2030, completely eliminate extreme poverty in all regions of the world, currently measured as the condition of people living on less than US$1.90 a day.
1.2 By 2030, reduce by at least half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty, addressing all its dimensions as defined by national guidelines.
1.3 Implement, at the national level, adequate social protection measures and systems for all, including minimum levels, with the aim of achieving substantial coverage of the poor and vulnerable by 2030.
1.4 By 2030, ensure that all, men and women, especially the poor and vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as to basic services, ownership and control of land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technologies, and financial services.
1.5 By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and vulnerable and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events, as well as other economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters.
1. a) Ensure significant mobilization of resources from diverse sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, especially least developed countries, to implement programs and policies to end poverty in all its forms.
1. b) Establish sound policies at the national, regional, and international levels, based on gender-responsive and pro-poor development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication initiatives.
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
2.1 By 2030, eliminate hunger and ensure that all people, especially those living in poverty and situations of vulnerability, including children, have access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food throughout the year.
2.2 By 2030, eradicate all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on chronic and acute wasting in children under five, and meeting the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons.
2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of smallholder food producers, especially women, Indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers, including secure and equitable access to land, productive resources, knowledge, financial services, markets, and non-agricultural employment opportunities.
2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and adopt resilient agricultural practices that promote productivity and ecosystem preservation, strengthen adaptive capacity to climate change and extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, and progressively improve land and soil quality.
2.5 By 2020, preserve the genetic diversity of seeds, crops, farmed and domesticated animals, and their respective wild species, through well-managed seed and plant banks at the national, regional, and international levels, and ensure fair and equitable access to the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.
2. a) Increase investments, including through strengthening international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development, and plant and animal gene banks, to boost agricultural production capacity in developing countries, especially least developed countries.
2. b) Eliminate and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in global agricultural markets, including by progressively eliminating export subsidies and other trade-distorting measures.
2. c) Implement measures to ensure the effective functioning of food commodity markets and facilitate access to market information, including data on food stocks, to help reduce excessive food price volatility.
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
3.1 By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
3.2 By 2030, eliminate preventable deaths of newborns and children under age 5, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1,000 live births and child mortality to at least 25 per 1,000 live births.
3.3 By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases, and combat hepatitis, waterborne diseases, and other infectious diseases.
3.4 By 2030, reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one-third through preventive measures and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including drug and alcohol misuse.
3.6 By 2020, halve the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes.
3.7 By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including family planning, education, and information, and integrate reproductive health into national policies and programs.
3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services, and access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines and vaccines for all.
3.9 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and illnesses related to hazardous chemicals, air and water pollution, and contamination.
3. a) Strengthen implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate.
3. b) Support research and development of vaccines and medicines for communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, and provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines.
3. c) Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training, and retention of health workers in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States.
3.d Strengthen the capacity of all countries, especially developing countries, for early warning, reduction, and management of national and global health risks.
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1 By 2030, ensure that all children complete primary and secondary education in a free, equitable, and quality manner, resulting in effective and relevant learning.
4.2 By 2030, ensure that all children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education, preparing them for primary education.
4.3 By 2030, promote equal access for men and women to affordable quality technical, vocational, and higher education, including university education.
4.4 By 2030, significantly increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.
4.5 By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations.
4.6 By 2030, ensure that all youth and a significant proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including education for sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and the appreciation of cultural diversity.
4. a) Develop and improve child-friendly, gender- and disability-sensitive physical educational facilities, providing safe, inclusive, and effective learning environments for all.
4. b) By 2020, substantially increase the number of global scholarships for developing countries, especially least developed countries, small island developing States, and African countries, covering higher education, vocational training programs, information technology, engineering, and sciences in both developed and developing countries.
4. c) By 2030, significantly increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States.
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1 Eradicate all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere in the world.
5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, both in public and private settings, including trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as other forms of violence.
5.3 Abolish harmful practices, such as early, forced, and child marriage, as well as female genital mutilation.
5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work, through the provision of public services, infrastructure, and social protection policies, and promote shared responsibility within households and families, considering the particularities of each country.
5.5 Ensure women’s full and equal participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in the political, economic, and public spheres.
5.6 Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, as agreed in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action, and subsequent documents of their review conferences.
5. a) Implement reforms to ensure women’s equal rights to economic resources, access to ownership and control over land, natural resources, financial services, inheritance, and other forms of property, in accordance with national laws.
5. b) Promote the increased use of key technologies, especially information and communication technologies, to strengthen women’s empowerment.
