On 25 September 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Last Thursday, Sligo PPN brought these SDGs to the North West for the first time
What are the SDGS
In September 2015, Transforming Our World, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all 193 Members States of the United Nations (UN). The 2030 Agenda aims to deliver a more sustainable, prosperous and peaceful future for the entire world, and sets out a framework for how to achieve this by 2030.
The centre piece of the 2030 Agenda is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs, reflect economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The SDGs are the global community’s response to the urgent economic, social and environmental problems facing the world today, from climate change to global poverty and inequality. They set out a bold vision for a safer, fairer, and more prosperous and sustainable world by 2030.
The SDGs represent the most ambitious agreement the UN has ever reached. The Goals are unique, because they apply equally to every country, and are based on the idea that ending poverty, protecting the environment and strengthening human rights are mutually beneficial and reliant on each other for success, and cannot be achieved separately.
This will be a huge challenge, and governments around the world will need to work together with civil society and the private sector to make it happen.
What Do We Mean by Sustainable Development
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is about making sure that everyone in society enjoys a decent quality of life today, while also making sure that we can pass on that same opportunity to the next generation, and on into the future. Sustainable development relates to our economy, our society and our environment. A sustainable society is one where economic prosperity provides a good standard of living for everyone, without exhausting our natural resources or damaging the natural environment, and where no one is excluded based on, for example, gender, age, disability or religion.
In implementing the SDGs, Ireland will be guided by two key principles:
- That every person is entitled to a life of dignity in which they can fulfil their full potential; and
- That the economic, social and environmental requirements of such a life are fundamentally linked and interdependent on each other.
The SDGs in Sligo
On Thursday 7th March, Sligo PPN hosted a community event, facilitated by Irish Environmental Networks and Development Perspectives. This workshop was aimed at raising awareness of the SDGs in Sligo, exploring how community groups and organisations could embed them in their work and also highlighting their future importance when groups are looking for funding or support at both local and national government level.
Part of the workshop also reviewed some of the key challenges that community groups see Sligo facing over the next decade, and how these align to the SDGs. Some of the key areas of concern include:
- A lack of community facilities, and no physical or financial supports for communities to come together to initiate change Poor transport and pedestrian infrastructure
- Total absence of support for renewable energy
- Poor drinking water quality
- Increased littering especially on roadsides and waterways
- Lack of support for communities and the unforeseen toll this will have on isolation and mental health
- Short sighted prioritisation of economic growth above everything else
“The environment needs to be given equal footing with tourism and economic development, otherwise soon there will be nothing for Sligo to sell itself on.”
- Stronger voices needed in the North West to fight for our fair share of national services and infrastructure.
Sligo PPN is officially taking a position to Support the Sustainable Development Goals. If you want to find out more or receive a communications pack so your group or organisation can also officially show support then go to; https://www.sligoppn.com or email ppn@sligococo.ie / Tel : 071 91 14430
“The first step in bringing these goals into the public (and political) consciousness is to simply make them visible – so please do use them wherever you see fit to highlight your support for the SDGs!” Caitriona Rogerson, Irish Environmental Networks
Click Here to access your Communications Pack for showing your support and raising the visibility of the Sustainable Development Goals
Click Here to read the National Implementation Plan for the SDGs