17 Sustainable
Goals
- No poverty
- Zero hunger
- good health and well being
- quality education
- gender equality
- clean water and sanitation
- a ordable and clean energy
- Decent work and economic growth
- Industry innovation and infrastructure
- Reduced inequalities
- sustainable cities and communities
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- life below water
- life on land
- peace justice and strong institutions
- partnership for the goals
1) No poverty - One of the most di cult problems that mankind must still attempt to solve
is getting rid of poverty in all of its manifestations. Even though the number of individuals
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living in severe poverty fell by more than half between the years 1990 and 2015, there are
still far too many who are unable to meet even the most fundamental of human
requirements.
Around 736 million people were still living on less than $2.00 (USD) per day as of the year
2015; many of them lacked access to food, clean drinking water, and sanitation. However,
while rapid economic expansion in nations like China and India has helped bring millions of
people out of poverty, progress has been inconsistent. Women are more likely to live in
poverty than males are because women hold lower-paying jobs, have lower levels of
education, and possess fewer assets.
Other areas, such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which together account for eighty
percent of the world's population living in severe poverty, have likewise seen very little
progress in recent years. It will need considerably more e ort to lift people out of poverty as
a result of new dangers brought on by things like climate change, war, and insu cient food
supplies.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a courageous commitment to complete
what we began, which is to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions by the year
2030. This includes focusing on those who are most at risk, working to expand access to
essential resources and services, and providing assistance to communities that have been
impacted by war and climate-related catastrophes.
2) Zero hunger - Because of strong economic expansion and higher agricultural output
during the last two decades, the number of individuals who are undernourished has
decreased by nearly half. This decline has taken place. Several emerging nations that were
before plagued by famine and hunger are now capable of satisfying their population's
dietary requirements. The levels of severe hunger have been signi cantly reduced in many
parts of the world, including Latin America, the Caribbean, and Central and East Asia.
Unhappily, severe hunger and malnutrition continue to be a signi cant obstacle to
development in many nations. As of 2017, it is estimated that there are 821 million people
who are su ering from chronic undernourishment. This is often a direct result of
environmental degradation, drought, and the loss of biodiversity. Over 90 million children
under ve are critically underweight. It would seem that severe malnutrition and food
insecurity are becoming more widespread over practically the whole continent of Africa, as
well as in South America.
It is the goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eradicate all kinds of hunger
and malnutrition by the year 2030. This will be accomplished by ensuring that all people,
particularly children, have access to enough and nutritious food throughout the whole year.
This includes advocating for sustainable agriculture, providing assistance to farmers
operating on a smaller scale, and ensuring that all farmers have equitable access to land,
technology, and markets. In addition to this, there is a need for international collaboration in
order to guarantee investments in agricultural infrastructure and technological
advancements.
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3) Good health and well being - We have achieved signi cant headway in the ght against
a number of the most prevalent diseases and causes of mortality. The average number of
years a person may expect to live has grown considerably; the mortality rates for infants and
mothers have fallen; we have turned the tide against HIV; and the number of fatalities
caused by malaria has been cut in half.
The intricacy and interconnectivity of issues pertaining to both health and sustainable
development are re ected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It takes into
consideration expanding economic and social inequality, growing urbanisation, risks to the
climate and the environment, the continued burden of HIV and other infectious illnesses, as
well as new issues like as noncommunicable diseases. To successfully achieve SDG 3,
which aims to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, universal health care would be an
essential component. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the emerging global health concerns
that calls for action. This priority is not expressly listed in the SDGs.
However, the world is not on course to accomplish the SDGs that are connected to health.
The rate of progress has been very variable, both across countries and within individual
nations. There is a disparity of 31 years between the nations that have the lowest life
expectancies and the countries that have the greatest life expectancies. And although some
nations have achieved remarkable advancements, national averages obscure the fact that
many others are falling more and further behind. It is essential to use a multidisciplinary,
rights-based, and gender-sensitive strategy in order to combat health disparities and foster
decent health conditions for everyone.
4) Quality education - During the year 2000, a signi cant amount of ground has been
covered in the direction of reaching the goal of universal primary education. In 2015, the
global enrolment rate for children living in developing areas reached 91 percent, while the
number of children who were not enrolled in any kind of education fell by approximately 50
percent. There has also been a signi cant rise in the number of people who can read and
write, and the percentage of young women who are now enrolled in schools is at a record
high. All of these accomplishments are quite outstanding.
