Arthur Lyon Dahl Ph.D.
International Environment Forum (IEF)
https://iefworld.org
Paper presented at the
International Environment Forum
20th International Conference
Nur University
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
7 October 2016
Published on line at https://iefworld.org/ddahl16j
The nations of the world have been gradually waking up to the serious challenges posed to the planet and human society from environmental degradation, social injustice and economic unsustainability. Starting from the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972, it took 20 years to build the momentum necessary to adopt an action plan for sustainable development, Agenda 21, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Twenty years later, governments again met in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and called for the development of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with targets and indicators, to be achieved by 2030. These were finally approved at a UN General Assembly Summit in September 2015, followed three months later by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. 2015 was thus the year governments finally reached a global consensus on what it will take to avoid a conjunction of environmental, social and economic crises that would be catastrophic for human well-being and civilization.
The process of negotiating the SDGs was open, with wide consultation with scientists and organizations of civil society. These inputs were synthesized by the UN Secretary-General in his report on the Post-2015 Agenda, "The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet" at the end of 2014 (UN 2014). The Secretary-General said we needed a fundamental transformation in society and the economy. He said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define a paradigm shift for people and planet that is inclusive and people-centred, leaving no one behind. These integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, and are to be implemented in a spirit of solidarity, cooperation, mutual accountability, with the participation of governments and all stakeholders. He called for transformative partnerships built upon principles and values, a shared vision and shared goals, with the participation of all relevant stakeholders, mobilizing the power of culture, and with mutual accountability at the center. He emphasized that "young people will be the torch bearers... the first truly globalized, interconnected, and highly mobilized civil society, ready and able to serve as a participant, joint steward, and powerful engine of change and transformation" (UN 2014).
The Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, in New York on 25-27 September 2015, agreed to an outcome document, "Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", which included 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2013 (UN 2015). To quote the outcome document: "This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognise that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind." (UN 2015 preamble)
World leaders summarized the 2030 Agenda as follows:
"People
We are determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and
dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential
in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment.
Planet
We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including
through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its
natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it
can support the needs of the present and future generations.
Prosperity
We are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and
fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress
occurs in harmony with nature.
Peace
We are determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which
are free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development
without peace and no peace without sustainable development.
Partnership
We are determined to mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda
through a revitalised Global Partnership for Sustainable Development,
based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focussed in
particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the
participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people." (UN
2015 preamble)
"This is an Agenda of unprecedented scope and significance. It is accepted by all countries and is applicable to all, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. These are universal goals and targets which involve the entire world, developed and developing countries alike. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development. " (UN 2015 §5)
The leaders concluded: "It is “We the Peoples” who are embarking today on the road to 2030. Our journey will involve Governments as well as Parliaments, the UN system and other international institutions, local authorities, indigenous peoples, civil society, business and the private sector, the scientific and academic community – and all people.... It is an Agenda of the people, by the people, and for the people – and this, we believe, will ensure its success." (UN 2015 §52)
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included in the Agenda are action oriented, global in nature and universally applicable. There are goals that place humans at the centre, where environmental challenges represent threats to human health and well-being, and where environmental solutions can reinforce human progress. Another set of goals address environmental resources, processes and boundaries defining planetary health on which human well-being and development depend. Then there are goals about transitioning to a green economy that builds rather than undermines planetary sustainability. The final two goals are on institutional and governance issues and the means of implementation. Included under the goals are 169 quantified targets (IAEG-SDGs 2016) for specific actions required to meet the goals. Governments have since agreed to an initial set of 241 global indicators to measure progress towards the targets. This is a very ambitious and aspirational agenda, but it carries the weight of global approval at the highest level, and will require regular follow-up and reporting by all countries, so it must be taken seriously. But can governments do it all by themselves?
The United Nations may seem far removed from our local actions in our neighbourhoods and communities. Most people have probably not even heard of them. Yet the 2030 Agenda is a call for justice addressed to everyone, and is supposed to be of, by and for the people. So the people should take notice.
For most of us, looking at an agenda of aspirational goals adopted by heads of state at the United Nations is like looking at the night sky. The moon and stars are beautiful up there, and may inspire lofty sentiments, but they are far from the realities of daily life. Political leaders may sign declarations, and statisticians will work away to produce some numbers about how each country is doing, but is all this really relevant? Will it make any difference to you and me?
