Sustainable development and its objectives. Definition and ideas in practice

Sustainability is an essential process that can ensure a secure future for both you and future generations. Taking care of sectors related to the economy, innovation, health or society is a concern for the functioning of each individual in the global village. This ensures decent living conditions and the same opportunities, regardless of background, race, location or economic situation.

What is sustainability?

According to the UN, sustainable development is defined as 'development that secures the needs of people today without compromising the fulfilment of the needs of future generations'. This means that the concept involves both social and economic growth in such a way as to improve people's functioning now and in the future. The aim is to build a model whereby present activities do not limit the economic opportunities of future generations.

The principle of sustainability first appeared in the forestry branch and referred to the way in which trees in forests were felled in such a way that the 'green lungs' were not eliminated. In the 1980s, the term sustainability was picked up by environmentalists and entered as a concept into the political debate as well. For the moment, it is the term associated precisely with ecology - hence, eco-development and sustainable development are concepts that complement each other.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN distinguishes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which can be implemented through 169 actions. Everyone is obliged to implement them: national governments, NGOs, international organisations, citizens, business and scientific sectors. The Sustainable Development Goals are:

1. An end to poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and quality of life
4. Good quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Clean available energy
8. Economic growth and decent work
9. Innovation, industry, infrastructure
10. Less inequality
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action
14. Life underwater
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
17. Partnerships for objectives

Why is sustainable development and the pursuit of its goals so important? The future of humanity's functioning on Earth depends on the actions you take right now. It is a collective responsibility (sustainable development actions stem indirectly from increasing globalisation) and of each individual, because you are also doing it for yourself, your loved ones and your quality of life. Actions include: sustainability on the farm; sustainability in business; sustainability in politics; sustainability in energy and transport.

The goals are part of the 2030 Agenda. It informs the actions taken towards sustainable development. The goals listed are intended to become a strategy for the continued functioning and transformation of life on Earth by 2030.

The foundation of the Sustainable Development Goals

The objectives contained in the Agenda can be divided into 5 areas, the so-called 5xP:

• people;
• planet (planet);
• Prosperity (welfare);
• peace (peace);
• partnership (partnerstwo).

The goals set out in the agenda are to be achieved through tasks (targets) with a timeframe of 2030. These plans replaced the Millennium Development Goals, which were to be achieved by 2015. In order to monitor progress towards the targets, appropriate indicators are used, of which there are as many as 231. These are controlled by governments (in Poland, the CSO is responsible for reporting).

The road to sustainability - what action to take?

Distributed to each area, the actions (169 in total) are to be achieved by 2030. Examples of sustainability measures are:

• the eradication of extreme poverty for people all over the world;
• policy-making to combat poverty at national, regional and international levels based on development strategies;
• the establishment of sustainable food production systems and the implementation of resilient farming practices, through which the productivity and output of the economy is expected to increase significantly;
• Creating the conditions to ensure genetic diversity of seeds, crops, livestock and domestic animals, associated wild species;
• Reducing the global perinatal mortality rate to below 70 cases/100,000 live births;
• eradication of the AIDS epidemic, tuberculosis, malaria, tropical diseases, eradication of hepatitis, waterborne and infectious diseases;
• Increasing the number of young people and adults who have the right skills (technical and vocational), meeting the need to obtain employment;
• the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills by young people, adult women and men;
• Eliminating discrimination against women and girls in all forms;
• eliminating harmful practices: early, forced marriages, child marriage, female genital mutilation;
• ensuring access to safe drinking water;
• implementation of water resource management at all levels;
• doubling the rate of increase in global energy efficiency;
• achieving higher levels of economic productivity through: innovation, technological modernisation, diversification;
• working and implementing strategies to employ young people and the Global Jobs Pact;
• increasing access to information and communication technologies, moving towards an affordable and universal internet;
• Supporting national technological development, research and innovation in developing countries;
• improving regulation and regular monitoring of global markets, financial institutions, strengthening in the implementation of these regulations;
• Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage;
• promoting environmentally, economically and socially beneficial integral connections between urban, peri-urban, rural areas through better land-use planning at national and regional level;
• sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources;
• Promoting sustainable procurement practices in line with national policies and priorities.