The UN Sustainable Development Summit, held from September 25 to September 27 in New York, marked the official launch of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  This Agenda —agreed upon by the 193 Member States of the United Nations after two years of negotiations— seeks to irreversibly and globally end poverty by 2030. In addition to th...

To end poverty, everyone should have basic healthcare, security and education. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes ending poverty as “the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development” ( UN , 2015). The validity of this statement is clear if one takes into account the 836 million people li...

Globally, one in nine people are undernourished. This goal aims to end hunger. Undernutrition accounts for 45% of global deaths in children under five years old. In the future, climate change and unsustainable agricultural practices will increase this amount if mankind does not do something now. - Photo Credit: Pixabay Today, 795 million people are...

Ensuring people live healthy lives can cut child mortality an raise life expectancy. Remarkable progress has been made in the field of health since the 1990s. According to the UN , “maternal mortality has fallen by almost 50% since 1990”, similarly, 83% of mothers in developing regions were receiving antenatal care in 2012 in comparison to 65% in 1...

The UN wants everyone to have access to inclusive, equitable quality education. It is safe to say that universal access to quality education is a key factor in achieving a sustainable mid and long-term future. Several studies conducted over the years have linked lack of access to education with poverty and poverty traps. This is hardly a surprise —...

Gender equality is a human right, and is vital for a peaceful, prosperous world. Progress has been made in the fight for gender equality —namely on the education front, as girls and boys now have equal access to primary education ( UN , 2015). However, discrimination and violence against women and girls still exist both in the developing and develo...

Clean water protects people from disease, yet three in 10 people lack access to it. Widespread pollution of rivers and oceans is killing us all. Albeit violent, this affirmation holds an unquestionable truth. As many as 1,000 children die daily from preventable water sanitation-related diarrheal diseases and the global death toll for the same cause...

Targets for 2020 include using more renewable, affordable energy. There are several clean energy options available for implementation on small and large scales. There are countries now that give incentives –in the shape of loans and discounts—to citizens who decide to go solar. Recent biomimicry research on humpback whales has allowed to increase e...

The aim is for sustainable economic growth and decent employment for all. Global Goal 1 seeks to end poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030. This is a multifaceted and very ambitious task that will demand a joint effort from the global community. A determining factor in the success of this quest is setting the conditions for sustainable econom...

This involves building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation. Good infrastructure is a key factor in achieving sustainable development. It makes more resources readily available for use, it connects people and grants previously isolated towns, access to basic services, such as health-care, sanitation, electrical power and education. Fur...

The poorest 40 per cent of the population should be able to grow their income faster than average. While progress has been made towards lifting people out of poverty, things are far from perfect. In fact, average income inequality around the world increased by 11% in developing countries in the last 20 years. This means that 75% of the population o...

The UN wants to increase affordable housing and make settlements inclusive, safe and sustainable. Half the world’s population —or 3.5 billion people— currently lives in cities. These urban settlements bring people closer and open up a window for many opportunities, such as commerce, social interaction and development; and close contact with innovat...

This goal aims to foster eco-friendly production, reduce waste and boost recycling. Not too long ago, The Lorax, a book by Dr. Seuss, warned the world about the dangers of unsustainable production and consumption patterns. The colorful children’s book tells the story about a boy who, living in a walled town where people pay for clean air, goes on a...

Urgent action is needed, by regulating emissions and promoting renewable energy. Mankind has the potential to make of Earth a virtually inhospitable place. 50 animals and plants have already disappeared thanks to climate change and 1274 were listed as critically endangered by it as of March, 2016. The trees in the Andean region are trying to reach ...

The aim is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. Oceans comprise three quarters, or 75%, of the Earth’s surface. They also contain 97% of the water in the planet and represent 99% of the living space on it. Furthermore, oceans absorb roughly 30% of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, which buffers the ef...

To stop degradation, we must preserve forest, desert and mountain ecosystems. Humans have always exploited the resources available to them, whether for subsistence or for trade. Sadly, mankind has a history of doing so in unsustainable ways that can cause great harm to their surroundings. The impact of human activities on marine ecosystems was succ...

The aim is inclusive societies with strong institutions that provide justice for all. As defined by Corruption Watch , corruption is “the abuse of public resources or public power for personal gain” . It can be classed as grand, petty or political depending on the monetary losses and the sector in which it happens. Disregarding any classification, ...

If all countries are to achieve the goals, international cooperation is vital. “We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race” —Cicero The content of this post intends to provide a general overview of Global Goal 17 —more specifically, what it encompasses and why it is important to achieving the rest of the...