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UN Sustainable Development Goals

Posted on January 24, 2018
Will Becker for GPA On September 15, 2015, 193 countries adopted the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved over the next 15 years. Each of these goals have specific targets and are broadly being carried out to address continuing global issues such as ending poverty, protecting the planet, and to ensure a greater quality of life throughout the world. 
 
These goals are oriented toward the principles of:
  •  People
    • Being determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment.
  • Planet
    • Being determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations. 
  • Prosperity
    • Being determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.
  • Peace
    • Being determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies, which are free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.
  • Partnership
    • Being determined to mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda through a revitalized Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people.

The Global Goals span the whole spectrum of issues the planet is facing, and where as humankind we can work toward solving them for a better future: They focus on the main themes of 1. No Poverty, 2. Zero Hunger, 3. Good Health and Well-Being, 4. Quality Education, 5. Gender Equality , 6. Clean Water and Sanitation, 7. Affordable and Clean Energy, 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth, 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, 10. Reduced Inequalities, 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities, 12. Responsible Consumption and Production, 13. Climate Action, 14. Life Below Water, 15. Life on Land, 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and 17. Partnerships for the Goals.

As you could probably guess, much of these ideals could be applied more specifically to Philadelphia, and in an even more localized level as well.  Philadelphia is still the most economically unequal major city in America. With an ever-changing environment of development currently going on, it would be an easy and extremely unfortunate oversight for all of this to occur without ensuring this development is egalitarian and ensures prosperity for all as well.

More information on the Sustainable Development Goals can be found here:

http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/