2017-04-20
Chris Johansen
After attending a Curtin Corner talk on 31 March given by Dr Stephen Lennon, President, United Nations Association of Australia, WA Division, I thought it was about time that I updated my concepts of sustainability. In the 90s, I used to give talks on 'sustainable agriculture. As the audience wandered in and took their seats I couldnt help but interpret the look on many of their faces – 'Oh no, not another lecture on sustainability. I therefore developed a tactic to prevent too many nodding off too soon ‒ I feigned this stutter: sus-sus-sus-sus-sus-tainability.
As I realized from Stephen Lennons talk, I began when the era of (attempted) sustainability began, in 1945. That was when the United Nations was also born, when there was a widespread realization that something proactive had to be done to make the human race itself sustainable, in view of the just concluding WW2 and the unleashing of nuclear weapons with the potential to eliminate us all. Prior to 1945 the usual modus operandi of Homo sapiens was unfettered exploitation of natural resources as if they were in infinite supply and if you desire more land area you invade and colonize it. The establishment of the UN was, in a sense, an attempt to make the human race sustainable by developing an international protocol whereby people wouldnt mutually destroy each other, and might even mutually assist each other. However, to be fair, there were some earlier such attempts, like the League of Nations, but which failed dismally, and some sporadic, isolated attempts at natural resource management (e.g. designation of national parks).
Of course, over the years, the UN has had mixed, and sometimes no, success in keeping humans from each others throats, but I look at it this way – what would have been our plight if the UN didnt exist? However, I would confidently assert, that the various agencies created under the UN banner have had a major positive effect on human and general environmental well-being. These include UNDP, UNICEF, FAO, IFAD, WFP, ILO, UNHCR, UNFPA, UNCTAD, UNEP, WHO, IMO, WMO – not a complete list as there are many other UN and UN- affiliated specialized agencies and entities. Of course, these organizations are regularly criticised as being too bureaucratic but their operation depends on the consensus (familiar with that word?) of many, many diverse nations making bureaucratic cumbersomeness inevitable.
In addition to the various UN programs begun after WW2, various civil society groups and individuals also began pointing out how the rapidly multiplying human race, with its rapidly expanding 'technology, was irreversibly damaging the natural resource base on which it depended (e.g. Rachel Carsons Silent Spring). By the 80s the UN General Assembly had realized that a more coordinated approach was needed for countries to work towards sustainable development. Thus the Brundtland Commission was formed, releasing its report, 'Our Common Future, in 1987. This document coined, and defined the meaning of, the term 'Sustainable Development.
The Brundtland Report provided the basis for the now landmark Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 (Rio 92). The outcome of this Conference was Agenda 21, a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the UN with regard to sustainable development. It is a 40-chapter document covering:
- Social and Economic Dimensions: directed toward combating poverty, especially in developing countries, changing consumption patterns, promoting health, achieving a more sustainable population, and sustainable settlement in decision making.
- Conservation and Management of Resources for Development: includes atmospheric protection, combating deforestation, protecting fragile environments, conservation of biodiversity, control of pollution and the management of biotechnology, and radioactive wastes.
- Strengthening the Role of Major Groups: includes the roles of children and youth, women, NGOs, local authorities, business and industry, and workers; and strengthening the role of indigenous peoples, their communities, and farmers.
- Means of Implementation: implementation includes science, technology transfer, education, international institutions and financial mechanisms.
There were follow-up meetings to review progress and adjust implementation plans in 1997 (Rio+5), 2002 (Rio+10) and 2012 (Rio+20).
Resulting from the Millennium Summit of the UN in 2000 a set of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established with a target date of 2015. The goals, each with specific targets assigned, were:
- To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
- To achieve universal primary education.
- To promote gender equality and empower women.
- To reduce child mortality.
- To improve maternal health.
- To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
- To ensure environmental sustainability.
- To develop a global partnership for development.
As we now know, 2015 having passed us by, most of the targets were only partially achieved and there was considerable variation across countries in achievement. China did well in all targets but some countries in Africa and the Middle East, mainly those racked by war, did not. Further, the MDGs were seen as too focussed on lesser developed countries rather than of universal applicability – there was scope for improvement under various goals in 'more developed countries also.
Learning from the MDG experience, a new sustainable development agenda was developed in 2015 to encourage all 192 countries to adopt a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved by 2030 and requires everyone to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals. The SDGs are:
Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*.
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
*Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
How individual countries are faring with respect to each goal can be seen on SDG dashboards. For example, the Dashboard for Australia is indicated as follows:
Green indicates doing well, yellow marginal and red much room for improvement. Im not sure who assigns these ranks but I would query some of them. No. 2 should really be labelled 'adequate dietary intake as Australia ranks rather badly on obesity and balanced diet. But I do agree with the other reds, which can be mainly attributed primarily to conservative governments disrespect for the environment (7, 13-15) and lack of understanding of the mutually beneficial role of development assistance (17). I would also downgrade Goal 10 to a red due to patently rising inequality and Goal 11 to at least yellow as we need a radical change of mindset to be able to approach concepts of sustainable cities and communities.
Whereas MDGs put major emphasis on lifting least developed countries via mainly government and donor actions, as Stephen Lennon highlighted, SDGs are a more inclusive approach requiring action down to the individual level. We need to reduce our personal footprints and become sustainable users of things rather than just consumers of them. The public needs to understand what SDGs are all about and not just think of the concept as applicable at government level only. Indeed, if governments do lead the SDG approach it is likely to be politicized (e.g. climate denial beliefs impacting Goals 7 and 13). Thus civil society needs to lead.
Photo: SDG symbols and national flags projected on UN Headquarters, New York. Source: www.euractiv.com/