The high levels of poverty, armed con icts, and other problems that exist in certain
emerging countries have made progress particularly di cult to achieve. The continuation of
armed con ict in Western Asia and North Africa has led to a rise in the number of children
who are not enrolled in school in those regions. This is a concerning pattern to see. Despite
the fact that primary school attendance in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased from 52
percent in the year 1990 to 78 percent in the year 2012, signi cant di erences still exist
across the di erent countries in this area. Children who come from homes with the lowest
incomes have up to four times the risk of not attending school compared to children who
come from homes with the highest incomes. Inequalities between rural and urban regions
are still at a very high level.
The conviction that education is one of the most powerful and proven instruments for
sustainable development may be rea rmed if an education that is inclusive and of high
quality is made available to everyone. This objective assures that all children, including girls
and boys, will have the opportunity to receive a free primary and secondary education by
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the year 2030. Additionally, it seeks to erase gender and economic inequality, give equitable
access to inexpensive vocational training, and attain universal access to excellent higher
education.
5) Gender equality - It is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for a
sustainable future that all forms of discrimination against women and girls be eliminated. It
has been shown that empowering women and girls contributes to the expansion and
prosperity of economies.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has made achieving gender equality a
priority in its work, and as a result, we have seen amazing progress over the last 20 years.
When compared to 15 years ago, there are now signi cantly more females participating in
educational opportunities, and gender parity in primary education has been achieved in the
majority of regions.
However, despite the fact that there are now more women in the workforce than at any other
time in history, there are still signi cant inequities in many locations, with women being
routinely denied the same job rights as men. There are still signi cant obstacles in the form
of discrimination in public o ce, sexual abuse and exploitation, unfair distribution of unpaid
care and domestic labour, and domestic work. The e ects of climate change and natural
catastrophes, together with the e ects of war and migration, continue to be
disproportionately felt by children and women.
It is essential to provide women with equal rights regarding access to land and property,
sexual and reproductive health care, technological advancements, and the internet. There
are now more women holding public o ce than at any other time in history; nonetheless,
empowering more women to take leadership roles will contribute to greater gender equality.
6) Clean water and sanitation - An frightening number that is expected to climb as
temperatures rise is the percentage of individuals who are a ected by water shortage, which
is now above forty percent. Even though there has been a signi cant improvement in water
cleanliness for 2.1 billion people since 1990, drinking water supplies are continuing to
decrease across all continents.
Water scarcity is becoming a problem in an ever-increasing number of nations, which is only
made worse by the fact that drought and deserti cation are on the rise. It is anticipated that
by the year 2050, at least one in every four individuals would experience consistent
shortages of water.
To ensure that everyone has access to potable water that is both safe and inexpensive by
the year 2030, we will need to make investments in appropriate infrastructure, o er
sanitation facilities, and promote cleanliness. It is of the utmost importance to preserve and
restore ecosystems that are connected to water.
Reaching out to the more than 800 million people who lack access to basic services and
working to improve the accessibility and safety of services for the more than two billion
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people who use them are both necessary steps toward achieving the goal of providing
universally safe and a ordable drinking water.
In 2015, 4.5 billion people did not have access to sanitation services that were securely
managed (that is, with su cient disposal or treatment of excreta), and 2.3 billion people did
not even have access to basic sanitation.
7) A ordable and clean energy - The percentage of individuals who have access to
electricity has climbed from 78 to 90 percent between the years 2000 and 2018, while the
number of people who do not have access to power has decreased to 789 million.
However, the need for low-cost energy will only increase as the world's population keeps
expanding, and an economy that is dependent on fossil fuels would inevitably hasten the
pace of climate change.
If we want to meet SDG 7 by the year 2030, it is imperative that we make investments in
renewable energy sources including solar, wind, and thermal power; increase energy
production; and guarantee access to electricity for everyone.
Both economic expansion and environmental improvement will bene t from the
modernisation of infrastructure and technology in all nations, with the goals of producing
energy that is both cleaner and more e cient.
8) Decent work and economic growth - Despite the long-lasting e ects of the economic
crisis that occurred in 2008 and the worldwide recession, the number of working people
who are living in severe poverty has signi cantly decreased during the previous 25 years.
Between 1991 and 2015, the number of people belonging to the middle class in emerging
nations approximately quadrupled, and as a result, the middle class now accounts for more
than 34 percent of all employment.
However, while the global economy continues to improve, we are witnessing slower growth,
expanding inequities, and not enough employment to keep up with a rising labour force.
