Sustainable Development Goals

"There is no planet B."

Time is ticking and there are seven years left before we reach the deadline set by the
United Nations (UN) for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) but what exactly
is it? The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), generally referred to as the "Global Goals,"
are a global appeal for all United Nations member states to eradicate poverty, preserve the
environment, provide solutions to common societal issues around the world, and ensure that
peace and prosperity persist as possible by 2030. Here are all of the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG):

1. No Poverty
● 9.2% of the world’s population live in poverty but that’s roughly 719 million
people who live in extreme poverty characterized by social exclusion, lack of
identity papers, unsafe housing, lack of basic necessities (food or shelter), no
access to healthcare and education. Many countries around the world are
suffering with poverty and still are trying to figure out solutions to uplift
everyone. It is a miracle for poverty to be reduced by 50% in 2030 but if we
really want an equal world where everyone has the privilege to live life then
we would do every effort in eradicating it. It is also an act of justice for them
as they will not suffer from inequality anymore and so, we must address the
root causes of this specifically lack of basic education, healthcare, and basic
services from the government. In order to improve the lives of the
underprivileged, we should promote inclusion in both economic growth and
social protection institutions.

2. Zero Hunger
 ● Everything is interconnected with poverty. There are still millions around the
world not able to satisfy their hunger leading them to be malnourished and
worse, die because they do not have anything to eat. Therefore, we must
achieve food security and improve nutrition. Also, we must provide
technological solutions to improve our agriculture as we need it to be
sustainable because our resources are limited and it will be scarce if we waste
food without knowing that there are millions with their stomach growling
everyday. And we know that there is more food produced today that is enough
to feed thousands of people not only in Africa but also in different continents;
thus we highly encourage to have an equitable distribution of resources to
ensure that no one will be hungry.

3. Good Health and Well-being

● Good health and well-being is a key to sustainable development. As someone has
said, health is wealth. If more people have access to basic healthcare they will
have a prosperous future ahead of them which can lead to a happy economy and
population. Thus, this goal wants to attain the rapid improvement of healthcare
systems around the world. As we all know, people in Africa do not have access to
basic services of healthcare and diseases that should be avoidable are not being
treated immediately because there is a lack of access to medicines and cures. The
progress has been a double-edged sword as we had breakthroughs in health such
as infant and maternal rates have declined and HIV and Malaria mortality rates
have decreased as well. Additionally, we can also consider that countries have
already gotten COVID vaccines. But there are still countries who do not possess
proper healthcare institutions, taboos regarding mental health, and technological
improvements and inventions such as vaccines are still feared by some skeptics.

4. Quality Education
 ● Education is a factor that determines the human development index which is a
measure of a country’s social and economic development by focusing on
education, health, and income. We know that education is a foundation for
producing human capital, it equips a person with abilities that he/she must use for
real-life labor; it also increases the chances of him/her being employed than most
people without basic education or diploma. As our parents would say, studying
hard will pay-off in the future. A person with high levels of education are more
likely to have a large premium in employability and earnings. But let’s face the
reality of life, not everyone has the luxury of going to school to learn and finish
until you get your college degree. Even in college, we see working students just to
fund their expenses for school and they are breadwinners of the family. However,
if we are able to have free tuition universities or more public schools then more
people will be encouraged to learn. Therefore, this goal aims to achieve equitable
access to vocational training for boys and girls, the completion of basic and
secondary education, and the eradication of wealth and gender inequities by 2030.

5. Gender Equality
● Gender equality is a requirement for a progressive and sustainable development. It
encompasses every aspect of life; social, economic and political. It has always
been a pre-existing societal issue and it became part of the society to have
stereotypes and discrimination not only against women but all types of gender. In
a world where power is always important, men always believe that women are not
capable enough to function in a society. In history, they are kept inside the house
because they should be a mother who only cooks, does household chores, and etc.
They believed that women are not intelligent and capable of achieving many
things when in fact, there are breakthroughs in our history that were not possible
if women did not help. If we continue this oppressive culture, then there would
not be progress. Giving equal distribution of power, respect, education, and
political power. We are all created equal and so, goal #5 focuses on achieving a
lifetime commitment of ending discrimination and violence against women and
other types of genders, enhancing gender equality in institutions, and
 strengthening gender-responsive policies and legislations. Gender equality is not
only a fight for human rights but it is a fight for a progressive world where
everyone is equal.

6. Clean Water and Sanitation

● You cannot live without clean water and sanitation for days. Contaminated water
is infested with many bacterias and waterborne diseases are very harmful as it can
spread easily like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, and hepatitis. Hence, it is
crucial to advocate a clean water source so that we can improve public health for
everyone and avoid diseases like this that again, can be avoided. Also, mortality
rates in children will decline if they have clean water and sanitation and it will
lead to the development of a country. Goal #6 also emphasizes the importance of
proper disposal to avoid water pollution.

7. Affordable and Clean Energy

● In this age, we live in a world where electricity is a need and most of our
electricity is powered by fossil fuels which are non-renewable sources of energy.
In our quest to combat climate change, we are also looking for different types of
renewable sources of energy so that we would not solely depend on fossil fuels as
these are pollutants and scarce resources. Most countries are adopting nuclear
power plants, solar panels, wind turbines, or geothermal energies - these are the
technological advances that we need because in the future we will also benefit
from these because we want to protect our planet and live for more generations.
We also want to have affordable energy because this is just one of the basic
commodities and everyone should be able to afford them in order to live. Also,
clean energy because there are mishaps that happened in human history that cost
many lives because of unsafe and unclean energy like the Chernobyl in Ukraine
and Japan power plant meltdown.