5. c) Adopt and strengthen sound policies and legislation to promote gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
6.1 Achieve universal and equitable availability of safe and secure drinking water for all by 2030.
6.2 By 2030, ensure equitable access to adequate sanitation and hygiene for all, eliminating the practice of open defecation, and paying particular attention to the needs of women, girls, and vulnerable groups.
6.3 By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating inappropriate disposal, minimizing releases of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and significantly increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency in all sectors, ensure sustainable exploitation and provision of freshwater to address scarcity, and substantially reduce the number of people affected by water stress.
6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels.
6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, such as mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, and lakes.
6. a) By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water and sanitation-related activities and programs, including water harvesting, desalination, water-use efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling, and reuse technologies.
6. b) Support and strengthen the participation of local communities to improve water and sanitation management.
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy fo
7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to reliable, modern, and affordable energy services for all.
7.2 By 2030, significantly increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
7.3 By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
7. a) By 2030, strengthen international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technologies, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and more advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technologies, and promote investment in clean energy infrastructure and technologies.
7. b) By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology to provide modern and sustainable energy services for all, especially in developing countries, such as least-developed countries, small island developing States, and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their respective support programs.
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
8.1 Maintain per capita economic growth in line with national conditions, specifically targeting annual growth of at least 7% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the least developed countries.
8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological modernization, and innovation, with a special focus on high-value-added and labor-intensive sectors.
8.3 Implement development policies that promote productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, including access to financial services.
8.4 Progressively improve global efficiency in resource consumption and production by 2030, and work to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, following the Ten-Year Framework for Sustainable Consumption and Production Programmes, led by developed countries.
8.5 Achieve, by 2030, full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women, men, young people, and persons with disabilities, ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.
8.6 By 2020, significantly reduce the proportion of young people not in employment, education, or training.
8.7 Take immediate and effective measures to eliminate forced labor, modern slavery, and trafficking in persons, as well as prohibit and eradicate the worst forms of child labor, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and end child labor in all its forms by 2025.
8.8 Protect labor rights and promote safe working environments for all workers, including migrants, especially migrant women, and those in precarious employment.
8.9 Develop and implement policies by 2030 to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
8.10 Strengthen the capacity of national financial institutions to expand access to banking, insurance, and financial services for all.
8. a) Increase Aid for Trade support to developing countries, especially least developed countries, through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to developed countries.
8. b) Develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment by 2020 and implement the International Labour Organization (ILO) Global Jobs Pact.
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation
9.1 Build high-quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure, to promote economic development and human well-being, with an emphasis on ensuring equitable and affordable access for all.
9.2 Foster inclusive and sustainable industrialization, aiming to substantially increase the contribution of industry to employment and gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, adapting to national conditions, and doubling its share in least developed countries.
9.3 Facilitate access by small industries and other enterprises, particularly in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and integrate them into value chains and markets.
9.4 By 2030, modernize and rehabilitate industries to make them sustainable, increasing resource efficiency and adopting clean and environmentally friendly technologies and industrial processes, with all countries acting in accordance with their individual capabilities.
9.5 Strengthen scientific research and improve the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, especially developing countries, by encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development professionals per million population, as well as public and private investment in research and development.
9. a) Support the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure in developing countries through increased financial, technological, and technical assistance, especially to African, least developed, landlocked, and small island developing States.
9. b) Support indigenous technological development, research, and innovation in developing countries, ensuring an enabling policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities.
9. c) Significantly increase access to information and communication technologies and work towards providing universal and affordable access to the Internet in least-developed countries by 2020.
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
10.1 By 2030, gradually achieve and sustain income growth of the poorest 40 percent of the population at a rate above the national average.
10.2 By 2030, promote the empowerment and social, economic, and political inclusion of all people, regardless of age, gender, ability, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious belief, financial status or other factors.
10.3 Ensure equal opportunities and reduce disparities in outcomes, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and promote appropriate legislation, policies, and actions to this end.
10.4 Implement policies, especially tax, wage, and social security policies, that progressively seek greater equity.
10.5 Strengthen regulation and supervision of global financial markets and institutions, and strengthen enforcement of such regulations.
10.6 Ensure a more meaningful representation and voice of developing countries in decision-making in global economic and financial institutions, aiming for more efficient, credible, accountable, and legitimate institutions.
10.7 Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.
10. a) Apply the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, especially the least developed countries, as agreed by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
10. b) Promote official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States in greatest need, especially the least developed, African, small island developing States and landlocked countries, in accordance with their national plans and programs.