This is despite the fact that the global economy is continuing to recover. In 2015, the
International Labor Organization estimated that there were more than 204 million individuals
without jobs worldwide.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to encourage long-term economic growth,
increased levels of productivity, and innovative technology development. The promotion of
entrepreneurship and the creation of new jobs is essential to achieving this goal, as are the
implementation of e ective measures to eliminate forced labour, slavery, and human
tra cking. With these benchmarks in mind, the target date for accomplishing the aim of
achieving full and productive employment as well as decent work for all women and men is
the year 2030.
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9) Industry innovation and infrastructure - The growth and development of the economy
are directly tied to the level of investment in innovation and physical infrastructure. Because
more than half of the world's population now resides in urban areas, the development of
new industries and information and communication technologies, as well as the expansion
of public transportation and alternative forms of energy, are all becoming more vital.
The development of new technologies is essential to the search for long-term answers to
pressing problems in both the economy and the environment, including the creation of new
employment and the improvement of energy e ciency. Important steps toward achieving
sustainable development include encouraging environmentally responsible business
practises and investing in scienti c research and technological innovation.
There are still more than 4 billion individuals on the planet who do not have access to the
internet; the majority of these people live in developing countries. It is essential to bridge
this digital gap in order to guarantee that everyone has equal access to information and
knowledge and to encourage innovation and entrepreneurialism.
10) Reduced inequalities - The wealthiest 10 percent of the population now control up to
40 percent of the world's revenue, but the lowest 10 percent of the population only earn
between 2 and 7 percent. Income inequality is on the increase. If we take into consideration
the unequal distribution of population growth in emerging nations, we nd that inequality
has grown by 11 percent.
Inequality in terms of nancial wealth has worsened almost everywhere over the last several
decades, although at varying rates. The number is at its lowest point in Europe and at its
greatest point in the Middle East.
These growing inequalities call for e ective policies that will empower those with lower
incomes and encourage the economic participation of all people, irrespective of their
gender, colour, or ethnicity.
It is imperative that global solutions be found for income disparity. This entails enhancing
the regulation and supervision of nancial markets and institutions, as well as promoting
development aid and direct foreign investment in areas with the highest need. In addition,
one of the most important things that can be done to bridge the growing gap is to make the
movement and mobility of people safer.
11) sustainable cities and communities - More than half of us make our homes in urban
areas. Two-thirds of the world's population, or 6.5 billion people, will live in cities by the year
2050. It is impossible to achieve sustainable development without rst undergoing a
fundamental shift in the manner that we construct and administer our metropolitan areas.
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The rapid growth of cities as a result of rising populations and increasing migration has led
to a boom in mega-cities, particularly in the developing world, and slums are becoming a
more signi cant feature of urban life. This boom in mega-cities has also led to an increase in
the number of people living in extreme poverty.
Creating sustainable cities requires the development of robust communities and economies,
as well as job and business possibilities, housing that is secure and a ordable, and housing
options for people of varying income levels. It requires investments in public transportation,
the creation of green public spaces, and improvements in urban planning and administration
that are carried out in ways that are participatory and inclusive.
12) Responsible consumption and production - Altering the ways in which we create and
use things and resources is necessary if we are to achieve both economic growth and
sustainable development. This reduction in our ecological footprint must take place as
quickly as possible. Agriculture is the industry that uses the most water on a global scale,
and irrigation now consumes close to 70 percent of the world's available freshwater for
human use.
Important goals on the path to achieving this objective include the e ective management of
our collective natural resources as well as the manner in which we dispose of hazardous
waste and pollutants. Equally as vital as assisting developing nations in transitioning toward
more sustainable patterns of consumption by the year 2030 is the promotion of recycling
and trash reduction among industries, enterprises, and individual consumers.
The consumption levels of a signi cant portion of the world's population are still insu cient
to satisfy even their most fundamental need. It is also vital, for the sake of building more
e cient manufacturing and supply chains, to cut in half, on a per capita basis, the amount
of food that is wasted globally at the retailer and consumer levels. This has the potential to
improve our food security and move us in the direction of an economy that is more resource
e cient.
13) Climate action - There is not a single nation on this planet that is immune to the
devastating repercussions of climate change. Emissions of greenhouse gases are more than
fty percent greater than they were in 1990. If we do nothing to stop it, global warming will
cause changes to our climate system that will continue for a long time and threaten to have
implications that cannot be undone.
The average yearly economic damages caused by climate-related catastrophes are
estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars range. This does not even take into
account the human toll taken by natural catastrophes, which are 91 percent attributable to
climate change and which, between the years 1998 and 2017, were responsible for the
deaths of 1.3 million people and wounded 4.4 billion others. To address the requirements of
poor nations to adapt to climate change and engage in low-carbon development, the
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objective intends to mobilise US$100 billion yearly by the year 2020. This will be
accomplished by meeting the target.