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

 ● The objective of this goal is “to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.”
Unemployment is a common challenge for every country and they want to create
decent work for everyone that is sustainable and will boost economic growth. If
we create job opportunities for everyone then, we can lift people from extreme
poverty and eliminate inequalities. Currently, we do not have jobs that suffice the
growing labor force. Most companies are promoting cost-efficient strategies in
which they prefer employees that are flexible so that they would not hire many
employees anymore. That's why it is important to create more jobs for all men and
women. Moreover, this SDG encourages entrepreneurship and job creation to
eradicate other problems brought by not having decent jobs like human
trafficking, illegal businesses, forced labor, and slavery.

9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

● When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, all industries were hit and the economy took a
massive damage as businesses and infrastructures were all closed. However, when
the vaccines were produced and distributed globally, and businesses were allowed
to operate again, countries with strong industries, innovation, and infrastructure
were the economies that were quick to bounce back. For example, countries like
Japan who can produce their own vaccines and have advanced technology were
quick to recover because they do not have monopolized industries. Along with
their highly advanced technologies and their innovations are top-notch, they built
infrastructures that are forms of green technology like solar powered buildings
and cars and hydro powered electricity. These are the key to sustainable
development while taking action against climate change.

10. Reduced Inequalities

● Inequality is defined as the phenomenon of unequal or unjust distribution of
resources and opportunities based on race, gender, or social standing among
members of society. Inequalities come in different forms namely (1) income and
wealth inequality where there is a huge gap between the lower class, working
 class, middle class, and upper class. (2) Gender Inequality, where there is a
classification of weak and strong; who are given the right to education and voting.
(3) Social and economic exclusion like discrimination or social stratification
based on race, religion, disability, or geographic location. (4) Access to basic
services means that there are still people in the marginalized sector who do not
have access to basic education, clean water and food, and safe housing. Hence, all
of these are examples of inequalities and by providing proper solutions to each
one of these allow us to prosper and achieve sustainable development because
everyone has equal access to resources and human rights.

11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

● More people are moving to cities because most economic activities are happening
here and more opportunities are given than in the rural side of the country. Thus,
as the population increases it is important to build cities that are walkable and
have sustainable transportation systems and urbanization, access to public spaces
and housing and basic services so countries must build sustainable buildings that
will cater all our basic needs. We must also give importance to innovations that
will improve life in cities like walkable cities where there are sidewalks and
ensure safety; countries like Japan and Singapore are examples of countries that
possess sustainable cities and communities and that is why their economy is
prospering and these are the key to achieving this goal. We must also improve
policies for water management and waste management as these contribute to
different types of pollution.

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

● Our world has given us an abundance of natural resources, but we haven't utilized
them appropriately and we currently consume much more than the planet can
sustain. To reverse the damage we have caused to the environment, we must learn
how to utilize and produce in sustainable ways. We must also ensure that we are
not throwing our wastes into different bodies of water because it causes water
pollution and contaminates the bodies of water that are sources of water by
 communities. Also, we must not patronize fast fashion because it is too much
waste of natural resources like water and we might not have enough supply of
water if we continue to support these kinds of businesses.

13. Climate Action

● Climate change has always been the biggest threat for the human race. We know
that this planet is the only one that we can inhabit. This goal is also a call for
everyone to wake up and start their action to lessen carbon footprint. As we
become more technologically inclined, the more we exhaust natural resources like
fossil fuels and it produces too much carbon that warms up our planet. Global
warming effects can be felt now such as strong typhoons, high temperatures, and
rising sea level. Thus, every country is called to take action and implement laws
that will protect our planet from further harm because it is a ticking bomb that
will explode if we do not take action. Hence, climate action is a big commitment
and a key to sustainable development.

14. Life below Water

● Natural resources should be preserved. More aquatic animals are becoming
extinct because of water pollution and violence of humans against these creatures.
If more animals become extinct, we risk the ecological balance in nature because
they are already part of the food chain. Hence, we must conserve and sustainably
use the oceans, seas, and marine resources and protect the wildlife living in
different bodies of water.

15. Life on Land

● Likewise, life on land is also the same as life below water. These are national
treasures that were made along with us and we should be stewards of the wildlife
on this planet as they keep the ecological balance and if it is disrupted then all
animals will be affected and they might go extinct. Thus, we should protect,
restore, and combat desertification and deforestation to be able to live for many
years to come as the effects will also come back to us.
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
● This SDG aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to
justice for all, and build effective, accountable,and inclusive institutions for
everyone. Firstly, peace is still not achieved until today. Many countries have
conflict between each other because of greed for power and take hold of
territories that are not rightfully theirs. Even in our daily lives, we cannot achieve
peace because there are still people who will always be in conflict with others.
Secondly, there are justice systems that are dysfunctional and overly unjust. This
is why most people are losing trust in institutions because of cases like this.
Strong institutions include effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions that
will support the advocacies of the oppressed and they strive for equal
opportunities for everyone. Hence, peace, justice, and strong institutions are
crucial for a progressive country that will eventually lead to sustainability.

17. Partnership for the Goals

● Joining the United Nations is a lifetime commitment for a country. Every country
that supports these goals is obliged to follow and implement policies and laws that
will promote the Sustainable Development Goals because it will improve the lives
of everyone, especially in this world. We only have one planet and if we take
action as one, then it will be a massive movement where everyone will take
action. Thus, we must strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize
global partnerships for sustainable development.