We should not wait for governments to act, as they always do too little, too late. The United Nations process is essentially top-down, building a global consensus among governments, which is very important, but not sufficient. The SDGs need to be appropriated by individuals, communities and civil society to start a bottom-up process, translating the goals into local realities.
This calls for implementing the SDGs at multiple levels, from the global to the local, and even for each one of us. Governments will now need to launch a process to decide on their goals and targets at the national level, as their share of the global responsibility to reach the goals. Cities and local governments can adopt their own SDGs inspired by the global ones, just as many adopted local Agenda 21s after the Rio Earth Summit. Now they need to update it to an Agenda 2030. This should result in nested structures of goals and targets with responsibility devolved to lower levels. The process is important. There needs to be an open consultative processes for setting principles and priorities and reviewing progress, with transparent access to information. Stakeholder participation should be invited in monitoring and management, to give everyone a sense of ownership and responsibility.
For many of the challenges of sustainability, we do not have all the answers, and there may be many different responses depending on local circumstances, institutional frameworks and cultures. There are no set solutions ready to be adopted everywhere. We all need to make progress where it is possible, building the appropriate governance mechanisms in small steps as our capacity grows. This means learning through action, reflection and consultation, gradually building confidence in our institutions and in the roles of various stakeholders. There is room for initiatives from civil society organizations as well as governments.
To start the process, try looking at the global goals and aspirations as addressed to each of us and our local communities. What can we do to implement them at our own level? Looking at the SDGs and their targets, there are 107 targets that are relevant and could be implemented directly at the community level (TABLE 1). This can be seen as a kind of check list for local planning. There are too many to take on all at once, so a community should pick some that seem to be high priorities and a good place to start, and then add others later as capacity and interest grows. This could possibly be done through partnerships (itself one of the goals), with different groups of stakeholders or organizations taking on those targets that are of particular interest to them. Through a consultative process, the community could agree on local numerical targets to be achieved by 2030, and construct its own Agenda 2030. Some of the global indicators could be adapted to measure progress at the local level, or other more appropriate indicators found that can be measured with local resources.
It is even possible to consider Sustainable Development Goals for individuals. The transformation called for in the global 2030 Agenda calls for changes in our own aspirations and lifestyles. Drawing on the global targets for inspiration, TABLE 2 lists, under each of the 17 SDGs, some of the things each of us can do to bring our own lives into harmony with the direction the whole planet needs to take to make the transition to sustainability. And the time is very short. Looking as issues such as climate change, resource depletion and biodiversity loss, the science says that we must reverse course and put ourselves onto a sustainable path within a generation. And that means us, now. There is no time to be lost, and many individual actions can add up to a significant effect.
None of this will be easy. Motivating people to change requires much more than just scientific information about the problems, or technical solutions. People need to engage at an emotional as well as an intellectual level. Today it is too easy to start with negative emotions of fear, denial, rejection and withdrawl. What is needed is to replace these negative feelings with stronger positive ones, and that is best done by bringing in an ethical dimension founded in a deeper understanding of human nature and purpose, and a positive vision of what the world can become once we pass through the transition towards a more sustainable society. Community and individual goals and targets can contribute to this positive direction by showing that constructive efforts can make a visible difference at the local level.
The SDGs are ambitious even if everyone supports them. There is still the major part of humanity that could not care less about higher aspirations, and who want to remain greedy, corrupt, violent or selfish.This is where values-based education for sustainable lifestyles is so important. If young people can learn early the pleasures of altruistic acts and being of service to the community, this can protect them against the corrupting forces of a materialistic society. The individual goals can be a framework for such education.
Many efforts today are going in this more positive direction, from the Pope's encyclical (Pope Francis 2015) and the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change (2015) to the efforts of the Bahá'í International Community (Dahl 2016). Some examples of Bahá'í perspectives relevant to the SDGs are included in TABLE 3.
The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals are motivated by a spirit of justice “to leave no one behind”. They have an ethical foundation that can contribute to their public acceptance. Many things can be done to implement the SDGs at the local level, in complement to national and global efforts. Setting positive goals can be very motivating at a time when so many forces are negative and threaten to tear the world apart. Agreeing on local SDGs and adopting goals individually and in families that support the necessary transition to sustainability can provide a unity of purpose that can help to build unity in the whole community.
