UN Sustainable Development Goals

What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals and why do they matter?

These are the key questions that you will continue to revisit throughout the year as part of your tutorial programme. This page is to provide you with an overview to help guide your thinking.

Introduction

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies to improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The Context

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was agreed at the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015.

Act Now

ActNow is the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability.

Every one of us can help limit global warming and take care of our planet. By making choices that have less harmful effects on the environment, we can be part of the solution and influence change.

The App for Living Sustainably in the Modern World is a great way to get started! See download links.

10 Easy Actions

Our choices matter. Around two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households. The energy, food, and transport sectors each contribute about 20 per cent of lifestyle emissions. From the electricity we use, to the food we eat and the way we travel, we can make a difference.

Nations United - Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times

“Nations United – Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times” sets out what must be done to tackle the world’s biggest issues, from COVID-19 to poverty, inequality, gender discrimination, climate change, justice and human rights. The broadcast marked the UN’s 75th anniversary, as well as the 5th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Amidst a global crisis, “Nations United – Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times” takes audiences on a dynamic exploration of the times we live in, the multiple tipping points our planet faces, and the interventions that could transform our world over the next ten years. The film is produced by 72 Films and writer, director and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate Richard Curtis.