Gwen White, Author at Sustainability Within Reach

SDGs, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals

SDG Recap of all the SDGs

April 16, 2018 Gwen White

This post, SDG Recap, is a summary of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are in my previous posts on the SDGs.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — SDG Recap of all the goals is part of SWR’s support for the SDGs.

The Sustainable Development Goals contain 17 goals and 169 targets. At this point, an SDG Recap seems in order. There is a great deal to remember and consider as individuals, companies, NGOs, and governments ponder how they fit together. It is important to remember that they affect individuals that make up societies. It is easier to remember these goals if you think of how an individual can be affected.

This story is about Roberta who is concerned about being in Poverty. If she lives in poverty, then she will likely experience Hunger. Longterm periods of hunger will have an adverse effect on her Good Health and Well-being. Roberta needs her good health to pursue Quality Education. But without Gender Equality in work and education, she might remain in poverty where Clean Water and Sanitation are limited. If Roberta has access to education, she needs Affordable and Renewable Energy to be able to cook her food and complete her school work.

Once she has completed her education, she will have more opportunities to obtain Decent Work and contribute to Economic Growth. With equal access to quality education, Roberta could become an engineer who works in Industry, contributes to Innovation, and builds Infrastructure. As part of a diverse workforce, she can participate in a society that has Reduced Inequalities.

Roberta will want to live in Sustainable Cities and Communities that reinforce a high quality of life where people engage in Responsible Consumption and Production. Sustainable cities take Climate Action seriously by protecting Life Below Water and Life on Land. Roberta’s personal goals to have a good life are supported in places, institutions and companies that promote Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and where Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals are plentiful.

The Sustainable Development Goals provide governments, NGOs, companies, and individuals with the opportunity to work toward a better world for all. In my previous posts, I gave numerous examples of how companies are already supporting the SDGs. They have found many opportunities to do good things for the world and prosper at the same time.

SWR is powered by the sun!

SDGs, Sustainability, Sustainability Reporting, Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

April 2, 2018 Gwen White

SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals is part of my series on the SDGs.

Finance

Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries

Technology

Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology

Capacity building

Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation

Trade

Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization 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

Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence

Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development

Multi-stakeholder partnerships

Enhance 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, in particular developing countries
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

Data, monitoring and accountability

By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

ANZ supports SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals by describing their employee volunteering participation.

Ericsson provides support for SDG 17 in several ways. One was the launch of a report discussing how business can play a role in achieving the SDGs.

Another example for Ericsson is how the company is involved in humanitarian responses during major disasters.

We have come to the end of the 17 SDGs. My next post will be a recap of all 17.

SDGs, Sustainability, Sustainability Reporting, Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 16 Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions

March 6, 2018 Gwen White

SDG 16 Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions is part of my series on the SDGs.

“The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define global sustainable development priorities and aspirations for 2030 and seek to mobilize global efforts around a common set of goals and targets. The SDGs call for worldwide action among governments, business and civil society to end poverty and create a life of dignity and opportunity for all, within the boundaries of the planet.”

Here are the goal targets.

Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere

End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children

Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime

Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms

Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels

Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance

By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration

Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements

Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime

Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development

Ericsson reports its compliance with SDG 16 Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions by describing its work in registering refugees to reconnect them with missing family members.

Praxair shows that its global human rights policy and standards are supportive of SDG 16.

ANZ uses a third party risk screening tool in monitoring adherence to its Supplier Code of Practice.

SWR supports SDG 16 Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions. All SWR blog posts are created using solar power and are hosted by renewable energy sources!

SDGs, Sustainability, Sustainability Reporting, Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 15 Life on Land

February 26, 2018February 27, 2018 Gwen White

SDG 15 Life on Land is a continuation of my series on the SDGs.

SDG 15 Life on Land includes the following:

By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed

Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products

By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species

By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts

Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems

Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation

Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

The importance of SDG 15 Life on Land for businesses can be seen in a World Business Council for Sustainable Development video. Companies that rely specifically on products from land have a large stake in protecting land. Unilever, Ericsson, and SAB Miller are three companies that reference SDG 15 as being important to their businesses.

Unilever supports SDG 15 Life on Land because many of it products depend on forests and agriculture. Unilever‘s video explains the importance of land preservation to its business.

Ericsson has a direct connection to the land with its robots that detect parasites.

In an effort to protect life on land, SABMiller is working with its sugarcane farming operations in Honduras to modify traditional procedures for washing the crop, to decrease pesticide use by 27%, and to reduce the burning of post harvest vegetation.

SWR supports SDG 15 Life on Land. All SWR blog posts are created using solar power and are hosted by renewable energy sources!

SDGs, Sustainability, Sustainability Reporting, Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 14 Life Below Water

February 12, 2018February 14, 2018 Gwen White

SDG 14 Life Below Water is a continuation of my series on the SDGs.

SDG 14 Life Below Water includes the following:

By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration, to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting, and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on best available scientific information
By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, and eliminate subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing, and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the WTO fisheries subsidies negotiation
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to SIDS and LDCs from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacities and transfer marine technology taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular SIDS and LDCs
Provide access of small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
Ensure the full implementation of international law, as reflected in UNCLOS for states parties to it, including, where applicable, existing regional and international regimes for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by their parties

This short video explains SDG 14 Life Below Water.

What are companies doing to address SDG 14 Life Below Water?

Dell along with Bureo, General Motors, Herman Miller, Humanscale, Interface, Trek, and Van de Sant have committed in partnership with The Lonely Whale Foundation to work on recycling plastic waste found in the oceans.

How did Nextwave happen?

SWR supports SDG 14 Life Below Water. Oceans naturally absorb carbon dioxide emissions, but increased emissions are changing the chemistry of seawater and damaging life below water. Reducing carbon emissions protects the oceans. All SWR blog posts are created using solar power and are hosted by renewable energy sources!