The Bahá'í International Community has put it this way: "the pathway to sustainability will be one of empowerment, collaboration and continual processes of questioning, learning and action in all regions of the world. It will be shaped by the experiences of women, men, children, the rich, the poor, the governors and the governed as each one is enabled to play their rightful role in the construction of a new society. As the sweeping tides of consumerism, unfettered consumption, extreme poverty and marginalization recede, they will reveal the human capacities for justice, reciprocity and happiness." (BIC 2010) Translating the global goals to local communities can create a dynamic of positive change.
Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
1.1 ...eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere...
1.2 ...reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children
of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions...
1.3 Implement... social protection systems and measures for all, including
floors, and... achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
1.4 ...ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the
vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to
basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of
property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and
financial services, including micro finance
1.5 ...build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations
and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme
events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture
2.1 ...end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor
and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe,
nutritious and sufficient food all year round
2.2 ...end all forms of malnutrition..., and address the nutritional needs
of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
2.3 ...double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale
food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers,
pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to
land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial
services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm
employment
2.4 ...ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient
agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that
help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to
climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and
that progressively improve land and soil quality
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all
ages
3.1 ...reduce the... maternal mortality ratio
3.2 ...end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of
age
3.3 ...end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected
tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other
communicable diseases
3.4 ...reduce.. premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through
prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including
narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
3.6 ...halve the number of... deaths and injuries from road traffic
accidents
3.7 ...ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care
services, including for family planning, information and education
3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk
protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to
safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines
for all
3.9 ...substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from
hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
3.b ...provide access to medicines for all
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1 ...ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality
primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning
outcomes
4.2 ...ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early
childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are
ready for primary education
4.3 ...ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality
technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.4 ...substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have
relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for
employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.5 ...eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access
to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable,
including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in
vulnerable situations 4.6 ...ensure that all youth and a substantial
proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.7 ...ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to
promote sustainable development, including, among others, through
education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human
rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence,
global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's
contribution to sustainable development
4.a Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and
gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective
learning environments for all
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the
public and private spheres, including... sexual and other types of
exploitation
5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced
marriage and female genital mutilation
5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the
provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection
policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household
and the family...
5.5 Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal
opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in
political, economic and public life
5.6 Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and
reproductive rights
5.a Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as
well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of
property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources
5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and
communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women 5.c Adopt
and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the
promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at
all levels
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all
6.1 ...achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable
drinking water for all
6.2 ...achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for
all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of
women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.3 ...improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping
and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the
proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling
and safe reuse...
6.4 ...substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and
ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water
scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from
water scarcity
6.5 ...implement integrated water resources management at all levels
6.6 ...protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains,
forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
6.b Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in
improving water and sanitation management
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern
energy for all
7.1 ...ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy
services
7.2 ...increase substantially the share of renewable energy...
7.3 ...double the... rate of improvement in energy efficiency
7.b ...expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern
and sustainable energy services for all...
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth,
full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through
diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through
a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
8.3 ...support productive activities, decent job creation,
entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the
formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises,
including through access to financial services
8.5 ...achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all
women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities,
and equal pay for work of equal value
8.6 ...substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment,
education or training
8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments
for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants,
and those in precarious employment
8.9 ...promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local
culture and products
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
9.1 Develop quality, reliable. sustainable and resilient infrastructure...
to support economic development and human well-being. with a focus on
affordable and equitable access for all
9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization
9.3 Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other
enterprises.... to financial services, including affordable credit, and
their integration into value chains and markets
9.4 ...upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them
sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption
of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial
processes...
9.c Significantly increase access to information and communications
technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the
Internet...
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
10.1 ...progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40
per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
10.2 ...empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion
of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin,
religion or economic or other status
10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome,
including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and
promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
10.4 Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection
policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
10.7 Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and
mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and
well-managed migration policies
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient
and sustainable
11.1 ...ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and
basic services and upgrade slums
11.2 ...provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable
transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding
public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in
vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and
older persons
11.3 ...enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for
participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and
management...