10. c) By 2030, reduce transaction costs of migrant remittances to less than 3% and eliminate remittance corridors with costs exceeding 5%.
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable
11.1 By 2030, ensure that all have access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing, together with basic services, and work to urbanize informal settlement areas.
11.2 By 2030, ensure access to safe, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, with a focus on expanding public transport to improve road safety, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, persons with disabilities, and older persons.
11.3 By 2030, promote inclusive and sustainable urbanization, empowering communities to plan and manage integrated and sustainable human settlements in all countries.
11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and preserve global cultural and natural heritage.
11.5 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and people affected by natural disasters, as well as direct economic losses in relation to global GDP, with an emphasis on protecting the poor and vulnerable.
11.6 By 2030, reduce the negative environmental impact per person in cities, focusing on air quality, municipal waste management, and other environmental areas.
11.7 By 2030, ensure universal access to safe, inclusive, accessible, and green public spaces, especially for women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
11. a) Promote positive economic, social, and environmental linkages between urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, strengthening national and regional development planning.
11. b) By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements that adopt and implement integrated policies and plans for inclusion, resource efficiency, climate change mitigation, and adaptation, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
11.c Support least-developed countries with technical and financial assistance for sustainable and resilient construction, using local materials.
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
12.1 Implement the Ten-Year Framework for Sustainable Consumption and Production, with all countries implementing actions and developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the capacities and stages of development of developing countries.
12.2 By 2030, achieve efficient and sustainable management of natural resources.
12.3 By 2030, halve per capita food waste globally in the retail and consumer sectors and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
12.4 By 2020, manage chemicals and wastes environmentally soundly throughout their life cycle in accordance with agreed international standards and significantly reduce their release into air, water, and soil to mitigate their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse measures.
12.6 Encourage companies, especially large transnational corporations, to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information into their reporting.
12.7 Promote sustainable public procurement practices aligned with national policies and priorities.
12.8 By 2030, ensure that people worldwide have access to relevant information and awareness on sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
12. a) Support developing countries in strengthening their scientific and technological capacities to adopt more sustainable consumption and production patterns.
12. b) Develop and implement tools to monitor the impacts of sustainable development on sustainable tourism, which promotes local jobs, culture, and products.
12. c) Phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage overconsumption, through tax reforms and phasing out, taking into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing adverse impacts on their development, while protecting the most vulnerable.
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptation to climate-related risks and natural disasters on a global scale.
13.2 Integrate climate change-related actions into the policies, strategies, and planning of all countries.
13.3 Enhance education, awareness, and human and institutional capacities on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning systems.
13. a) Fulfill the commitments made by developed countries, parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to jointly mobilize US$100 billion annually from 2020 onwards from various sources to meet the demands of developing countries, ensuring meaningful mitigation actions and transparency in implementation; and fully enable the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible.
13. b) Promote mechanisms to develop capacities for effective climate change planning and management in least-developed countries, with special attention to women, youth, local communities, and marginalized groups.
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development
14.1 By 2025, prevent and substantially reduce pollution of the oceans from various sources, especially from land-based activities, such as marine debris and nutrient pollution.
14.2 By 2020, adopt sustainable management practices and preserve marine and coastal ecosystems in a manner that avoids significant adverse impacts, including strengthening their resilience and implementing measures for their restoration, thus ensuring the health and productivity of the oceans.
14.3 Reduce and address the effects of ocean acidification by promoting scientific cooperation at all levels.
14.4 By 2020, effectively regulate fisheries and end overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and implement evidence-based management plans to restore fish stocks, aiming to achieve sustainable levels of exploitation.
14.5 By 2020, protect at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, in accordance with national and international laws, using the best available scientific information.
14.6 By 2020, prohibit certain types of fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and avoid the introduction of new such subsidies, recognizing the need for differential and appropriate treatment of developing and least developed countries in the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiations.
14.7 By 2030, increase economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries through sustainable management of marine resources, including fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism.
14. a) Promote scientific knowledge, develop research capacities, and transfer marine technology to improve ocean health and enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, especially small island developing States and least developed countries.
14. b) Ensure access to marine resources and markets for small-scale artisanal fishers.
14. c) Ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources through the implementation of international law as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources, as set out in “The Future We Want”.
Goal 15. Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
15.1 By 2020, ensure the preservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with commitments set out in international agreements.
15.2 By 2020, promote the adoption of sustainable management practices in all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase reforestation areas worldwide.