A direct contribution will be made not just to Goal 13 but also to the other Sustainable
Development Goals if vulnerable areas are helped. These steps, in addition to attempts to
incorporate catastrophe risk reduction methods, sustainable natural resource management,
and human security into national development policies, are required to go hand in hand with
one another. It is still possible, with strong political will, increased investment, and the use of
existing technology, to limit the increase in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels, with the goal of aiming for 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, this will
require collective action that is both urgent and ambitious.
14) Life below water - The oceans of the globe are the primary drivers of global systems
that make the planet liveable for people. This includes the oceans' temperature, chemistry,
currents, and life. The manner in which we administer this critical resource is crucial for the
survival of humankind as a whole and for mitigating the impacts of climate change.
More than three billion people make their living o of the biodiversity found in marine and
coastal environments. However, as of right now, thirty percent of the world's sh stocks
have been over shed to the point that they have fallen below the threshold at which they are
able to provide yields that are sustainable.
Oceans also absorb around 30 percent of the carbon dioxide that is created by people, and
since the beginning of the industrial revolution, we have seen a 26 percent spike in the
amount of acidity that occurs in the oceans. There are an average of 13,000 pieces of
plastic trash that can be discovered on every square kilometre of water, indicating that the
levels of marine pollution are approaching dangerous proportions. The vast majority of
marine pollution is caused by sources that are located on land.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seek to manage marine and coastal
ecosystems in a sustainable manner while also protecting them from pollution and
addressing the e ects of ocean acidi cation. It will also be helpful in mitigating some of the
problems that are a ecting our seas if international legislation is used to strengthen
conservation e orts and promote the sustainable use of ocean-based resources.
15) Life on land - Both the land and the ocean are necessary for human existence, both for
our survival and for our ability to make a living. Eighty percent of the food we eat comes
from plant life, and agriculture is one of the most signi cant resources our economy relies
on. Forests take up thirty percent of the surface area of the planet, serve as key homes for
millions of di erent species, and are signi cant sources of clean air and water. They are also
an essential component in the ght against climate change.
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The continual deterioration of drylands has led to the deserti cation of 3.6 billion hectares,
which disproportionately a ects low-income populations. Every year, 13 million hectares of
forest are cut down.
Even if 15% of land is protected, there is still a threat to the planet's biodiversity. Illegal
trading has resulted in the loss of about 7,000 di erent animal and plant species. Not only
does the illegal trade in wildlife lead to a loss of biodiversity, but it also leads to an increase
in instability, promotes con ict, and feeds corruption.
Urgent action is required in order to stop the destruction of natural habitats and the loss of
biodiversity, both of which are a part of our shared heritage and contribute to the safety of
the world's food supply and water supply, as well as to the prevention and adaptation of
climate change and the maintenance of peace and security.
16) peace justice and strong institutions - We cannot hope for sustainable development
without peace, stability, human rights and e ective governance, based on the rule of law.
Yet our world is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy peace, security and prosperity,
while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of con ict and violence. This is not inevitable
and must be addressed.
Armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development,
a ecting economic growth, and often resulting in grievances that last for generations.
Sexual violence, crime, exploitation and torture are also prevalent where there is con ict, or
no rule of law, and countries must take measures to protect those who are most at risk
The SDGs aim to signi cantly reduce all forms of violence, and work with governments and
communities to end con ict and insecurity. Promoting the rule of law and human rights are
key to this process, as is reducing the ow of illicit arms and strengthening the participation
of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.
17) Partnership for the goals - The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be
achieved without robust global partnerships and collaboration. At 147 billion dollars in US
dollars in 2017, o cial development assistance remained stable but fell short of its goal.
Humanitarian crises, which may be caused by either armed con ict or natural catastrophes,
continue to call for more nancial resources and relief. In addition, many nations are
dependent on o cial development assistance in order to stimulate economic growth and
commerce.
The global community is more interdependent than it has ever been. Expanding people's
access to information and technology is one of the most e ective ways to promote idea
exchange and creativity. It is essential for long-term growth and development that policies
be coordinated in order to assist emerging nations in e ectively managing their debt, as well
as to encourage investment in the least developed countries.
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By providing assistance to national plans aimed at achieving all of the aims, the goals want
to improve collaboration between North and South as well as South and South. In order to
have a worldwide rules-based and equitable trading system that is fair and open and
bene ts all parties involved, it is necessary to encourage international commerce and
provide assistance to poorer nations in order to expand their exports.
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