11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the... cultural and
natural heritage
11.5 ...significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people
affected... by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus
on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
11.6 ...reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities,
including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and
other waste management
11.7 ...provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green
and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and
persons with disabilities
11.a Support positive economic, social and environmental links between
urban, peri-urban and rural areas...
11.b ...adopt and implement integrated policies and plans towards
inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate
change, resilience to disasters...
11.c Support... building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing
local materials
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
12.2 ...achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural
resources
12.3 ...halve per capita... food waste at the retail and consumer levels
12.4 ...achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all
wastes throughout their life cycle... and significantly reduce their
release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts
on human health and the environment
12.5 ...substantially reduce waste generation through prevention,
reduction, recycling and reuse
12.6 Encourage companies... to adopt sustainable practices and to
integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable
12.8 ...ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and
awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with
nature
12.b Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development
impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local
culture and products
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related
hazards and natural disasters...
13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional
capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and
early warning
[support implementation of the Paris Agreement]
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development
14.1 ...prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in
particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and
nutrient pollution
14.2 ...sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to
avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their
resilience, and take action for their restoration...
14.5 ...conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas...
14.b Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources
and markets
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
15.1 ...ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of
terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in
particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands...
15.2 ...promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types
of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially
increase afforestation and reforestation...
15.3 ...combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including
land affected by desertification, drought and floods...
15.4 ...ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their
biodiversity...
15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of
natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity...
15.9 ...integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into... local planning
15.c Enhance... efforts to combat poaching... by increasing the capacity
of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable
development, provide access to justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive institutions...
16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates...
16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence
against and torture of children
16.3 Promote the rule of law... and ensure equal access to justice for all
16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions...
16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative
decision-making...
16.9 ...provide legal identity for all, including birth registration
16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental
freedoms...
16.b Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for
sustainable development
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation...
17.1 Strengthen domestic resource mobilization...
17.7 Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of
environmentally sound technologies...
17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil
society partnerships...
Goal 1. No poverty
Contribute to local efforts to eliminate poverty in your community (1.1,
1.2 end poverty)
Goal 2. Zero hunger
Support community efforts to ensure everyone access to safe, nutritious
and sufficient food all year round (2.1, 2.2 ensure access to food, end
malnutrition)
Encourage and support local small-scale food producers (2.3 small-scale
food producers)
Support sustainable food production systems that improve land and soil
quality (2.4 sustainable food production systems)
Goal 3. Good health and well-being
Choose a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family (3.4
non-communicable diseases, mental health and well-being)
Avoid narcotic drugs and harmful use of alcohol (3.5 substance abuse)
Drive safely (3.6 road traffic accidents)
Plan your family size (3.7 family planning)
Avoid using hazardous chemicals, try not to live in polluted areas (3.9
hazardous chemicals; air, water and soil pollution)
Goal 4. Quality education
Get the best education possible, and educate your children (4.1 primary
and secondary education) (4.3 technical, vocational and tertiary
education)
Give your small children pre-primary education (4.2 pre-primary education)