15.3 By 2030, combat desertification, and restore degraded lands and soils, including areas affected by desertification, droughts, and floods, to achieve a global balance in terms of land degradation.
15.4 By 2030, ensure the preservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biological diversity, to enhance their capacity to provide benefits essential for sustainable development.
15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt biodiversity loss, and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
15.6 Ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote adequate access to these resources.
15.7 Implement urgent measures to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna, addressing both the demand for and supply of illegal wildlife products.
15.8 By 2020, take measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, by controlling or eradicating priority species.
15.9 Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies, and accounting systems.
15. a) Mobilize and substantially increase financial resources from all sources for the preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.
15. b) Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to promote sustainable forest management, including conservation and reforestation.
15. c) Strengthen global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking in protected species, including by strengthening the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels
16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related deaths in all settings.
16.2 Eradicate abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, ensuring equal access to justice for all individuals.
16.4 By 2030, substantially reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen processes for the recovery and repatriation of misappropriated funds, and combat all forms of organized crime.
16.5 Significantly reduce the incidence of corruption and bribery at all levels.
16.6 Establish efficient, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.
16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making processes at all levels.
16.8 Promote the expansion and strengthening of developing country participation in global governance organizations.
16.9 By 2030, ensure that everyone has access to a legal identity, including birth registration.
16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national laws and international treaties.
16. a) Strengthen relevant national institutions, through international cooperation, for capacity-building at all levels, especially in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
16. b) Promote and implement non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
17.1 Enhance domestic resource generation, including through international support to developing countries, to strengthen national capacity to raise taxes and other revenues.
17.2 Developed countries should fully implement their official development assistance (ODA) commitments, including by providing 0.7 percent of gross national income (GNI) in ODA to developing countries, of which 0.15 to 0.20 percent to least developed countries; ODA donors are encouraged to consider setting a target of providing at least 0.20 percent of gross national income in ODA to least developed countries.
17.3 Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from a variety of sources.
17.4 Assist developing countries in achieving long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at promoting debt financing, debt relief, and restructuring, as appropriate, and addressing the external debt of highly indebted countries to reduce debt distress.
17.5 Adopt and implement investment promotion schemes for least developed countries.
Technology
17.6 Enhance international and regional North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation and access to science, technology, and innovation, and increase knowledge-sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination between existing mechanisms, particularly within the United Nations, and a global technology facilitation mechanism.
17.7 Promote the development, transfer, dissemination, and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favorable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed.
17.8 Fully operationalize the Technology Bank and the capacity-building mechanism in science, technology, and innovation for least developed countries by 2017 and increase the use of enabling technologies, especially information and communication technologies.
Capacity-building
17.9 Strengthen international support for the effective and targeted implementation of capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation.
Trade
17.10 Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory, and equitable multilateral trading system within the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda.
17.11 Significantly increase developing country exports, to double the share of least developed countries in global exports by 2020.
17.12 Achieve timely implementation of durable duty-free and quota-free market access for all least developed countries, in accordance with WTO decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access.
Systemic issues
Policy and institutional coherence
17.13 Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and coherence.
17.14 Strengthen policy coherence for sustainable development.
17.15 Respect the political autonomy and leadership of each country to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development.
Multi-stakeholder partnerships
17.16 Strengthen the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, especially developing countries.
17.17 Encourage and promote effective public-public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience of resource mobilization strategies from these partnerships.
Data, monitoring, and accountability
17.18 By 2020, enhance capacity-building support for developing countries, including least developed countries and small island developing States, to significantly increase the availability of high-quality, timely, and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migration status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant to national contexts.
17.19 By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measures of progress towards sustainable development that complement gross domestic product (GDP) and support sustainable development capacity building
It has become clear that the SDGs are not only a concern for governments. Everybody who lives on Planet Earth is responsible for creating a peaceful, equal, healthy, and just environment for all, from individuals to civil society organizations.
And of course, we couldn’t exclude the companies from this equation. Many companies are increasingly adopting them in their strategies, precisely because consumers are increasingly engaged in socio-environmental issues and demand products and services that have this theme rooted in the company’s DNA, but also because they started to understand that they have a role of contributing to the regeneration of our planet and that there is no business without resources, and there are no resources with a dead planet.
Because of these factors, companies that choose not to adhere to the Global Sustainability Agenda end up losing audiences and investors, becoming obsolete, as they do not keep up with the essential transformations that the world is going through. And you wouldn’t want to be one of them, am I right?