Help others to get skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
(4.4 technical and vocational skills for youth and adults)
Encourage education for girls and the vulnerable (4.5 gender disparities,
equal access to education)
Educate yourself, your family and community about sustainable development
and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, peace and
non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity
(4.7 education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles)
Goal 5. Gender equality
Avoid discriminating against women and girls (5.1 discrimination against
all women and girls)
Shun violence against women and girls (5.2 violence against all women and
girls)
Share responsibility within your household and family (5.4 domestic work
and shared responsibility)
Encourage women's participation in leadership and decision-making (5.5
women's participation)
Support women's equal rights (5.a women's equal rights to economic
resources and property)
Promote the empowerment of women with technology (5.b enabling technology
for women)
Goal 6. Clean water and sanitation
Encourage safe drinking water and sanitation, practice good hygiene (6.1
safe drinking water) (6.2 sanitation and hygiene)
Avoid polluting water (6.3 water quality)
Use water efficiently (6.4 water-use efficiency)
Contribute to improving water and sanitation in your community (6.b
participation of local communities in water and sanitation management)
Goal 7. Affordable and clean energy
Prefer renewable energy sources (7.2 renewable energy)
Use energy efficiently (7.3 energy efficiency)
Goal 8. Decent work and economic growth
Consider a career in a sustainable productive activity involving
creativity and innovation (8.3 productive activities)
See your work and that of others as a service to the community (8.5
employment and decent work)
Help young people to find training and employment (8.6 youth employment)
Encourage all workers' rights to a safe and secure working environment,
including migrants (8.8 labour rights)
Goal 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Work to improve your local community infrastructure (9.1 sustainable
infrastructure)
Look for ways to make your workplace more resource-efficient and
sustainable (9.4 sustainable industries)
Learn to use information and communications technologies and help others
(9.c access to information technology)
Goal 10. Reduced inequalities
Participate in the life of your community, and empower others irrespective
of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or
other status (10.2 social, economic and political inclusion)
Support equal opportunities for everyone in the community (10.3 equal
opportunity)
Be welcoming to migrants, since you may also migrate (10.7 responsible
migration)
Goal 11. Sustainable cities and communities
Choose your housing to be safe and sustainable (11.1 housing and basic
services)
Use sustainable forms of transport (11.2 sustainable transport)
Participate in the sustainability planning of your local community (11.3
sustainable urbanization and participatory human settlement planning)
Protect your local cultural and natural heritage (11.4 cultural and
natural heritage)
Reduce your vulnerability to disasters (11.5 disasters)
Contribute to community gardens and green spaces (11.7 green and public
spaces)
Goal 12. Responsible consumption and production
Consider sustainable natural resource use in your purchases (12.2
sustainable natural resource use)
Stop wasting food (12.3 food waste)
Reduce your use and release of chemicals (12.4 environmentally sound
management of chemicals)
Reduce your wastes through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
(12.5 reduce waste generation)
Inform yourself, and help to educate others about sustainable development
and lifestyles in harmony with nature (12.8 information and awareness)
Goal 13. Climate action
Educate yourself and others about climate change mitigation, adaptation,
impact reduction and early warning (13.3 climate change education)
Goal 14. Life below water
Reduce your use of plastics and dispose of them responsibly (14.1 marine
pollution and marine debris)
If you live near the coast, support coastal protection (14.2, 14.5 marine
and coastal ecosystems)
Goal 15. Life on land
Support the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and freshwater
ecosystems, especially forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands (15.1
terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems)
Use paper, wood and charcoal from sustainable forestry (15.2 sustainable
management forests)
Protect local natural habitats and biodiversity (15.5 natural habitats and
biodiversity)
Goal 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
Avoid all violence (16.1 violence)
Protect children from abuse (16.2 abuse of children)
Fight local corruption (16.5 corruption and bribery)
Demand accountability and transparency from your local institutions (16.6
accountable and transparent institutions)
Participate in local decision-making (16.7 participatory and
representative decision-making)
Avoid all discrimination in your community (16.b non-discriminatory laws
and policies)
Goal 17. Partnerships for the goals
Contribute time and resources to local sustainability efforts (17.1
domestic resource mobilization)
Invent, adopt and share environmentally sound technologies (17.7
environmentally sound technologies)
Join in local partnerships for sustainability (17.17 public,
public-private and civil society partnerships)
Relating the SDGs to Bahá'í principles (Dahl 2016)
Goal 1. No poverty
Poverty can be described as the absence of those ethical, social and material resources needed to develop the moral, intellectual and social capacities of individuals, communities and institutions.... the goal at hand is not only to remove the ills of poverty but to engage the masses of humanity in the construction of a just global order. (BIC 2008a)
The technologies and resources exist to meet the basic needs of humanity and to eliminate poverty. Equity in the use of these technologies and resources, however, will come about only with certain understandings and commitments. While individuals must do their utmost to provide for themselves and their dependents, the community must accept responsibility, when necessary, to help meet basic needs. (BIC 1998)
Goal 2. Zero hunger
The economics of food production and distribution will have to be reoriented and the critical role of the farmer in food and economic security properly valued. (BIC 1998)
Food production and agriculture is the world's single largest source of employment.... Agriculture still represents the fundamental basis of economic and community life: malnourishment and food insecurity suffocate all attempts at development and progress.... The farmer must be accorded his or her rightful place in the processes of development and civilization building: as the villages are reconstructed, the cities will follow. (BIC 2008a)
Goal 3. Good health and well-being
With regard to health – the physical, spiritual, mental and social well-being of the individual – access to clean water, shelter, and some form of cheap energy would go a long way toward eradicating the problems that currently plague vast numbers of individuals and communities. (BIC 1998)
Goal 4. Quality education
Education must be lifelong. It should help people to develop the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills necessary to earn a livelihood and to contribute confidently and constructively to shaping communities that reflect principles of justice, equity and unity. It should also help the individual develop a sense of place and community, grounded in the local, but embracing the whole world. Successful education will cultivate virtue as the foundation for personal and collective well-being, and will nurture in individuals a deep sense of service and an active commitment to the welfare of their families, their communities, their countries, indeed, all mankind. (BIC 1998)
Goal 5. Gender equality
One of the most pervasive social challenges besetting communities around the world is the marginalization of girls and women.... Their responsibilities in families, in communities, as farmers and as stewards of natural resources make them uniquely positioned to develop strategies for adapting to changing environmental conditions. Women's distinct knowledge and needs complement those of men, and must be duly considered in all arenas of community decision-making. (BIC 2008b)
Goal 6. Clean water and sanitation
Wash ye every soiled thing with water that hath undergone no alteration.... Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind.
Immerse yourselves in clean water; it is not permissible to bathe yourselves in water that hath already been used. (Bahá'u'lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas)
Goal 7. Affordable and clean energy
A world federal system... bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet... (Shoghi Effendi 1936)
Goal 8. Decent work and economic growth
Society must develop new economic models... furthering a dynamic, just and thriving social order. Such economic systems will be strongly altruistic and cooperative in nature; they will provide meaningful employment and will help to eradicate poverty in the world. (BIC 1998)
Goal 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
The owners of properties, mines and factories should share their incomes with their employees and give a fairly certain percentage of their products to their workingmen in order that the employees may receive, beside their wages, some of the general income of the factory ('Abdu'l-Bahá)
The dominant model of development depends on a society of vigorous consumers of material goods.... This preoccupation with the production and accumulation of material objects and comforts... has consolidated itself in the structures of power and information to the exclusion of competing voices and paradigms. The unfettered cultivation of needs and wants has led to a system fully dependent on excessive consumption for a privileged few, while reinforcing exclusion, poverty and inequality, for the majority. (BIC 2010)
Goal 10. Reduced inequalities
All too many of these ideologies...callously abandon starving millions to the operations of a market system that all too clearly is aggravating the plight of the majority of mankind, while enabling small sections to live in a condition of affluence scarcely dreamed of by our forebears.... Why is the vast majority of the world's peoples sinking ever deeper into hunger and wretchedness when wealth on a scale undreamed of... is at the disposal of the present arbiters of human affairs? (UHJ 1985)
It is the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few that is in urgent need of attention. (BIC 2008a>)
Goal 11. Sustainable cities and communities
Our challenge... is to redesign and develop our communities around those universal principles -- including love, honesty, moderation, humility, hospitality, justice and unity -- which promote social cohesion, and without which no community, no matter how economically prosperous, intellectually endowed or technologically advanced, can long endure. (BIC 1996)
Goal 12. Responsible consumption and production
Take from this world only to the measure of your needs, and forego that which exceedeth them. (Bahá'u'lláh)
Sustainable production is not simply about ‘greener’ technology but rather, should involve systems that enable all human beings to contribute to the productive process. In such a system, all are producers, and all have the opportunity to earn (or receive, if unable to earn) enough to meet their needs.
The concept of justice is embodied in the recognition that the interests of the individual and of the wider community are inextricably linked....
Ultimately, the transformation required to shift towards sustainable consumption and production will entail no less than an organic change in the structure of society itself so as to reflect fully the interdependence of the entire social body—as well as the interconnectedness with the natural world that sustains it. (BIC 2010)
Goal 13. Climate action
Much has been said about the need for cooperation to solve a climate challenge that no nation or community can solve alone. The principle of the oneness of humankind... seeks to... anchor the aspirations of individuals, communities and nations to those of the progress of humanity.... As children, women, men, religious and scientific communities as well as governments and international institutions converge on this reality, we will do more than achieve a collective response to the climate change crisis. We will usher in a new paradigm by means of which we can understand our purpose and responsibilities in an interconnected world.... (BIC 2008b)
Goal 14. Life below water
A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources.... A world legislature... will... ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations.... The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be coordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated. (Shoghi Effendi 1936)
Goal 15. Life on land
In light of the interdependence of all parts of nature, and the importance of evolution and diversity "to the beauty, efficiency and perfection of the whole," every effort should be made to preserve as much as possible the earth's bio-diversity and natural order.
As trustees, or stewards, of the planet's vast resources and biological diversity, humanity must learn to make use of the earth's natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, in a manner that ensures sustainability and equity into the distant reaches of time. (BIC 1998)
Goal 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
Goal 17. Partnerships for the goals
The pathway to sustainability will be one of empowerment, collaboration and continual processes of questioning, learning and action in all regions of the world. It will be shaped by the experiences of women, men, children, the rich, the poor, the governors and the governed as each one is enabled to play their rightful role in the construction of a new society. As the sweeping tides of consumerism, unfettered consumption, extreme poverty and marginalization recede, they will reveal the human capacities for justice, reciprocity and happiness. (BIC 2010)
REFERENCES CITED
'Abdu'l-Bahá. 1945. Foundations of World Unity. Wilmette, Illinois: Baha'i Publishing Trust.
Bahá'í International Community. 1996. Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World. A statement presented to the Plenary of the Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), 7 June 1996, Istanbul, Turkey. https://www.bic.org/statements/sustainable-communities-integrating-world
Bahá'í International Community. 1998. Valuing Spirituality in Development: Initial Considerations Regarding the Creation of Spiritually Based Indicators for Development. A concept paper written for the World Faiths and Development Dialogue, Lambeth Palace, London, 18-19 February 1998. Bahá'í Publishing Trust, London. https://www.bic.org/statements/valuing-spirituality-development and http://iefworld.org/bicvsid.htm
Bahá'í International Community. 2008a. Eradicating Poverty: Moving Forward As One. https://www.bic.org/statements/eradicating-poverty-moving-forward-one and http://iefworld.org/bicpoverty.htm and http://iefworld.org/bicpoverty.htm
Bahá'í International Community. 2008b. Seizing the Opportunity: Redefining the Challenge of Climate Change. Statement presented at COP14, Poznan 2008. https://www.bic.org/statements/seizing-opportunity-redefining-challenge-climate-change
Bahá'í International Community. 2010. Rethinking Prosperity: Forging Alternatives to a Culture of Consumerism. Bahá'í International Community's Contribution to the 18th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 3 May 2010. https://www.bic.org/statements/rethinking-prosperity-forging-alternatives-culture-consumerism
Bahá'u'lláh. 1992. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book. Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre
Bahá'u'lláh. 2002. The Summons of the Lord of Hosts: Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh. Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre.
Dahl, Arthur Lyon. 2016. Using the new UN 2030 Agenda to work for justice at the local level. Paper presented at the 21st Justice Conference, de Poort, the Netherlands, 25-27 March 2016, on the theme "Justice In Action: From Local to Global". https://iefworld.org/ddahl16b
IAEG-SDGs. 2016. Report of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators, 19 February 2016 - United Nations E/CN.3/2016/2/Rev.1 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/47th-session/documents/2016-2-SDGs-Rev1-E.pdf
Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change. 2015. http://islamicclimatedeclaration.org/islamic-declaration-on-global-climate-change/
Pope Francis. 2015. Laudato Si': on care for our common home. Encyclical (18 June 2015) http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
Shoghi Effendi. 1936. The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1938.
United Nations. 2014. The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet, Synthesis Report of the Secretary-General on the Post-2015 Agenda. Document A/69/700, 4 December 2014. New York: United Nations. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/700&Lang=E
United Nations. 2015. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Outcome document of the Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, New York, 25-27 September 2015. A/70/L.1. New York: United Nations. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/70/L.1&Lang=E
Universal House of Justice. 1985. The Promise of World Peace. Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre.
Last updated 7 October 2016
Published on line by International Environment Forum: https://iefworld.org/ddahl16j
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